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Sailor Mike Plant was lost at sea 25 years ago, but his legacy lives on in a new film about his life by those that knew him best.
Photo: Billy Black
Younger generation sailors may not know the story of Mike Plant, but 25 years after his death, a new documentary details how he rocked the bluewater sailing world. His story is in good hands. Plant's nephew, Thomas Simmons, has directed a film about his uncle's life. The two-hour film, Coyote: The Mike Plant Story, incorporates archival footage, much of shot by Plant during his sailing adventures. Thomas is new to documentary filmmaking; this is his first film, having previously worked in the financial sector. But it's a slickly produced chronicle of a larger-than-life figure.
"Although I was very young when Mike died, I have very clear memories of my mother coming into my bedroom in the middle of the night and telling me he was missing," Simmons explained over the phone from his home in San Francisco. "As I grew older I felt a burning passion to bring the Mike Plant story to life for those who never knew him. The story of his life is as much about doing things differently and walking a different path than it is about sailing. It's a story that anyone can enjoy, even if you've never heard of Mike Plant."
Plant began sailing X Boats on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota when he was 9 years old. This early love affair with sailing shaped the remainder of his life and ultimately led to his death at age 42. Although a gifted sailor, Plant's wanderlust was not limited to sailing. He once trekked the entire length of South America, a 12,000-mile journey. But it's as a singlehanded sailor that Plant is best known.
Photo: Sparkplug Films
In 1992, Plant left New York City aboard Coyote, his Open 60 race boat en route to Les Sables d'Olonne, France, for the start of the Vendée Globe, a grueling singlehanded, nonstop yacht race around the world without assistance. Plant had already completed three singlehanded around-the-world races but was hoping for a faster time aboard the new lightweight, high-tech Coyote — and a chance to beat the French skippers, who dominated the world of long-distance singlehanded sailing.
Soon after leaving New York, Plant radioed a passing ship to report that his electronics had failed. That was the last time anyone heard from him. Overdue for his arrival in France, a search-and-rescue mission was started. His boat was eventually found 700 miles off the Irish coast, upside down, it's lead keel bulb missing.
The story is available to buy or rent on Amazon, Google Play, and Vimeo.