This is the official website of the donald crowhurst family. The mysterious and tragic disappearance of the singlehanded sailor donald crowhurst more than 50 years ago continues to fascinate. Crowhurst had entered the race in hopes of winning a cash prize from the sunday times to aid his failing business. Just go and check your local bookstore or onlineseller for a copy of ron hallnicholas tomalin. I am interested in donald crowhursts story given our brief on celebrity, how he became trapped by his fame and renown leading eventually to his tragic and lonely death in the mid atlantic. With coauthor ron hall, he now raced against the clock to unravel the mystery of the log books and publish the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst, widely regarded as the definitive account. Nicholas tomalin, in his thirties when he wrote this book, had already been. At some point later he starts to make a doubleentry logbook, the first one with his. Crowhurst, a father of four with a devoted wife, clare, was just 36. Unlike other books about this same race such as the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst, nichols book covers all nine sailors with incredible detail and care. Donald crowhurst 19321969 was a british businessman and amateur sailor who died while competing in the sunday times golden globe race, a singlehanded, roundtheworld yacht race. One of the books he had aboard teignmouth electron was einsteins the special and the general theory.
Find books like the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst from the worlds largest community of readers. The strange last voyage of donald crowhurst goodreads. Maintained by find a grave buried or lost at sea, who reports a suicide. Among his possessions left behind at home was a copy of the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst. This is not a sailing book it is a detective story about what. Towards the end, reading crowhursts last log entries, i worried that i myself might come unhinged. Crowhurst spent his childhood there before returning to the familys native britain soon after india gained independence in 1947. Towards the end, reading crowhursts last log entries, i worried that i myself might.
Donald crowhurst 19321969 was an english businessman and amateur sailor who died while competing in the sunday times golden globe race, a singlehanded, roundtheworld yacht race. Maritime specialist jeremy michell sheds light on the perils of sailing alone, the progress of yacht racing, and the importance of remembering failure. There were no signs that it had been catastrophically damaged by a storm or rogue wave and it was assumed that donald crowhurst had either fallen or jumped overboard and drowned. Events which have given rise to countless books, plays and films and posthumously transformed the publics perception of donald crowhurst from a plucky storybook hero to an unhinged walter mitty. The strange last voyage of donald crowhurst is an extraordinary, moving, and harrowing book, haunting in every sense of the word, and a terrifying look at one mans descent into madness. Knoxjohnston is referring, of course, to donald crowhurst, one of his rivals in the infamous 196869 sunday times golden globe. A feature based on the true story of amateur sailor donald crowhurst and his attempt to win the first golden globe round the world yacht race. Buy a cheap copy of the strange last voyage of donald. No offence to the authors as they wanted to include it to show how he was mentally breaking down during the voyage, and they make that clear. Donald crowhurst and the teignmouth electron the boat crowhurst built for the trip, teignmouth electron, was a 40foot trimaran designed by californian arthur piver. Harry bordenguardian robin knoxjohnston was first in, and first to circumnavigate the world alone.
Who is bridgwaters donald crowhurst as oscar winning colin firth portrays him in major hollywood film his story of attempting a global race has been turned into a major hollywood film. The lonely, tragic death at sea of a disgraced sailor beached for decades on the remote caribbean island of cayman brac lies what is left of one of the worlds most infamous. Tomalin and hall have done a brilliant job in recreating not only crowhurst s voyage, but what led him to the position he found himself in. On october 31st 1968 crowhurst set out on a great expedition around the world, alone, on a boat as part of the sunday times golden globe competition. Wreck of the teignmouth electron cayman brac, cayman. Sep 10, 2008 octobers yachting monthly contains a 10page special on the voyage of donald crowhurst, 40 years after the event. In 1969, donald crowhurst fooled the world into believing he was completing the fastest nonstop solo circumnavigation of the globe.
With time he began to view himself as a god, evident in his logbook entries slowly spiralling into a kind of free madness. Donald crowhurst and his sea of lies daily mail online. Jun 01, 2003 donald crowhurst was one of these people. Robert mccrum meets the family of the infamous lone. Some say donald crowhurst could have been talked out of his tragic attempt at deception on a roundtheworld yacht race.
Donald crowhurst and his doomed attempt to sail around the. New edition by tomalin, nicholas, hall, ron, raban, jonathan isbn. It is a book that will always stand out of all the maritime books i ever read. I just finished a very interesting book tonight, the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst. Crowhurst had to spend long hours monitoring weather reports from around the globe, figuring winds and currents, time, speed and positions, inventing plausible anecdotes for the margins, etc. Another sailor, nigel tetley, looked as if he was going to come next and claim the prize for the fastest time, but then he sank and was rescued. Robert mccrum meets the family of the infamous lone sailor. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. In search of fame and fortune, donald crowhurst enters the 1968 sunday times golden globe race around the world a competition for the first person to solo circumnaviagate the world without stop. Donald crowhurst and his doomed attempt to sail around the world.
Donald crowhurst story set for dramatic film ocean. Feb 05, 2018 what happened to donald crowhurst s boat teignmouth electron and where is she now. The life and death of donald crowhurst in 1968 an amateur sailor set off on the inaugural solo roundtheworld yacht race. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. If donald crowhurst had just held on for 10 more days, he likely would. Clare crowhurst widow of donald crowhurst the infamous. Donald crowhurst and the yacht race that ended in mystery. What really happened to sailor donald crowhurst on the. He secretly abandoned the race while reporting false positions, in an attempt to.
What really happened to sailor donald crowhurst on the voyage that inspired the mercy. This is what you see when you open crowhursts log books, as simon has. Octobers yachting monthly contains a 10page special on the voyage of donald crowhurst, 40 years after the event. Donald charles alfred crowhurst 1932 july 1969 was a british businessman and amateur. The trimaran was found, adrift and empty, on july 10 1969. Donald charles alfred crowhurst 1932 july 1969 was a british businessman and amateur sailor who died while competing in the sunday times golden globe race, a singlehanded, roundtheworld yacht race. Why are filmmakers obsessed with the story of doomed british. The mercy tells the story of how donald crowhurst joined the 1968 race to circumnavigate the world and what happened next. Jan 28, 1970 the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst is an extraordinary, moving, and harrowing book, haunting in every sense of the word, and a terrifying look at one mans descent into madness.
Sir francis chichester, whose recordsetting 1967 circumnavigation inspired the 1968 69 roundtheworld race, called it the sea drama of the century. His decent into insanity while alone at sea for 8 months was captured in the chilling ships logs he left behind. Inside donald crowhursts heartbreaking roundtheworld hoax. What happened to donald crowhursts boat teignmouth electron. Til donald crowhurst committed suicide after attempting to. With coauthor ron hall, he now raced against the clock to unravel the mystery of the log books and publish the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst, widely regarded as. Donald crowhurst, the teignmouth electron and the round. Through crowhursts logs and diaries the world learned that, although he had. On july 10th 1969 his boat was found, unoccupied filled with log books written by crowhurst describing his entire journey. Starting on 6 december 1968, he continued reporting vague but false positions and possibly fabricating a log book. Why are filmmakers obsessed with the story of doomed british sailor donald crowhurst. Since leaving, crowhurst had been deliberately ambiguous in his radio reports of his location.
This book starts with a comprehensive look at crowhursts early life, and it is here that the first seeds of the later tragedy were sown. At the time, this was an unproven type of sailing boat for a voyage of such length. Donald crowhurst was left deeply trapped in a loselose situation of his own making. Clare crowhurst widow of donald crowhurst the infamous lone sailor at home in seaton, devon. Donald crowhurst is the subject of a hollywood film. It is heart wrenching to read about his passage from ambition to deception, and finally to uncertainty and madness. His ships log book, found after his disappearance, suggests that the stress he was under possibly led to his suicide. The authors of the strange voyage of donald crowhurst closely examined the logbooks, had plenty of interviews with persons, especially with his wife and had experts checking his logbooks, calculations and radiomessages.
If you only ever read one book in your life, make sure this is it. Still, the construction of a log book that would pass even the most cursory examination was an involved undertaking. Colin firth and rachel weisz on the harrowing true. Souvenir hunters have stripped her of her name plates and a vandal has spraypainted the words dream boat.
Still, it is crowhurst s tragic tale that sticks with you. Instead, he encountered difficulty early in the voyage, and secretly abandoned the. The world believed donald crowhurst was completing the fastest nonstop solo. On board were found log books, taperecordings, film, details of. The book is truly gripping from page one to the last, leaving the reader breathless and shackled to the story. What is the mercy about and who was donald crowhurst. The strange last voyage of donald crowhurst by nicholas. Souvenir hunters have stripped her of her name plates and a.
The mercy tells the story of amateur sailor donald crowhurst who set off in a roundtheworld race in a yacht built in east anglia and was never seen again. Til donald crowhurst committed suicide after attempting to fake a solo circumnavigation of the globe. Apr 30, 2003 the sailors classics library introduces a new generation of readers to the best books ever written about small boats under sail in the autumn of 1968, donald crowhurst set sail from england to participate in the first singlehanded nonstop aroundtheworld sailboat race. Robin knoxjohnston was first in, and first to circumnavigate the world alone. Buy the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst sailors classics s. In the autumn of 1968, donald crowhurst set sail from england to participate in the first singlehanded nonstop aroundtheworld sailboat race. Apr 04, 2009 forty years after the compelling and tragic mystery of donald crowhurst s disappearance, robert mccrum meets the family of the infamous lone sailor. I recently saw a documentary called deep water which made me fascinated by the story of donald crowhurst, a man who spent an amazing amount of time in complete solitude at sea, seeing as he had no life to return to, facing economic ruin and public humiliation. Jan 27, 2018 log book entry reveals the game was up. Sailor had secret love and faked logbooks before vanishing into the ocean disgraced yachtsman donald crowhurst planned to abandon his wife and family for secret love two years. Juli 1969 im nordatlantik war ein britischer geschaftsmann. Donald crowhurst was born in britishcontrolled india, where his father worked on the railways, in 1932. It was built to honour the memory of donald crowhurst, inventor, father, husband, adventurer and sailor. How sailors lies about epic voyage around the world.
Feb 02, 2009 the second explores the sad hulk that is all that remains of the teignmouth electron, donald crowhurst boat washed up on a beach in the cayman islands. Instead, he encountered difficulty early in the voyage, and secretly abandoned the race while. His decent into insanity while alone at sea for 8 months. What happened to donald crowhursts boat teignmouth.
The mercy starring colin firth portrays donald crowhurst s tragic attempt to sail around the world singlehandedly in the first race of its kind. This 40foot ship has been left to rot on the beach of cayman brac, a reminder of the strange disappearance of its owner donald crowhurst built the teignmouth electron for a roundtheworld. Donald crowhurst, the london sunday times golden globe race, and the tragedy of teignmouth electron. The strange last voyage of donald crowhurst sailors. Jul 10, 2011 on july 10, 1969, british sailor donald crowhursts boat was found adrift in the atlantic, ending a bizarre eightmonth fake voyage around the world in a sailing race. The strange last voyage of donald crowhurst sailors classics s.
Donald crowhurst, a royal air force veteran and recreational sailor, was the owner of a failing electronics business that sold marine navigational equipment. For the documentary film, watch deep water or read the superb book the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst. The tale is dramatised in new movie the mercy in cinemas from february 9 which. The strange last voyage of donald crowhurst nicholas. When the doomed voyage finally gets underway, the authors tomalin and hall expertly unravel what is going on inside crowhursts head from the very few clues he left behind. Crowhursts story is definitively told by two british journalists, nicholas tomalin and ron hall, in a superb 2003 nonfiction book, the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst. The tragic story of donald crowhursts last voyage is wellknown. Soon after departing, his ship began taking on water and he wrote it would probably sink in heavy seas. This account of crowhurst s trip is both fascinating and haunting. After trying out the first two ideas and not being happy with the results ive come up with, ive been looking at ways to combine an experimental diarydocumentation within a highly visual, painterly style. This book is the morbidly fascinating story of one of the participants, donald crowhurst, a talented amateur sailor and electronics entrepreneur, who announced that he would build the worlds most technologically advanced boat, including a firstofitskind onboard computer of his own design, and take the prize. Colin firth on donald crowhurst, the sailor lost at sea in a.
This book is the morbidly fascinating story of one of the participants, donald. In 1968, 36yearold donald crowhurst set off from england to sail around the world as part of a competition. Colin firths donald crowhurst film begins shoot news screen. While its well written i only mark it down one star because crowhursts own log books notes are littered in the book so much and frankly theyre a chore to read. Feb 09, 2015 his log book documents his steady mental decline and his presumed suicide by stepping off the stern of teignmouth electron into the waters of the south atlantic. The last words written in his logbook are it is the mercy, which feels like a kind of idea of a. Donald crowhurst logbook entries experimental writing. Crowhursts own log books reveal his trickery and philosophies and rantings that apparently led to his suicide after a yachtsmen in a global race decides to hoax his success and the very success of that could contribute to the death of the rightful winner and catapulte the hoaxer to an uncomfortable first where his log books would be examined too closely. Feted as a fearless roundtheworld yachtsman, donald crowhurst was in fact a walter mitty who faked his whole voyage and disappeared when he was about to be exposed. Donald charles alfred crowhurst 1932 july 1969 was a british businessman and amateur sailor who died while competing in the sunday times golden globe race, a singlehanded, roundtheworld yacht race soon after departing, his ship began taking on water and he wrote it would probably sink in heavy seas. With its first publication in 1970, the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst became an instant classic. The strange voyage of donald crowhurst is such a book. A passing boat, the royal mail vessel picardy, found the boat adrift in the midatlantic just 10 days later on july 10, 1969. Erjghh from alamys library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
No offence to the authors as they wanted to include it to show how he was mentally breaking. This was not what happened in the case of donald crowhurst. And his log books would come under serious scrutiny. Why are filmmakers obsessed with the story of doomed. He decided instead to fake his log books, lie dormant in midocean for a few months, then tuck in behind the other racers as they headed north back home through the atlantic.
Click on the links below to see inside his logbooks. Running a set of fake log entries would be impossible today in the age of satellites and. You want to treat him like a con artist or a thief. So goes the story of the mercy, the new film starring colin firth and rachel weisz an unglamorous apart from the indisguisable sheen that the stars themselves give off and compassionate.
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