The biopic «The Mercy» about amateur yachtsman Donald Crowhurst will be released on October 27, 2017. The film tells the story of Crowhurst's participation in the circumnavigation of the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1969.
«The Mercy» is directed by James Marsh. The screenplay is by Scott Z. Burns. It is based on the 2006 documentary «Deep Water», also about the story of Donald Crowhurst. « The Mercy» is a co-production between StudioCanal, BBC Films and Blueprint Pictures.
Businessman Donald Crowhurst has decided to take part in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race solo circumnavigation, fleeing his firm's bankruptcy and debts. The Golden Globe Race grand prize was £5,000 for the first man to circumnavigate the globe and £5,000 for the fastest man to do it. No one had ever circumnavigated the globe on a solo, non-stop sailing yacht before.
Crowhurst's trimaran yacht «Teignmouth Electron» had constant breakdowns during the regatta. He fell far behind his rivals, and in an attempt to conceal his position, began to transmit false coordinates to the organizers and started a false ship's logbook. When Nigel Tetley, Crowhurst's chief rival, crashed and lost the race, the adventurer found himself in an impossible position: he was the only competitor at the finish line but could not win the race as his fraud would have been exposed.
The only Golden Globe regatta participant to reach the finish line was Robin Knox-Johnston on «Swahili». He won both regatta prizes but donated £5k to the Donald Crowhurst Family Relief Fund.
