TO mark the 50th anniversary of the ­Donald Crowhurst saga and the release of the film, The Mercy, we are publishing special supplements this and next week.

His story is now one of the legends of the sea. He set sail from Teignmouth in his ­trimaran to compete in a single-handed, non-stop, race around the world.

But Teignmouth Electron quickly developed problems and he realised that if he ­ventured into the southern ocean he would probably be wrecked. And if he dropped out of the race, he would be financially ruined.

So he stayed in the Atlantic, faking his location and progress and it was thought he was heading home in triumph.

Crowhurst knew, however, that if he was first back, his logs would be scrutinised in great detail and his deception soon uncovered.

His yacht was found ­abandoned near the Azores and it is believed he either ­accidentally fell overboard or, more likely from his ­increasingly bizarre log entries, jumped to avoid the shame of being exposed as a phoney.

Film review of The Mercy in next week’s February 9, edition plus behind-the-scenes pictures.