Born to the Wind (2000)

Starring: Isabelle Autissier, J P Mouligne, Giovanni Soldini

Documents the human drama of 16 sailors as they set sail from Charleston, South Carolina, for Around Alone 1998-99, a 27,000 mile race around the world alone. Each spent an average of eight months at sea, battling hurricane force winds, loneliness, and frustration. Before the winner crosses the finish line, a Russian sailor is forced to perform surgery on himself at sea. A skipper lost her boat after capsizing 1,500 miles west of Cape Horn and was rescued 24 hours later by a fellow competitor. Only nine sailors completed the race.