Horse Latitudes (1975)

In 1969 the London Sunday Times announced an extraordinary race - single-handed, non-stop, round the world, by sail. The race attracted a unique group of "nine madmen who wanted to be heroes". Only one brave man completed the race. "Horse Latitudes" stars Gordon Pinsent as Donald Crowhurst, a sailor who realizes he cannot win the race legitimately, so tries to fake it. For months he sails the becalmed waters of the South Atlantic ocean known as the "Horse Latitudes", while sending in false navigational reports, supposedly from the Southern Ocean off South Africa, Australia and Cape Horn. The five months alone at sea drive Donald Crowhurst mad. Horse Latitudes explores this crazed double-life ordeal, leading to an ironic final solution to his self-imposed state of hell. Legendary Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent vividly plays a man walking a tightrope between his dreams of heroism and the frightening reality of his fraud. This feature is one of Pinsent's earliest career achievements. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Festival International du Film Maritime et d'Exploration in Grimaud, France. Horse Latitudes was also crowned with Best Director (Peter Rowe), Best Actor (Gordon Pinsent) and Best Adventure Film awards at the 1977 Yorkton Film Festival.