Sailing movie inspires local audience

Though there was not a ship's deck or a dock nearby at the Annapolis area's premiere of the new Disney documentary, "Morning Light," the dress code was very Annapolitan - with moviegoers sporting boat shoes, khakis and polos.

"Our goal was to give landlubbers a sense of what goes on in a race after a ship goes over the horizon - and not get seasick," said one of the film's executive producers, Roy E. Disney, 78, son of Disney co-founder Roy O. Disney and nephew of Walt Disney.

About 400 people attended the movie screening, held last week at the Bow Tie theaters at Westfield Annapolis mall to benefit Annapolis Community Boating and Baltimore's Downtown Sailing Center.

Organizer Lee Tawney estimated $8,000 would be split between the two nonprofit organizations designed to bring boating to underprivileged area youth.

Leslie DeMeuse Disney, the other executive producer, said the film's subject matter is exciting. "Out on the ocean, things happen. You have to rely on each other. You can't call 911. You can't order pizza. You can't pout. It's a long way back to shore."

"Morning Light" follows 15 young men and women over a 6-month period as they are selected, then rigorously trained aboard a high-performance, 52-foot sloop for the Transpacific Yacht Race, known as Transpac, a grueling 2,500 miles from Los Angeles to a buoy at Diamond Head, Hawaii.

There are numerous ties to the Annapolis area. For example, the young Australian who skippers the Morning Light, and is clearly the movie's star, is currently a student at St. Mary's College.

Rick Deppe of Philadelphia, the film's onboard cinematographer, has spent a great deal of time in Annapolis filming the Volvo Ocean Races.

Evan Evans of the Annapolis-based firm E Squared Marine installed the ship's electronics systems. "I worked on one of Roy's ships, Pyewaket, in 2003. I put in Morning Light's tactical and navigation systems when it was still named the Pegasus," Mr. Evans said as he ushered his family around Mr. Disney for a photograph. Mr. Disney then autographed a Disney storybook for one of Mr. Evans' children.

The film is a " 'Survivor' show on a boat" as crew members are vetted from the original 550 applicants to 30 semifinalists and then to 15. Those 15 are further winnowed to 11 who will race, plus four alternates.

Since it began in 1906, Transpac has been one of the prominent offshore yacht races. The 2007 race, during which the movie was filmed, featured 73 sailboats in various classes. The Morning Light crew, whose members had an average age of 21.2 years, was one of the youngest to sail in the race. Their competition was the confident Samba Pa Ti, filled with seasoned Transpac sailors.

The 90-minute film is replete with spectacular scenery, raw unscripted drama and humor, plus natural and man-made special effects. "Morning Light" opens to the public Friday at the Bow Tie theaters at the Annapolis Harbour Center.

At the premiere, after the credits rolled, Charlie Enright and Kit Wil joined Mr. Disney, Ms. DeMeuse, 2008 Olympic sailing member Andrew Campbell of Annapolis, and sailing team manager Robbie Haines for a question-and-answer session with the audience. Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer presented the panel with Queen Anne medals, commemorating the city's 300th anniversary.

Later in the lobby, the more than 400 adults and children who attended the premiere mingled with world-class sailors, the movie's sudden celebrities and its co-executive producers, newlyweds Mr. Disney and Ms. DeMeuse, under a high-pitched ceiling decorated with billowing spinnaker sails.

Ms. DeMeuse, who first sailed in the Transpac at 16, is a former ESPN producer and winner of an Emmy Award for a PBS special on sailing. Mr. Disney has sailed in 16 Transpac races.

Children in the audience peppered them with questions about animal life on the ocean and whether the Morning Bright crew had ever sailed an Optis, the boat most of the junior sailors use.

"This movie showed me how amazing it is to go out on the ocean and work as one unit," said Annapolis Yacht Club sailor Katie Scheidt, 14, of Edgewater. "Even if you don't understand sailing, it's captivating."

Her friend, Megan Yeigh of Annapolis, said, "It really showed me younger people can go out and do this, not just my parents. It inspired me. It's like a reality show."

Drew LoVullo, also 14, nodded. "It gives me hope. I'm in my first year of sailing competition."

"It showed me I can accomplish so much more than Chesapeake Bay racing on a 34-foot boat," said Mike Atwell, 17, of Arnold, a member of Chessie Junior Racing, who attended the movie with 24 other youngsters from Chessie.

Severn Sailing School member Andrew Schoene, 12, from St. Margarets, echoed the theme. "It really inspired me. I've been sailing Optis since I was 8," he said.

Professional yacht racer Jimmy Allsopp said: "It's the best sailing movie I've seen because it's a positive thing, it's not all about sailing, but team building and youth developing into a team. It could have just as easily been about soccer."

Nan Walker, on the board of directors of Box of Rain, another nonprofit boating program for youth, chaperoned 13 Box of Rain youngsters to the event. "They really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it," she said.

"I've been sailing since I was 7," said Bywater resident Jaquan Smith, 12, a Box of Rain pupil. "They had fun in the movie, they learned stuff. I want to do something like that - be the bowman."

Wendi Winters is a freelance writer living on the Broadneck Peninsula.