Morning Light

[man] The Pacific Ocean

between California and Hawaii

is the loneliest stretch

of water in the world.

A century ago, this was a

rarely-traveled route to paradise.

Now it's a race course for the

Indianapolis 500 of the open ocean.

An athletic test of speed and

endurance known as the Transpac.

Roy Disney knows

these waters well,

with two wins and two

record-breaking passages

over the course

of 16 Transpacs.

Now he's giving the next

generation an opportunity

by offering a bunch of rookies

the chance of a lifetime.

Thirty hopefuls were chosen to try

out for a new Transpac campaign

to be called the Morning Light.

A team of judges pushed them

hard for a week,

and by the end the 15 best

and brightest had emerged.

[man] We think you ought

to come to Hawaii.

- No way!

- Whoo!

The 15 sailors will

train for six months

in the big winds

and big seas off Hawaii

before choosing a crew of 11 to race

from California to Diamond Head.

They will face more than 70 competitors,

and they'll try to match the legendary

crew of Argonaut from 1969,

another bunch of teenagers

who borrowed their dad's boat

and won it all.

This is the story of Morning Light.

[man] This is gonna be my first story.

This is gonna be an epic story.

This is gonna probably

be my favorite story.

How it all began for Jesse Fielding

on the ocean, hopefully...

... uh, or it could just be a big flop.

Some of us are ready

for the full boot camp.

Others feel as though they may

be above the whole thing.

Everyone has to grow together

before this race begins.

The Morning Light,

although a true experience

for 15 young adults in Hawaii,

is also a very serious trial

to see if we can measure up.

We all wanted a chance to prove

ourselves, to race against the best.

Once the race starts in California, all

that matters is the Diamond Head buoy.

- [man] Hey, Roy.

- [man 2] Hey, come on in.

- Welcome to Hawaii.

- [man] Thank you.

First of all, there's 15 of you

here in the room,

and you know that only 11 of you

can go in the boat.

It's up to you to decide

who stays and who goes.

I just don't want you thinkin'

this is some kind of a game.

Right out the window there

is the Diamond Head buoy.

That's the finish line

of a 2,500-mile open-ocean race.

It's dangerous out there.

One mistake could really

put your lives at risk.

I always tell my crew, if you fall

overboard, consider it a death sentence.

But we're gonna train you

to have a shot at winning,

and we're gonna train you

to be safe out there.

I just hope you'll understand

it's really about the journey.

I think it's gonna change

every one of your lives.

There you go, guys.

There's your weapon.

[man] Sweet.

[man 2] Oh, wow. That is unreal!

- This is absurd!

- That's pretty sick.

[man 3] That was a significant

event for the kids.

Kind of like when

you give a kid the car keys.

We gave them the keys to this, you know,

stripped-out racing machine.

- [woman] Oh, sweet!

- Unreal.

[man] Morning Light is a TP52.

It's a 52-foot boat

that's very fast for its size.

It was originally designed to be

perfectly suited for the Transpac.

[man] It's gonna get really cozy.

[woman] I've never done an ocean race

before, so I don't know that feeling

of being absolutely alone

in the middle of the ocean.

My parents are both doctors.

I always figured I would be a doctor,

but I get queasy

at the sight of blood, so...

[Tulloch] I just really have a fire

in my heart to go and sail,

and my parents support

my sailing a hundred percent.

I've spent my whole life

sailing in dinghies.

Really, it's all the same as a dinghy.

Just more purchases, more power, and

more systems to get around the power.

It was the first day out

and I was on the wheel.

I've been asked what it's like

to be a girl on this team.

I always say I have long hair and shave

my legs and that's the only difference.

But at the end of the day, sometimes

I feel like I have more to prove.

I have to really show that I'm worth it.

It's such a big boat I'm like, "I can't

steer on these waves, " but I can.

Yeah! Yeah!

I would hope that I could be the skipper

or the helmsman on board.

I think that I may be

qualified enough to do that,

but whoever it is will have

earned the spot and deserve it.

It's gonna be intense.

[alarm clock beeping]

[voice on radio]

... Kalanianaole Highway from Kailua.

Waimanalo is clear across the Pali.

Kamehameha to Kahe Ko'olau.

Looking good on the Likelike.

Your morning traffic,

I'm Danielle Tucker,

Hawaiian 105,

your Hawaiian music station.

I'm really cranky this morning.

[man] Looks like you're struggling

to put the bread through.

Just so you know,

I like green eggs and ham.

OK, it's 6:
30.

[man] My name is Graham

Brant-Zawadzki and this is my journal.

Our first week here

was brutal but awesome.

Good. Nice and quick, nice and quick.

[Brant-Zawadzki] Janelle, our trainer,

is rad, but she kicks our asses.

And rest back on your right leg.

Overhead.

Stand on your right leg first.

Yeah, start on one side first.

- OK. Quick on those toes.

- [laughs]

[laughs] Yeah.

[Brant-Zawadzki] We've got to get in

better shape. This is a powerful boat

and sailing her is going

to be physically demanding.

Whoo-hoo!

[Haines] We went through an extensive

safety-at-sea course

that's never been done in this country.

[Brant-Zawadzki] Most of what

we learned was really cool.

Either it was totally new information,

or it took things most of us thought

we knew into greater depth.

Should I wait or do it ahead?

The Coast Guard was hugely supportive,

and they actually

took a rescue helicopter out

and sent in a rescue swimmer.

[man on radio] Swimmer in the water.

Swimmer in the water.

[Brant-Zawadzki] The experience showed

me how intense the situation can get,

even in a totally controlled

environment and calm sea state.

I think the most important

thing I learned is how much

I never, ever wanna be stuck

in a life raft.

[man] Robbie Kane, January tenth.

I used to think

I was invincible on a boat.

I soon realized how stupid

it is to think that way.

The boat I helped run lost the bowman

overboard in the Block Island race.

His name was Jamie Boeckel.

Realizing that a pro of that level

died that easily really scared me.

To lose a life because someone isn't

trained in safety is just pathetic.

[man] I think they will be

the safest team out there.

But any time you leave the dock

and you go to sea, there's danger.

But whatever happens,

you will finish that race.

[Brant-Zawadzki] By day two

of the race, we'll be so far offshore

there's not a helicopter

in the world that can save us.

We are sailing by ourselves

across the Pacific Ocean.

Everyone on this boat needs

to be the best that they can be.

This is no joke.

- We have to... Whoa!

- [overlapping chatter]

[Branning] My navigational background,

being out at sea in the Middle East

for three months,

I think that's gonna help.

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