I know nothing about sailing but getting to the faulklands and back seems an incredible achievement for a amateur sailor quite sad he felt he had to take his life
Donald Crowhurst’s real legacy and his achievement in this world was to produce a fine family to succeed him. The subsequent accounts of his sons are testament to this fact. The cruel irony was his wife and young family were right ‘under his nose’ and well within his grasp, but he was so 'distantly focussed' he failed to recognise it. He instead chose to look out ‘across the oceans’ in his personal quest for ‘recognition’ and that was to prove his utter downfall. The real sadness here is that he never lived to enjoy and witness the successes of his young family. They are a credit to him and particularly his wife who stood so loyally by him. Not forgetting Robin Knox Johnston's generosity and kind spirit.
@@peterweltweit Although he wanted fame and glory, he is not a hero - but neither is he a villain. Despite his deceptions, he was clearly a man of courage (ie spent 7 months in the atlantic and set out on a circumnavigation) and intelligence who acted as he did because of intolerable financial circumstances for his family. He paid a far greater penalty than he needed to.
At least he left the log books to be discovered with the truth, I think he owed it to his family for them to know the truth. A shame he could not find a way out of that situation, ultimately his pride won. Very sad story.
I really admire his son for trying to explain and shine light on the motives and actions of his dad. It's a sad story, played out by a man overwhelmed by his own foolishness and hubris.
Obviously with the benefit of fifty years 'hindsight' it's easy to criticize this man..but the sheer mental pressure he was under to 'perform' by all involved at that time (considering the mindset of the time) led him to continue further in his passage south than he should have done in a substandard build. The vessel was just not up to scratch and the hatches leaked like a bloody sieve! What Don 'should' have done is pull out early like some of the others had done, turn back and blame the builders for fitting leaking hatch covers. Obviously he didn't do that; I think that was his first error of judgement after he left port. To get as far as he did in a leaky, plywood shed-of-a-boat is a pretty good achievement and actually very brave. Knox Johnson must have recognized that too. In the film DeepWater; the last epitaph to Don by his good friend Ron Winspear must be one of the most moving things I have ever seen uttered on the screen;....'..in my mind..I gave him a hero's..burial..'
Wonderfully written,Farmer Jowett. I've often wondered if Donald had slowed down for long enough to let Knox-Johnson win both prizes then came in slower but still second. Maybe his log books etc might not have been looked at? But I guess he still would have had to live a lie.
Such a sad story of an over-ambitious man desperate for recognition and how the pressure of living up to his own and everyone else’s expectations eventually crushed him completely. One can completely empathise.
Couldn't call Crowhurst a hero; but his agent and others around him pushing him to compete when Crowhurst knew the boat wasn't ready...well, those people are criminal. His agent sounded like a real scumbag.
Many thanks for this upload, it adds details (like his harmonica playing) that "Deep Water" chose not to include. I salute Donald Crowhurst, a tragic hero.
His story has long fascinated me and, like you, I salute him. There's a film being released this year called 'The Mercy' which documents his voyage and I believe treats him kindly. Crowhurst is played by Colin Firth.
It was sold twice,first time to recoup some of the losses for investors,the first buyer modified it quite a bit from the original,the second buyer said it sailed really well,the pics on Cayman Brac are after it was altered,it was beached after Hurricane Gilbert damaged it, then stripped of anything of value and abandoned.Shame it wasn't salvaged and restored,not much left of it now.
It would been nice to take "Teignmouth Electron" back to Teignmouth and start a crownfunding to restore it. In some pics it seemed still in more or less good conditions to be restored. It's a shame to leave it on that beach...restore it before it will be too late.
I live in Exeter, Devon, only 15 miles from Teignmouth. Went there by train last week, day out. Actually had a pint on the beach where Crowhurst's wife was shown, and Donald, packing supplies on Teignmouth Electron. (It is in the back harbour, facing inland).
Indeed he did. I first saw a documentary about him at age 12 and this strange, tragic story has been with me ever since. Crowhurst compares interestingly with Salomon Andrée, a Swedish engineer and balloon aviator who made an ill-fated attempt to be the first man to reach the North Pole by means of a hot-air balloon (which he didn't have a lot of flying experience with). He pulled off a major campaign for his idea and won the support of royals, celebrities and establishment. A first attempt in the summer of 1896 came to nothing - he and his two fellow crew spent a couple of weeks in Svalbard without getting favourable weather and wind conditions. Almost certainly he realized some time after this that his plan was doomed, but he had drummed up so much support and fervor that he felt he could not step back anymore. They attempted again in July 1897, lifted off into an approaching storm - and disappeared from the eyes of the world. The balloon came down for good after about three days, having shown how inadequate it was for the Arctic long before that (they spent much of the time sniffing close to the pack ice and even bumping into it with the gondola and then rising again). The three kept going on the cragged ice for almost three months, draining their strength and having given up the idea of reaching the pole of course. Their final camp on a remote island on the other side of northern Svalbard was found by chance only in 1930.
Interesting story but to me he must have been out of his mind to leave behind a beautiful wife and those lovely children who obviously adored him. His first duty was towards them as it is of any father/husband. The hard choice is standing by your family and providing for them.
He thought he saw a way to do exactly that: Unfortunately, in the rush to beat the deadline....many mistakes were made, he knew it & that doomed him mentally; He knew it was becoming a suicide mission.
He thought it was a way to prove himself as a good husband and father, worthy of their respect and able to provide for them financially. He undoubtedly loved Clare and the children but was a different world in 1968 - now we think hands-on, practical parenting is the most admirable and important role of a father, not so in the 1960’s.
I’m sorry but it’s his poor wife I feel sorry for. Four young children and a rambling house ! And it was remortgaged for him to go off sailing ! How irresponsible is that ?! To me he was a very selfish man
I'm with you Lou Lou...The man was a selfish fool. A quack, and idiot who put his own ego before the needs and despair of his wife and family. Unstoppable, nothing is unstoppable. His hubris was his undoing.
I agree. He was a selfish man who put his dreams of fame and fortune before his family's welfare. And then when he realised he was out of his depth in a leaky boat, he decided to cheat and lie to escape from the consequences of his actions. I don't see anything heroic about him at all.
Stella Burnell You go to sea 🌊 by yourself all the way to Argentina on an unsafe boat for months ....... I salute the poor guy ( and I feel terrible pity for his family )
He’s so intelligent, both emotionally and intellectually, like his dad. I’ts so strong of him to talk publicly about his fathers last journey and his death in what must instinctively feel like such a private pain for him and his family. Like all deaths in a family, you just want to hide in a private place
He in fact did quite well, given the circumstances. Sailing on a schedule often ends badly. With a better timed departure, and a more ready state of the boat, a shakedown cruise... That would have changed a lot.
Yes indeed . The hero worshipers and boot lickers would never forgive hlm.... The boat hadn't even hit the southern ocean and was unseaworthy and falling apart . He was simply trapped in a net of circumstance A tear for you Donald Crowhurst....
RIP Donald. the film deep water says more about people and how they think or don't think and how men in particular find it hard to express their inner feelings, so they end up trapped in sometimes fatal situations.....
Deep Water is an excellent documentary-Shame the Teignmouth Electron wasn't preserved after the incredible tragic story of Donald Crowhurst-it has been left to decay and be pilfered on the beach on the island of Cayman Brac,Cayman Islands after it washed ashore during a tropical storm(It had been sold twice after the Crowhurst disaster).
The unstoppable journey.....it pulls on you with an eerie hand, almost like his voyage did. You don't want to go where it takes you....but you are helplessly drawn into it's abyss.....and the outcome leaves us all the same way....alone.....like him.
Despite his suicide, I think Donald actually became his true self: in the photos of him with his family he seems mousey. But on the the boat suntanned and shirtless, giving the camera a thumbs up, he is virile and a complete man.
So true HahnsMantra, we are all like Don Crowhurst, just without taking the risks. We get pulled into an abyss we can easily get out of, our couch. But you are very much still left feeling alone.
К английскому фильму 2018 года "Гонка века" немало вопросов. Во-первых, яхта-тримаран Дональда Кроухорста "Teignmouth Electron" течёт "по всем швам" (в том числе почему-то и сверху при ясной погоде и очень маленьком волнении, когда нет захлёстывания палубы) и постепенно разваливается прямо-таки сразу, можно сказать - ещё будучи совсем новенькой. Чего в реальности не было... Когда бесхозный (без Кроухорста на борту) тримаран нашли в океане, то он находился во вполне приличном техническом состоянии и даже не набрал сколь-нибудь ощутимо воды в свои отсеки. Во-вторых, в первые дни и недели Кроухорст вычерпывает ведром проникшую в боковые поплавки (интересно, каким образом проникшую?) воду, а потом перестаёт это делать. Если бы речь шла о деревянном корпусе, было бы понятно - дерево разбухло и закрыло пути поступления воды извне. А вот для металлического корпуса при постоянном расшатывании на волнении должно быть как раз наоборот - течь со временем должна усиливаться. В-третьих, береговая охрана Аргентины по долгу службы обязана сообщить "по инстанциям" о нелегальном пересечении границы сомнительным индивидом, к тому же без заграничного паспорта. Это сразу стало бы широко известно... В фильме сей эпизод как-то "затёрт" - без всякого объяснения, каким-таким образом посещение страны осталось в тайне. А был ли вообще заход в Аргентину?.. В-четвёртых, ничего, по сути, не сказано о содержании бортовых (вахтенных) журналов. В-пятых, выход из строя некоего "воздушного мешка" на мачте, предназначенного в качестве "противоопрокидывателя", почему-то оказывает на Кроухорста неизгладимое впечатление и ввергает чуть ли не в депрессию. Что выглядит странным даже для обычного человека (вовсе даже не героического), поэтому выход в океан столь впечатлительного смахивает на чистейший авантюризм с самого начала. А недостатки яхты, на которые упирают создатели фильма, здесь вовсе ни при чём - у других-то участников гонки было не лучше. Есть и ещё вопросы...
This story didn't mention that Crowhurst wasn't expecting to win fastest time because Tetley was ahead of him. Tetley's boat sank in the north atlantic ahead of crowhurst. In fact I heard that Tetley was unduly pressing his boat because he thought Crowhurst would catch up to him. Crowhurst wanted to sail in and just finish, not win, because he didn't want his logs examined as much since he wouldn't be a prize winner. The fact that Tetley sunk was a blow to him, maybe the final blow. Source: Deep Water documentary.
Clare Crowhurst was so beautiful, and very eloquent and funny in her later interviews. I know it was a different time but how on earth he could leave them is beyond me. The three children who lived into adulthood are a credit to her. She must have been incredibly strong to cope in the face of a very, very strange situation.
В начале 1970-х годов Дональду Кроухорсту посвятил своё "расследование" политический обозреватель Центрального телевидения СССР Владимир Дунаев - этот спец по Великобритании. Когда он появлялся на телеэкране, у меня почему-то всегда возникало ощущение, что он стесняется своего амплуа. Помню его какие-то не совпадавшие с произносимым текстом ужимки, когда он в своём разоблачительном для "буржуазного чистогана" документальном телефильме (по-моему, назывался "Тайна Дональда Кроухорста") рассказывал об английском яхтсмене Кроухорсте, который участвовал в первой безостановочной кругосветной гонке яхт с одиночными экипажами в 1968-1969 годах, при этом обстоятельства, мол, заставили его отчаянно мошенничать, чтобы пребывать в лидерах (тогда ещё не существовало ежеминутного спутникового контроля за местоположением участников гонки), а потом исчез с яхты. (В реальности, по всем признакам, Кроухорст утонул, выпав за борт в психически или алкоголически невменяемом состоянии. Во всяком случае, в вахтенном журнале его яхты-тримарана "Teignmouth Electron" не нашли и намёка на планируемое самоубийство.) Наш Дунаев изобразил дело так, что Кроухорста довели до самоубийства бесчеловечные общественные отношения, царящие в странах капитала, а Кроухорст - типичная жертва капитализма. (О подобных же жертвах всемирного социализма-коммунизма в СССР не принято было рассказывать.)
Driven by circumstance into a dazed unreality.... He had no idea where he was going until hit smack bang into the horrible face of reality , and there was no turning back.... None the less , he did try . RIP Donald Crowhurst
Total longshot: 17:24 or 20:56 you can see the wristwatch of Crowhurst in this shot (if this is his footage). Anybody have any idea what watch he was wearing on that fateful voyage? Many stories have been written about the Rolex's of the other two Yachtsman in the race. Just wondering what watch this might be?
I wonder why people praise this guy! He could have turned around , commit to his fraud, become even more famous and start a new life. imo he was a coward without "real life" fantasy beside his electronic inventions. thx. peter
I think the story is moving and intriguing because it s the descent of an average, every day guy into madness. Sure he could've just turned back and face embarrassment but the fact that he chose to go on isn't a proof of how "dumb" or "selfish" he was but rather how sensible his state of mind was. If you hear the reading of his log books, for example when he writes that he is a "god", it really shows how isolation, the fear of humilliation and being broke af if he returned, messed up his mind. Its a tragic story because it could happen to any of us... How many times have you told a lie that you had to keep building up only for it to explode in your face? Maybe a secret you have to keep from your loved one, maybe a promise you don't know how to break, think about the slight stress that gives you... now the story of Donald Crowhurst is that but in a major scale.
So sad but I suppose there are lessons for all of us in this tragedy not least the need for humility in life. I sense Donald had a glimpse of a spiritual awakening before passing on. He cornered himself and yet whilst he seemed hubristic I can't help admiring something which I haven't worked out yet.. His son showed great courage and Robin Knx Johnson was honourable and kind in victory. Robin Knx Johnson was an ex Merchant Navy Officer with a Masters ticket. I am amazed that no one tried to stop Donald (but maybe I am not aware that someone possibly did, I don't know) taking part in the light of him and his vessel being no way prepared. An experienced sailor knows that taking a boat to sea requires 100% preparation for the vessel and skipper. As the Scottish novelist John Buchan wrote; "The sea endures no makeshifts. If a thing is not exactly right it will be vastly wrong. Discipline, courage and contempt for all that is pretentious and insincere are the teaching of the ocean and the elements." RIP Doanld Crowhurst.
Warching him in the beginning, my palms sweating, I'm wondering where his life vest is. If it were me I'd also tether myself in, you know, just in case I went overboard. 😢
В 1986 году в СССР на киностудии "Мосфильм" по сценарию кремлёвского политпропагандиста Владимира Дунаева сняли довольно странный (и лживый, как и вся кремлёвская пропаганда во все времена) художественный фильм про Дональда Кроухорста под названием "Гонка века". В титрах этого фильма сказано: "факты и имена - подлинные". И что мы видим... Вместо тримарана "Teignmouth Electron" под тем же названием фигурирует рижский катамаран "Кауполикан" и совершенно отсутствует повседневная работа главного героя фильма на борту его яхты на протяжении всего фильма. Из советского фильма 1986 года "Гонка века" много чего непонятно. Например, как Кроухорст определял своё местоположение в океане, как выбирал (причём в фильме туманно намекается, что при помощи какого-то компьютера, который в фильме так и не показан, даже издали) и прокладывал самый выгодный маршрут - с учётом получаемых сводок погоды и положения соперников, как он колдовал с парусами, без конца что-то проверял и чинил?.. Наконец, как и когда он отдыхал?.. В частности, совершенно не видать (в отличие от английского фильма 2018 года) никакого подруливающего устройства или хотя бы какого-то фиксатора положения руля. Как Кроухорст боролся с одиночеством и сверхнапряжением в столь тяжёлом рейсе?.. Более того, если верить советскому художественному фильму 1986 года, нет у Кроухорста ни любимых книг, ни магнитофонных записей, ни радиопереговоров с родными.
В те времена, когда от первой международной безостановочной кругосветной регаты яхт-одиночек 1968-1969 годов "Golden Globe" ещё сохранялось небольшое временное расстояние, я отслеживал события этого интересного предприятия по журналу-сборнику "Катера и яхты", который, что нехарактерно для советских периодических изданий, умудрялся все 1960-1970-е годы пребывать в своём аполитичном амплуа - никакой, даже косвенной, политической пропаганды там не печаталось. Агитпроп ЦК КПСС добрался до "Катеров и яхт" только в 1985 году, когда первые одна-две страницы стали отводиться для рекламы внутренней политики Партии и Правительства, которые, мол, в отличие от гнусных порядков, царящих в западных странах, заботятся о культурном, моральном и физическом благополучии простого советского человека, в том числе о его здоровье и отдыхе - в данном случае, на воде. "Катера и яхты" не один раз так или иначе возвращались к теме, связанной с гонкой "Golden Globe". В первый раз об этой гонке и о судьбе Кроухорста сообщалось в статье "Кругосветная безостановочная гонка яхтсменов одиночек" в журнале "Катера и яхты", номер 22 от 1969 года.
RIP Donald. Your story has touch so many hearts. I see you as the Hero who failed. Failing can't be helped but you are a still a hero. Sleep well. People might say how is he a hero. How many of us could take on such a challenge. How many of us would risk everything for our families. Not many. That is why he is a hero, he dared and he failed but at least he dared.
It is clear that the Sunday Times should bear a large part of the responsibility for this tragedy. In its day, this race was the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest for the very first time. Entrants included highly experienced ocean sailors like Moittesier, in a beautifully prepared boat but also complete beginners, sailing vessels that were not fit to leave harbor. The Sunday Times should have imposed minimum requirements on sailing skills and vessels for race entry but instead hyped the entire show, without any consideration for the tragedy that would unfold.
You must bear in mind that it's very different world today, than it was back then. If you look at the winning boat, Suhaili, it was hardly a cutting edge, high tech racer and was not Robin Knox-Johnston's first choice, he wanted to use a custom built yacht, but was unable to raise the funds, so he used his existing boat which he had built in India in 1963-64, it was fairly strong, but not very well equipped and not exactly the fastest thing on the water, it was just his tenacity which got him round. www.yachtingworld.com/extraordinary-boats/sir-robin-knox-johnston-refits-his-famous-yacht-suhaili-105226 I believe Knox-Johnston donated his winnings for the race to Crowhurst's widow.
I believe these minimums are now in place for ocean racing probably because of this misadventure. This is an excerpt from The Vendée Globe Published November 10, 2008 Boats , Choices - The Open 60 is a 60-footer, and can be of virtually any design or construction, so long as it passes the rigorous safety tests, including self-righting ability.
For years I have felt an affinity and admiration for Donald Crowhurst. A flawed genius and somewhat a spiritual guru. I understand his philosophy mostly. His story touches my heart deeply.
In "Deep Water", Crowhurst's best friend said that he told the children about their Dad being missing, as this was too difficult for Donald's wife. Here, his son says that his mother had them all upstairs on a bed and told them what happened. I know this seems trivial, but it is with subtle differences such as this one that history gets revised.
I’m sure they both at different times had to talk to the children. The friends breaks the initial news, and Claire still has to come in and tell them what she knows and comfort them as her children when she’s up to it. It makes sense I feel.
I know nothing about sailing but getting to the faulklands and back seems an incredible achievement for a amateur sailor quite sad he felt he had to take his life
Donald Crowhurst’s real legacy and his achievement in this world was to produce a fine family to succeed him. The subsequent accounts of his sons are testament to this fact. The cruel irony was his wife and young family were right ‘under his nose’ and well within his grasp, but he was so 'distantly focussed' he failed to recognise it. He instead chose to look out ‘across the oceans’ in his personal quest for ‘recognition’ and that was to prove his utter downfall. The real sadness here is that he never lived to enjoy and witness the successes of his young family. They are a credit to him and particularly his wife who stood so loyally by him. Not forgetting Robin Knox Johnston's generosity and kind spirit.
I agree with you, evanofelipe: very impressed with his wife Claire and his family.
A failing that too many men fall victim to
Deep water is one of the most moving tributes i have seen on film. Bless this man.
why bless a cheater?
@@peterweltweit wow you're so cool.
@@justsomeguy4099 finally somebody appreciates me..I am deeply moved.
@@peterweltweit Although he wanted fame and glory, he is not a hero - but neither is he a villain. Despite his deceptions, he was clearly a man of courage (ie spent 7 months in the atlantic and set out on a circumnavigation) and intelligence who acted as he did because of intolerable financial circumstances for his family. He paid a far greater penalty than he needed to.
@@peterweltweit Did saying that make you feel better? Did it bring a little joy to your presumably pathetic existence?
At least he left the log books to be discovered with the truth, I think he owed it to his family for them to know the truth. A shame he could not find a way out of that situation, ultimately his pride won. Very sad story.
I really admire his son for trying to explain and shine light on the motives and actions of his dad. It's a sad story, played out by a man overwhelmed by his own foolishness and hubris.
he sailed as far as Argentina in a sinking boat, from England.. that's an achievement in itself..
He's a loony Brit..
Thank God I'm Australian
I agree, UtH Music: I'm a sailor, and he did better than I could have.
@@jquest43You forget, most Aussies are descendant from Britain.
Obviously with the benefit of fifty years 'hindsight' it's easy to criticize this man..but the sheer mental pressure he was under to 'perform' by all involved at that time (considering the mindset of the time) led him to continue further in his passage south than he should have done in a substandard build. The vessel was just not up to scratch and the hatches leaked like a bloody sieve! What Don 'should' have done is pull out early like some of the others had done, turn back and blame the builders for fitting leaking hatch covers. Obviously he didn't do that; I think that was his first error of judgement after he left port. To get as far as he did in a leaky, plywood shed-of-a-boat is a pretty good achievement and actually very brave. Knox Johnson must have recognized that too.
In the film DeepWater; the last epitaph to Don by his good friend Ron Winspear must be one of the most moving things I have ever seen uttered on the screen;....'..in my mind..I gave him a hero's..burial..'
Wonderfully written,Farmer Jowett. I've often wondered if Donald had slowed down for long enough to let Knox-Johnson win both prizes then came in slower but still second.
Maybe his log books etc might not have been looked at? But I guess he still would have had to live a lie.
You can see the anguish and worry in Donald's face.Such a sad,tragic ending for him.Rest in Peace.
Such a sad story of an over-ambitious man desperate for recognition and how the pressure of living up to his own and everyone else’s expectations eventually crushed him completely. One can completely empathise.
He was caught in a lie and paid the ultimate price...sanity and his life...rip.
Couldn't call Crowhurst a hero; but his agent and others around him pushing him to compete when Crowhurst knew the boat wasn't ready...well, those people are criminal. His agent sounded like a real scumbag.
Yes. There was a lot of money riding on Crowhurst and his potential win. And agents are never really on the up-and-up.
Many thanks for this upload, it adds details (like his harmonica playing) that "Deep Water" chose not to include. I salute Donald Crowhurst, a tragic hero.
His story has long fascinated me and, like you, I salute him. There's a film being released this year called 'The Mercy' which documents his voyage and I believe treats him kindly. Crowhurst is played by Colin Firth.
I know, thanks! And how about those images of the Teignmouth Electron so sad and neglected on Cayman Brac? So sad.
Would anyone have wanted to sail on her, though? If anything in the world is haunted, that boat is.
It was sold twice,first time to recoup some of the losses for investors,the first buyer modified it quite a bit from the original,the second buyer said it sailed really well,the pics on Cayman Brac are after it was altered,it was beached after Hurricane Gilbert damaged it, then stripped of anything of value and abandoned.Shame it wasn't salvaged and restored,not much left of it now.
It would been nice to take "Teignmouth Electron" back to Teignmouth and start a crownfunding to restore it.
In some pics it seemed still in more or less good conditions to be restored.
It's a shame to leave it on that beach...restore it before it will be too late.
I live in Exeter, Devon, only 15 miles from Teignmouth. Went there by train last week, day out. Actually had a pint on the beach where Crowhurst's wife was shown, and Donald, packing supplies on Teignmouth Electron. (It is in the back harbour, facing inland).
Arrogance and incompetence is a deadly combination. Real hubris. And yet one feels sympathy.
This man lived an Homeric tragedy !
One of the greatest sea story ever.
Donald painted himself into an impossible corner.
Indeed he did. I first saw a documentary about him at age 12 and this strange, tragic story has been with me ever since.
Crowhurst compares interestingly with Salomon Andrée, a Swedish engineer and balloon aviator who made an ill-fated attempt to be the first man to reach the North Pole by means of a hot-air balloon (which he didn't have a lot of flying experience with). He pulled off a major campaign for his idea and won the support of royals, celebrities and establishment. A first attempt in the summer of 1896 came to nothing - he and his two fellow crew spent a couple of weeks in Svalbard without getting favourable weather and wind conditions. Almost certainly he realized some time after this that his plan was doomed, but he had drummed up so much support and fervor that he felt he could not step back anymore. They attempted again in July 1897, lifted off into an approaching storm - and disappeared from the eyes of the world. The balloon came down for good after about three days, having shown how inadequate it was for the Arctic long before that (they spent much of the time sniffing close to the pack ice and even bumping into it with the gondola and then rising again). The three kept going on the cragged ice for almost three months, draining their strength and having given up the idea of reaching the pole of course. Their final camp on a remote island on the other side of northern Svalbard was found by chance only in 1930.
Interesting story but to me he must have been out of his mind to leave behind a beautiful wife and those lovely children who obviously adored him. His first duty was towards them as it is of any father/husband. The hard choice is standing by your family and providing for them.
He thought he saw a way to do exactly that: Unfortunately, in the rush to beat the deadline....many mistakes were made, he knew it & that doomed him mentally;
He knew it was becoming a suicide mission.
He thought it was a way to prove himself as a good husband and father, worthy of their respect and able to provide for them financially. He undoubtedly loved Clare and the children but was a different world in 1968 - now we think hands-on, practical parenting is the most admirable and important role of a father, not so in the 1960’s.
I’m sorry but it’s his poor wife I feel sorry for. Four young children and a rambling house ! And it was remortgaged for him to go off sailing ! How irresponsible is that ?! To me he was a very selfish man
Lou Lou I agree! And he was completely unprepared.
I'm with you Lou Lou...The man was a selfish fool. A quack, and idiot who put his own ego before the needs and despair of his wife and family. Unstoppable, nothing is unstoppable. His hubris was his undoing.
Anthony Monaghan absolutely well said👏
I agree. He was a selfish man who put his dreams of fame and fortune before his family's welfare. And then when he realised he was out of his depth in a leaky boat, he decided to cheat and lie to escape from the consequences of his actions. I don't see anything heroic about him at all.
Stella Burnell You go to sea 🌊 by yourself all the way to Argentina on an unsafe boat for months ....... I salute the poor guy ( and I feel terrible pity for his family )
What a smart, sensitive man Simon Crowhurst is. And a beautiful young man, then, too.
He’s so intelligent, both emotionally and intellectually, like his dad. I’ts so strong of him to talk publicly about his fathers last journey and his death in what must instinctively feel like such a private pain for him and his family. Like all deaths in a family, you just want to hide in a private place
I solo sailed for many years. There is something only one who does this can understand ... about the world ... and himself.
@Michael Hartley having a bad day?? Calm down
I’m a sailor lived on Bord for years long. I agree. If you know the blue water from the sailors perspective, the world is different.
One of the saddest stories in sailing history his poor family
A fantasist and an irresponsible one.
The bottled beer he was drinking was Courage Imperial Russian Stout, Very strong - hence he seemed pissed really quick.
He in fact did quite well, given the circumstances. Sailing on a schedule often ends badly. With a better timed departure, and a more ready state of the boat, a shakedown cruise... That would have changed a lot.
Yes indeed . The hero worshipers and boot lickers would never forgive hlm.... The boat hadn't even hit the southern ocean and was unseaworthy and falling apart . He was simply trapped in a net of circumstance
A tear for you Donald Crowhurst....
RIP Donald. the film deep water says more about people and how they think or don't think and how men in particular find it hard to express their inner feelings, so they end up trapped in sometimes fatal situations.....
Deep Water is an excellent documentary-Shame the Teignmouth Electron wasn't preserved after the incredible tragic story of Donald Crowhurst-it has been left to decay and be pilfered on the beach on the island of Cayman Brac,Cayman Islands after it washed ashore during a tropical storm(It had been sold twice after the Crowhurst disaster).
RIP Donald Crowhurst. A tragic hero!
The unstoppable journey.....it pulls on you with an eerie hand, almost like his voyage did. You don't want to go where it takes you....but you are helplessly drawn into it's abyss.....and the outcome leaves us all the same way....alone.....like him.
Despite his suicide, I think Donald actually became his true self: in the photos of him with his family he seems mousey. But on the the boat suntanned and shirtless, giving the camera a thumbs up, he is virile and a complete man.
So true HahnsMantra, we are all like Don Crowhurst, just without taking the risks. We get pulled into an abyss we can easily get out of, our couch. But you are very much still left feeling alone.
HahnsMantra o
@@littlekiwi9724 Yes...he was...almost in his element, even when he knew the boat was incapable of completing the voyage.
Little Kiwi, I’m with you, I salute Donald Crowhurst. From a little Aussie 👍
К английскому фильму 2018 года "Гонка века" немало вопросов.
Во-первых, яхта-тримаран Дональда Кроухорста "Teignmouth Electron" течёт "по всем швам" (в том числе почему-то и сверху при ясной погоде и очень маленьком волнении, когда нет захлёстывания палубы) и постепенно разваливается прямо-таки сразу, можно сказать - ещё будучи совсем новенькой. Чего в реальности не было... Когда бесхозный (без Кроухорста на борту) тримаран нашли в океане, то он находился во вполне приличном техническом состоянии и даже не набрал сколь-нибудь ощутимо воды в свои отсеки.
Во-вторых, в первые дни и недели Кроухорст вычерпывает ведром проникшую в боковые поплавки (интересно, каким образом проникшую?) воду, а потом перестаёт это делать. Если бы речь шла о деревянном корпусе, было бы понятно - дерево разбухло и закрыло пути поступления воды извне. А вот для металлического корпуса при постоянном расшатывании на волнении должно быть как раз наоборот - течь со временем должна усиливаться.
В-третьих, береговая охрана Аргентины по долгу службы обязана сообщить "по инстанциям" о нелегальном пересечении границы сомнительным индивидом, к тому же без заграничного паспорта. Это сразу стало бы широко известно... В фильме сей эпизод как-то "затёрт" - без всякого объяснения, каким-таким образом посещение страны осталось в тайне. А был ли вообще заход в Аргентину?..
В-четвёртых, ничего, по сути, не сказано о содержании бортовых (вахтенных) журналов.
В-пятых, выход из строя некоего "воздушного мешка" на мачте, предназначенного в качестве "противоопрокидывателя", почему-то оказывает на Кроухорста неизгладимое впечатление и ввергает чуть ли не в депрессию. Что выглядит странным даже для обычного человека (вовсе даже не героического), поэтому выход в океан столь впечатлительного смахивает на чистейший авантюризм с самого начала. А недостатки яхты, на которые упирают создатели фильма, здесь вовсе ни при чём - у других-то участников гонки было не лучше.
Есть и ещё вопросы...
"The Mercy" brought me here.
Nova- Turient me too
"The Mercy" brought me here.
me too
Same!
This story didn't mention that Crowhurst wasn't expecting to win fastest time because Tetley was ahead of him. Tetley's boat sank in the north atlantic ahead of crowhurst. In fact I heard that Tetley was unduly pressing his boat because he thought Crowhurst would catch up to him. Crowhurst wanted to sail in and just finish, not win, because he didn't want his logs examined as much since he wouldn't be a prize winner. The fact that Tetley sunk was a blow to him, maybe the final blow. Source: Deep Water documentary.
Clare Crowhurst was so beautiful, and very eloquent and funny in her later interviews. I know it was a different time but how on earth he could leave them is beyond me. The three children who lived into adulthood are a credit to her. She must have been incredibly strong to cope in the face of a very, very strange situation.
В начале 1970-х годов Дональду Кроухорсту посвятил своё "расследование" политический обозреватель Центрального телевидения СССР Владимир Дунаев - этот спец по Великобритании. Когда он появлялся на телеэкране, у меня почему-то всегда возникало ощущение, что он стесняется своего амплуа. Помню его какие-то не совпадавшие с произносимым текстом ужимки, когда он в своём разоблачительном для "буржуазного чистогана" документальном телефильме (по-моему, назывался "Тайна Дональда Кроухорста") рассказывал об английском яхтсмене Кроухорсте, который участвовал в первой безостановочной кругосветной гонке яхт с одиночными экипажами в 1968-1969 годах, при этом обстоятельства, мол, заставили его отчаянно мошенничать, чтобы пребывать в лидерах (тогда ещё не существовало ежеминутного спутникового контроля за местоположением участников гонки), а потом исчез с яхты. (В реальности, по всем признакам, Кроухорст утонул, выпав за борт в психически или алкоголически невменяемом состоянии. Во всяком случае, в вахтенном журнале его яхты-тримарана "Teignmouth Electron" не нашли и намёка на планируемое самоубийство.) Наш Дунаев изобразил дело так, что Кроухорста довели до самоубийства бесчеловечные общественные отношения, царящие в странах капитала, а Кроухорст - типичная жертва капитализма. (О подобных же жертвах всемирного социализма-коммунизма в СССР не принято было рассказывать.)
This guy gets way too much respect. He was a total fraud and con man. That's the truth of it. He was a liar.
Driven by circumstance into a dazed unreality.... He had no idea where he was going until hit smack bang into the horrible face of reality , and there was no turning back....
None the less , he did try .
RIP Donald Crowhurst
Total longshot: 17:24 or 20:56 you can see the wristwatch of Crowhurst in this shot (if this is his footage). Anybody have any idea what watch he was wearing on that fateful voyage? Many stories have been written about the Rolex's of the other two Yachtsman in the race. Just wondering what watch this might be?
Tomalin says it is a Rotary in his book (The Strange Voyage...) published 1970.
This is why he was known as 'Crackpot Crowhurst'.
It is a paper thin wall between 'sanity' and 'insanity', for want of other words
this is a fascinating story, new sub
Very sad. Respect nevertheless from me Donald
Don the Con
I wonder why people praise this guy! He could have turned around , commit to his fraud, become even more famous and start a new life. imo he was a coward without "real life" fantasy beside his electronic inventions.
thx. peter
or , he was just looking for a decent way of suicide. well possible.
hero?
I think the story is moving and intriguing because it s the descent of an average, every day guy into madness. Sure he could've just turned back and face embarrassment but the fact that he chose to go on isn't a proof of how "dumb" or "selfish" he was but rather how sensible his state of mind was. If you hear the reading of his log books, for example when he writes that he is a "god", it really shows how isolation, the fear of humilliation and being broke af if he returned, messed up his mind. Its a tragic story because it could happen to any of us... How many times have you told a lie that you had to keep building up only for it to explode in your face? Maybe a secret you have to keep from your loved one, maybe a promise you don't know how to break, think about the slight stress that gives you... now the story of Donald Crowhurst is that but in a major scale.
I agree totally.
So sad but I suppose there are lessons for all of us in this tragedy not least the need for humility in life. I sense Donald had a glimpse of a spiritual awakening before passing on. He cornered himself and yet whilst he seemed hubristic I can't help admiring something which I haven't worked out yet.. His son showed great courage and Robin Knx Johnson was honourable and kind in victory. Robin Knx Johnson was an ex Merchant Navy Officer with a Masters ticket. I am amazed that no one tried to stop Donald (but maybe I am not aware that someone possibly did, I don't know) taking part in the light of him and his vessel being no way prepared. An experienced sailor knows that taking a boat to sea requires 100% preparation for the vessel and skipper. As the Scottish novelist John Buchan wrote; "The sea endures no makeshifts. If a thing is not exactly right it will be vastly wrong. Discipline, courage and contempt for all that is pretentious and insincere are the teaching of the ocean and the elements." RIP Doanld Crowhurst.
Warching him in the beginning, my palms sweating, I'm wondering where his life vest is. If it were me I'd also tether myself in, you know, just in case I went overboard. 😢
Sad tale I feel sorry for his family And sad for him. Sounds like he was in crisis before he left
Yes, I think so too, in crisis before he left. I'm tempted to say man child.
This story is as intriguing as the D. B. Cooper disappearance. Why am I just hearing about it?
@Louise X WOW!
@Louise X Damn. That really sounds like "history to be remembered".
В 1986 году в СССР на киностудии "Мосфильм" по сценарию кремлёвского политпропагандиста Владимира Дунаева сняли довольно странный (и лживый, как и вся кремлёвская пропаганда во все времена) художественный фильм про Дональда Кроухорста под названием "Гонка века". В титрах этого фильма сказано: "факты и имена - подлинные". И что мы видим... Вместо тримарана "Teignmouth Electron" под тем же названием фигурирует рижский катамаран "Кауполикан" и совершенно отсутствует повседневная работа главного героя фильма на борту его яхты на протяжении всего фильма. Из советского фильма 1986 года "Гонка века" много чего непонятно. Например, как Кроухорст определял своё местоположение в океане, как выбирал (причём в фильме туманно намекается, что при помощи какого-то компьютера, который в фильме так и не показан, даже издали) и прокладывал самый выгодный маршрут - с учётом получаемых сводок погоды и положения соперников, как он колдовал с парусами, без конца что-то проверял и чинил?.. Наконец, как и когда он отдыхал?.. В частности, совершенно не видать (в отличие от английского фильма 2018 года) никакого подруливающего устройства или хотя бы какого-то фиксатора положения руля. Как Кроухорст боролся с одиночеством и сверхнапряжением в столь тяжёлом рейсе?.. Более того, если верить советскому художественному фильму 1986 года, нет у Кроухорста ни любимых книг, ни магнитофонных записей, ни радиопереговоров с родными.
В те времена, когда от первой международной безостановочной кругосветной регаты яхт-одиночек 1968-1969 годов "Golden Globe" ещё сохранялось небольшое временное расстояние, я отслеживал события этого интересного предприятия по журналу-сборнику "Катера и яхты", который, что нехарактерно для советских периодических изданий, умудрялся все 1960-1970-е годы пребывать в своём аполитичном амплуа - никакой, даже косвенной, политической пропаганды там не печаталось. Агитпроп ЦК КПСС добрался до "Катеров и яхт" только в 1985 году, когда первые одна-две страницы стали отводиться для рекламы внутренней политики Партии и Правительства, которые, мол, в отличие от гнусных порядков, царящих в западных странах, заботятся о культурном, моральном и физическом благополучии простого советского человека, в том числе о его здоровье и отдыхе - в данном случае, на воде. "Катера и яхты" не один раз так или иначе возвращались к теме, связанной с гонкой "Golden Globe". В первый раз об этой гонке и о судьбе Кроухорста сообщалось в статье "Кругосветная безостановочная гонка яхтсменов одиночек" в журнале "Катера и яхты", номер 22 от 1969 года.
He looks like Eddie Marsan
A strange story.
RIP Donald. Your story has touch so many hearts. I see you as the Hero who failed. Failing can't be helped but you are a still a hero. Sleep well. People might say how is he a hero. How many of us could take on such a challenge. How many of us would risk everything for our families. Not many. That is why he is a hero, he dared and he failed but at least he dared.
This poor man felt utterly trapped.
It is clear that the Sunday Times should bear a large part of the responsibility for this tragedy. In its day, this race was the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest for the very first time. Entrants included highly experienced ocean sailors like Moittesier, in a beautifully prepared boat but also complete beginners, sailing vessels that were not fit to leave harbor. The Sunday Times should have imposed minimum requirements on sailing skills and vessels for race entry but instead hyped the entire show, without any consideration for the tragedy that would unfold.
You must bear in mind that it's very different world today, than it was back then. If you look at the winning boat, Suhaili, it was hardly a cutting edge, high tech racer and was not Robin Knox-Johnston's first choice, he wanted to use a custom built yacht, but was unable to raise the funds, so he used his existing boat which he had built in India in 1963-64, it was fairly strong, but not very well equipped and not exactly the fastest thing on the water, it was just his tenacity which got him round.
www.yachtingworld.com/extraordinary-boats/sir-robin-knox-johnston-refits-his-famous-yacht-suhaili-105226
I believe Knox-Johnston donated his winnings for the race to Crowhurst's widow.
@@andypdq Yes, i had heard that too. Quite an honorable thing to do.
I believe these minimums are now in place for ocean racing probably because of this misadventure. This is an excerpt from The Vendée Globe
Published November 10, 2008 Boats , Choices - The Open 60 is a 60-footer, and can be of virtually any design or construction, so long as it passes the rigorous safety tests, including self-righting ability.
For years I have felt an affinity and admiration for Donald Crowhurst. A flawed genius and somewhat a spiritual guru. I understand his philosophy mostly. His story touches my heart deeply.
Ditto-Crowhurst was a good guy his intentions were good-he is misunderstood by many.
8
5:42 not to be inappropriate but damn his wife had beautiful legs even after 4 kids. Tragic that she and the kids never saw him again.
Oh but you are
lol what happened to manhood? Inappropriate LMAO
I'd be all over those nylon beauties
In "Deep Water", Crowhurst's best friend said that he told the children about their Dad being missing, as this was too difficult for Donald's wife. Here, his son says that his mother had them all upstairs on a bed and told them what happened. I know this seems trivial, but it is with subtle differences such as this one that history gets revised.
His friend broke the news to the children. Later Mum tried to explain to them what happened to their father. They must have had a lot of questions.
Thank you for your answer. This is such a sad and tragic story.
I’m sure they both at different times had to talk to the children. The friends breaks the initial news, and Claire still has to come in and tell them what she knows and comfort them as her children when she’s up to it. It makes sense I feel.
yes I agree
There was his disappearance and then the discovery of what happened. Two different events, perhaps.
🙏
KEY IS EARTH IS FLAT
No, you are just stupid.
its flat...