DN:FILM Maiden
“Smile,” the 1989 interviewer instructs Tracy Edwards, who, at 27, had assembled the first all-female crew to compete in that year’s grueling Whitbread Round the World yacht race. Edwards, though not the smile-on-demand type, knew the power of media, so responds to the request with apologetic acquiescence, and begins: “I’m Tracy Edwards, skipper of the Maiden…” But it’s not a façade she could maintain: “Ah shit,” she says, and begins to laugh.
Condescending journalists represent just one of the many barriers Edwards and her team of seafaring ceiling breakers encounter during their quest to compete as the first all-female crew in this up-till-then-completely-male-dominated sport in Alex Holmes’ MAIDEN. The journalists who predicted Maiden’s early exit from the race were most interested in asking the women questions that would never be posed to their male counterparts: “How are you all getting along? Any fights on board?” There was no interest in featuring Edwards and her crew as serious competitors in one of yacht racing’s most prestigious events. The women's participation was perceived as a sideshow that was distracting attention from the real race.
Holmes makes effective use of the archival material from three decades ago, both of preparation and dramatic race footage. You’re right there along for the journey. The footage is interspersed with present-day reflections from Edwards, her crew and other competitors; and even one of the seemingly unrepentant journalists makes an appearance. The story hits familiar notes: Like so many women who have attempted analgous conquests, Edwards had to start at the very bottom. It’s no surprise to learn that before Edwards put together a crew of her own, her initial pleas to join a male one were rebuffed; eventually she had to start by working as … wait for it … a cook and self-described servant to a male crew. Then, step-by-step, she makes her way to her own yacht . It’s an impressive path for a woman whose own mother accused her of not being able to dedicate herself to anything.
In one interview sequence, Edwards is asked if she’s a feminist. “Not at all, I hate that word,” she replies. “I want to be allowed to do what I want to do.” And throughout the film, Holmes demonstrates just how much of a gender-constraint-busting, equality-demanding, competitively deserving race participant Edwards is. When it’s all told, the story sounds almost too fantastical to be believed, with more than a few fairy-tale elements: A runaway; a king; angry, swelling, oceans; seemingly insurmountable odds; even their boat has an enchanting origin. But, like many of of the very best stories, Maiden’s impact comes precisely from the perfect overlay of the hard-to-believe with the documented facts.