TRUE FILM ‘COYOTE’ CUTS TO THE CORE OF CHANGING LIFE TO CHASE A DREAM

Life of Legendary Sailor Mike Plant Made for a Movie Screen

A quarter century after American offshore racer Mike Plant vanished, a feature documentary film about his adventurous life has been released to wide acclaim. Plant splashed on to the international offshore scene after winning the 1986-87 BOC Challenge – a singlehanded race around the world – in a boat he built with his own hands on a bootstrapped budget. He went on to become a legend in the sport, twice setting the American record for the fastest singlehanded circumnavigation and recognized as one of five skippers in history to complete three solo laps of the planet at the time of his disappearance in 1992. “He was a game-changer,” North Sails President, Ken Read, says of Plant. “For a young guy like me he was a huge influence… toughest guy I’ve ever met.”

“Coyote”: The Mike Plant Story paints an intimate picture of Plant’s fearless determination as an American underdog of the sea and points an honest lens at some of Plant’s daring and precarious pursuits before he found a life in ocean racing, including a solo trek of South America, drug trafficking exploits and time behind bars in a Portuguese prison.

When The New York Times said Plant is “As close as yachting gets to a James Dean character,” it’s hard to disagree – his life story was made for a movie screen.

Next to a heap of archival footage from Plant’s life, Coyote features notable sailing faces on the screen. French racer and founder of the Vendée Globe, Philippe Jeantot, is a highlight, as is Herb McCormick, Executive Editor of Cruising World. North Sails President, Ken Read, and CEO, Dan Neri, also make appearances given their close connection and support of Plant’s around-the-world campaigns with Shore Sails (a legacy North Sails company). The narrative is rich and personal, carving out a riveting tale of a man who clearly embodied a thirst for adventure that drove him to become an American hero of the sea.

Coyote was directed by Plant’s nephew, Thomas Simmons, who ditched a career in investment banking to make the film. “It was a dream I wanted to chase,” Simmons says. “Mike faced his dreams head on and in many ways his example compelled me to take a risk and do something that I truly believe in.”

“Some might see Coyote as a sailing film,” Simmons says. “To me it’s a universal story about redemption, the importance of chasing dreams in life and the power of the human spirit when passion meets determination.”

Coyote is available in 80+ countries on major digital platforms. Worth a watch!

Coyote on iTunes
Coyote on Amazon
Coyote on Vimeo

www.coyotedocumentary.com
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