Maiden

A surprisingly moving and thrilling adventure, this little-known story makes for an epic documentary. Audiences don't need to know anything about sailing or yacht races to appreciate and feel utterly absorbed in Holmes' chronicle of not only Edwards and her crew's mission to get the sponsorships necessary to compete in the Whitbread, but also the pulse-quickening details of the race itself. Holmes and editor Katie Bryer capture the tension of the race, interspersing vintage footage with the first-hand accounts.

Although this isn't a game-changing documentary, the women certainly broke noteworthy ground. It's a shame that it's taken decades for these pioneers to get the attention they deserve. Of course there were news pieces about the crew and race in 1989 and 1990, but they mostly covered the "novelty" of the crew rather than the general awe-inspiring nature of Tracy, Jeni, Mikaela, Sally, Dawn, Angela, Claire, Nancy, and the rest of the crew's accomplishment. The story of the female sailors who restored the Maiden (a much smaller-than-average boat) to race in the great ocean race -- and kept going despite a lack of respect, support, or confidence -- sends an outstanding message of perseverance and believing in your dreams.