Maiden

Tonight I saw Maiden, starring Tracy Edwards and Jo Gooding.

In 1989, Tracy Edwards led an all-female team in the Whitbread Round the World Race, though she'd never been a skipper before. This documentary recalls the years leading up to the race featuring interviews conducted with original crew members and the journalists who covered them, in addition to archival footage.

Throughout her young life, Edwards had trouble committing to things. After an idyllic childhood cut short by her father's premature death, the young woman found herself always escaping. After being expelled from school and backpacking around Europe, she ended up on charter boats doing various jobs including cooking and acting as a deckhand.

After a chance meeting with King Hussein of Jordan during a trip to the U.S., she was helped by him to acquire a boat and organize a team to compete in the Whitbread Round the World Race. The team was all-female and struggled to find sponsorships because of those who underestimated their potential.

Finally, by 1989, the team and funding was in place and the women were able to compete alongside their male counterparts, gaining momentum with each milestone reached.

The film does a fantastic job of re-living their journey as it happened and relishing in every last victory these amazing women enjoyed.

A perfect movie for 2019.

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