The trailer for The Mercy, the much-anticipated film about Donald Crowhurst’s ill-fated Golden Globe Race, has now been released.

Starting Oscar winning actors Colin Firth as Crowhurst and Rachel Weisz as Crowhurst’s wife, Clare, the film is scheduled to be in cinemas in the UK from 09 February 2018.

It has already had been praised by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the only Golden Globe competitors to finish the race, who declared: ‘It was a great film’, after attending a preview screening.

Directed by James Marsh, The Mercy follows Crowhurst’s attempts to race around the world to win the 1968-69 Golden Globe Race on his trimaran, Teignmouth Electron.

Colin Firth as Donald Crowhurst

The weekend sailor hoped to win the race’s £5,000 prize money to bail out his failing business venture – selling his handheld radio direction finder called the Navicator, which allowed sailors to take bearings on marine and aviation radio beacons.

However, Crowhurst grossly underestimated his timings to prepare for the race, and left Teignmouth on 31 October 1968 – the last date he could leave under the race rules – without completing several safety features.

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He soon ran into trouble and decided to secretly abandon the race, prompting him to lie about his location and to falsify logs.

His logs later suggested that Crowhurst was driven mad during the race, and his final entry – on 1 July 1969 – “It is finished. IT IS THE MERCY… I will resign the game” – inspired the film’s title.

Rachel Weisz plays Claire Crowhurst in the film

On 10 July 1969, Teignmouth Electron was found in the Atlantic by the Royal Mail vessel, Picardy on 10 July 1969.

There was no sign of Crowhurst onboard.

The Mercy was filmed in 2015 in Teignmouth and Essex.

Next June, a 50th anniversary Golden Globe Race will get underway, starting from Les Sables d’Olonne in the Vendée, France.