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Cautionary Tales · January 15, 2020 · 38m
The Sailor Who Faked a Round-the-World Voyage
Cautionary Tales
Donald Crowhurst entered the Golden Globe Race — the first solo non-stop round-the-world yacht race — with a boat he knew was inadequate, faked his position reports, and descended into madness when his deception spiraled out of control.
Canon
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Crowhurst performed a false self (competent ocean racer) while his true self was a terrified man in a leaking boat. The gap between the two became so extreme that he experienced a psychotic break.
Highlights
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Small deceptions escalate — each lie requires a bigger lie to maintain
Crowhurst started with small exaggerations of his speed. To maintain the fiction, he had to fabricate entire logbooks. By the time he 'led' the race, he was trapped in a web of lies that would be exposed by winning.