Blu-ray Specs:
Video: 1080p High Definition
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Who could ever imagine an undertaking of a 2500 mile voyage by a group of relatively young newcomers? That was the task set into motion by Roy Disney. Roy has been competing since the 70’s in this race against time, the wind and open waters called the TransPac. He has run this race a total of 17 times in which he set a record twice for time and won it all twice. Roy, along with a group of talented people in the world of open water sailing came together to sort through a group of 30 young people to come up with a 15 person team to train for this grueling race. The TransPac starts at the port of Long Beach in California and ends at Diamond Head in Honolulu, HI.
As the crew of 15 meets up and begins their training, it is evident of the struggle and commitment that will have to be set forth in order to accomplish this daunting of tasks. The training begins in Long Beach and each person is forced to realize the physical aspects of such a demanding race. Over the course of six months, they build character and a team spirit that will eventually cross over to the culmination of selecting the best 11 of the 15 to serve as the captain and crew of the yacht The Morning Light. As that crew, they must acquire the skills to be self sufficient on the open waters for any adversity that may come their way. First aid, mechanical, sail repair, navigational and rescue skills are just some of the training necessary for this crew to be ready. The Skipper of the boat was elected by the crew, his name, Jeremy Wilmot, an Australian whom comes from a family with a nautical background. His job begins as he and his choice for second in command, Pieter van Os, have to comb over the rest of the candidates to come up with the best combined crew to set sail. That is just the beginning of the difficult decisions to be made for this race. Finally it’s the start of the race, all the tension builds for the start, and then they are off. It takes 11 days to make the voyage; however it is certainly filled with disappointment and joy as there are many decisions that make or break the outcome. This crew stands together and makes a few discoveries of teamwork and spirit.
The extras section is over an hour worth of behind the scenes as they show the story of one of the 15 whom doesn’t end up on the Morning Light and shows some of the additional training that was involved to put such a team together. Also in this section is the ESPN special that documents this story, ironic because this is a documentary all its own.
Wow what a brilliant use for the Blu-ray experience. There were spectacular views of Hawaii, the vast night sky all lit up with amazingly bright stars and the crystal blue ocean. It was truly amazing how Blu-ray encompasses the viewer into the story that much more.
Well I’m a land lover, not much for the open sea, but the story was captivating and I felt drawn to watch every bit of the documentary. I found myself cheering for the group and also worried when things were going wrong. I think it’s the competition of the sport that drove me more than what they were doing. I guess if you look at it as most would, all you would see is a group of over privileged rich kids on a boat for a few days, wow what an accomplishment, but really it goes deeper that the surface. This is a chance for these kids to grow and learn how hard work and dedication pay off.
Reviewed by Michael Albaugh
