Best Sailing Movies

Facts

By Peter10 mins read

We love everything that has to do with sailing and all things that are connected with the ocean. One of them is sailing movies! There are several movies about sailing which you have to add to your “must-see” list. Wild voyages overseas, battles between warships, survival stories, documentaries, and adventure movies. These nautical movies are not only interesting to watch but very educational at the same time for every passionate sailor. That is the main reason why I think it’s a good idea to create a list of the best sailing movies. So, keep reading below and inspire yourself for your next movie night or when you just can’t seem to approach dry land.

Best Sailing Documentaries

Maidentrip (2013): Maidentrip is directed by Jillian Schlesinger but it was filmed with a Sony Handy camera and narrated in both English and Dutch by Dekker herself during long passages aboard Guppy, her 38-foot ketch. In between endless days of sailing, there are stops at the Panama Canal, the Canary Islands, the Galapagos Islands, and French Polynesia. Maidentrip is a documentary that recounts the story of Laura Dekker. Laura is a Dutch schoolgirl who became the youngest person to sail alone around the world in January 2012, at the age of 16. It’s really nice to see that an adolescent decided to hunt her life’s dream and finally achieved to accomplish it. Don’t miss it!
Racing Around the World Alone (2010): This is the story of the 2009 Vendée Globe race. In that race, 30 skippers embark on a journey in order to be the fastest to sail 27,000 miles around the world. This quest is non stop, without assistance, and all-alone on 60-foot sailboats. This is certainly one of the most extreme challenges a human being can face. Being at sea for months without stopping, undoubtedly carries an emotional and physical strength.
Jean du Sud (1984): This documentary recounts the story of sailor Yves Gélinas’s. He did solo a circumnavigation of 28,000 miles aboard his Alberg 30 sloop, Jean-du-Sud. Yves crossed the ocean from France to Quebec via the Roaring Forties of the Southern Ocean and Cape Horn. Yves shot the 16 mm film in order to share his experience with other sailors, particularly about the use of his self-steering gear.
Deep Water (2006): This is a fascinating documentary about the first single-handed around-the-world sailing race. The main character is Donald Crowhurst, a father of four children that attempted to win the fastest voyage prize. Donald received funding from a local businessman and bought a trimaran in order to support his failing business. Watch the documentary to see what happened next…
Maiden (2018): The film tells the story of Tracy Edwards, who became the skipper of the first-ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989. Tracy Edwards had her first Whitbread Round to the World Race experience. At that time, she was working in the galley of the boat Atlantic Privateer. She then decided to take part as a skipper and after three years she bought the 58ft yacht Maiden. So then Tracy assembled a female crew and entered the race. The girls achieved and won two of the Whitbread legs and came second in class overall.

Best Sailing Adventure and Drama Movies

Adrift (2018): This movie is about the story of a couple, who was hired to take a 44-foot sailboat on a 4,000-mile journey, from Tahiti to San Diego. About halfway through their cross-Pacific journey, they unexpectedly ran into Hurricane Raymond. They tried to control the sailboat in 145-knot winds, but Tami (the girl), was washed overboard and suffered from a head injury. However, they managed to jerry-rig a sail and then navigated manually for 1,500 miles to Hawaii. This movie is not just about survival but also a love story. Definitely worth watching it!
Between Home – Odyssey of an Unusual Sea Bandit (2012): This film is an adventure documentary about Nick Jaffe, an amateur sailor. Nick attempted a solo oceanic journey from Europe to Australia. Through the film we watch him battle the wind, the sea, and severe isolation as he follows his dreams.
White Squall (1996): This movie was directed by Ridley Scott and stars Jeff Bridges. It is based on a true story about a small group of American teens that begin their lifetime sailing adventure. The boys learn about teamwork and discipline while they’re sailing for 8 months aboard a ship called Albatross. The film is set back in the 1960s, and is a must sea nautical adventure!
All is Lost (2013): In this movie, stars Robert Redford as a solo sailor who meets disastrous circumstances at sea. It is then that he has a tiring battle and fights for his life. The storyline is a simple yet frightening tale of a man surviving on the water.
En solitaire (2013): Turning Tide is a story about the Vendee Globe, a single-handed nonstop race around the globe. It focuses on the leading actor, Yann Kermadec, who replaced the DCNS Skipper. After a few days of sailing, he realizes that he has a hidden fellow passenger onboard. It is a moving film but adventurous film, that gives a real insight into what life is like onboard an ocean racing yacht.

Best Sailing Old-Time Classics

Kon Tiki (2012): The story of this film has to do about a Norwegian explorer, Thor Heyerdahl. Thor along with five others set off on a 4300-mile journey across the Pacific. Their goal was to prove that South America could have been settled by Polynesians. They did this cruising with their vessel, a large raft called Kon Tiki, back in 1947. The voyage took over 100 days and its story is so stimulating that I definitely recommend you watching it.
The Riddle of the Sands (1979): This film is based on the classic novel by Erskine Childers, The Riddle of the Sands, and was directed by Tony Maylam. The movie is a British spy thriller around two British sailors who are exploring the shallow waters of the Frisian Islands in 1901. Suddenly they discover a German plot that was invading the East Coast of England. Although the story is different from the book, it is another beautifully shot sailing film worth seeing it.
Wind (1992): Will Parker, played by Matthew Modine, loses America’s Cup, the world’s biggest sailing prize, to the Australians. He then decided to form his own syndicate to win it back. In 1983, the loss of America’s Cup to Australia broke the longest-running winning streak in world sports history. Everyone who is in love with the sea and sailing will definitely consider this movie as a classic.
Lifeboat (1944): Lifeboat is a classic Alfred Hitchcock film. During World War II, in the middle of the Atlantic, a ship and a German U-boat clash destroy each other. Then, a group of five survivors finds refuge in a lifeboat. However, trouble starts when they rescue an adversary survivor. If you’re a fan of old classics you certainly don’t want to miss that!
The African Queen (1951): This is a small boat adventure film released in 1951. Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn, the main actors, travel through the African jungle, navigating through the battles of World War I.