Maiden

— I suppose if you’re in your 20s, 1989 seems like ancient history but to those of us who grew up in the '50s and ‘60s, it's still a vivid memory. That's why it’s so hard to believe, as recently as 1989, no one thought women could handle the travail of crewing a yacht. This documentary tells the story of the first all-female team to enter the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Race, focusing on Tracy Edwards, the captain who had the dream, got the financing, and pulled the crew together. Interviews with Edwards and some of her former crew members set the stage for the grueling race and how the crew members were perceived, both by the media and their male counterparts. No one gave them a chance at finishing the 32,000 nautical mile sailing race, so it’s no wonder they didn’t understand these women were about to open the doors for all women who followed to be taken seriously. It’s a well-done film that’ll make you feel good—at the credits, half the audience applauded and many had tears in their eyes.

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[2018. 97 min. Directed by Alex Holmes. Featuring Tracy Edwards, Frank Bough, John Chittenden, and Bruno De Bois.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/maiden-2019