| |
 | ||
|
When Roy Disney was asked about the movie he was producing, "Morning Light," he responded, "We're not making a film about sailboat racing and we're not making a film about a boat. It's a story about a group of young adults sailing across an ocean, the obstacles they encounter and the bonds they form. It's a story about becoming more than the sum of the parts." Did they succeed in making such a movie? Absolutely. I sat down with the Executive Producers of "Morning Light," Roy Disney and Leslie DeMeuse, along with head sailing coach for the project, Stan Honey and watch captain/navigator Piet van Os, at the Seattle Yacht Club while they were in Seattle to promote and premier the movie. 48N: What was the seed from which this movie grew? Leslie: I'd been wanting to do a sailing movie for years. I did my first TransPac at 16 and it changed my life. We'd been looking for a way to present it and the idea came up of gathering a bunch of kids, young adults, who had never sailed across an ocean, training them and filming the experience. Roy: We bought a TP 52, the old Pegasus, which had gotten a second overall in a previous TransPac, to use as our boat for the kids. 48N: How did you select the crew? Roy: We just put on the internet what we wanted to do, that we were accepting applications for building a crew to sail the TransPac and it went around the world in seconds. Leslie: It truly was amazing. We got some 535 applications. At five pages each, that took some time to go through. Carol Buchan from Seattle was one of those who helped us with the selection process. 48N: What were you looking for in your sailors? Leslie: Some sailing experience was good, but mostly we were looking for team players. Roy: We were looking for kids with character. You can teach them to sail but it's hard to teach character.
The number of finalists was pared down to 30. They were invited to Long Beach for the selection trials, which were held in August of 2006. They were put through four days of rigorous yachting competitions designed to test their skills, leadership ability, compatibility and overall character. The final 15 were selected. Ultimately, 15 would make the crew, with only 11 actually doing the race.
Training in Hawaii was extensive and tough. Stan Honey, who Disney describes as "the world's best and maybe the best-known racing navigator," was initially brought in as a guest coach, but the team responded to his instruction so well, it was decided to keep him on throughout the training. 48N: The training in Hawaii looked ardudous. Stan: It was pretty tough. A lot tougher than the actual race turned out. 48N: I bet this team was much better trained than most that do the TransPac. Stan: Oh yes. After six months of heavy training they were ready. 48N: What other things did they have to learn other than sailing the boat? Stan: They learned a lot of navigation. They have to do four celestial fixes during the race. They learned coastal piloting and running fixes. And, of course, safety – lots of man overboard drills. They learned seamanship; how to look after the boat and themselves on the ocean. Piet van Os, 23, is a lifelong sailor whose grandfather won the Transpac in 1961. "I have pictures of myself as a little kid standing next to the Barn Door trophy." Piet was on a California Maritime Academy training cruise in Chile when he heard about the "Morning Light" project. Piet : I convinced the captain to let me use the Internet on board, and jumped on a plane for the tryouts in California. 48N: What was your toughest experience during the training? Piet: We did an overnighter to Hilo and back. Roy: They could've sailed to Hilo in 20 hours or so, but we made them stay out for three days of hard, hard sailing." Piet: People were sick. The boat was just trashed when we got back. We learned a lot about real ocean sailing. In the movie you can see how they improved. When they returned from the next overnighter, the boat was shipshape and the crew rested and ready. Now came the toughest part, selecting the final 11 to race. That meant that four people they'd trained hard with and bonded with as shipmates would have to be cut. That decision fell to the elected skipper Australian Jeremy Wilmot and his watch captain Piet. None of the coaches, instructors or producers were involved in the decisions. It was a true testament to the strong mental makeup of these kids, not only to those that made it, but also those that didn't. It's a very stirring part of the film. Which brings us up to race time. And, in the spirit of the old-time cliff hangers, I won't spoil that part of the adventure for you. You'll get to share that with the crew with lots of face to face footage, along with breathtaking sailing shots. When asked about this being a "reality show," Disney responded, "One of the best compliments we got on the movie was from a critic who said, 'it's not a reality show, it's real'." Sailors and non-sailors alike will enjoy this movie. Most people, including most sailors, don't realize the commitment, skill and mental fortitude it takes to race 2,500 miles across an ocean. When the boat crosses the finish line and the race is over, that's when the crew realizes what a lifelong and life changing experience they've had. As Disney says, "It's all about the journey." - Richard Hazelton Visit the official movie website: www.disney.go.com/disneypictures/morninglight/ ...to "More than a Sailing Movie" page two for crew photos ...back to 48° North title page.
| | |