UKH

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3319730/

I wonder what drove him? I'm sure it might have been a mixture of pride and mental breakdown but possibly also a product of the time?

We have examples of this in climbing but I wonder what would get someone to fabricate achievement to this extent and, in this case, with tragic consequences.

As for the film, it makes for pretty tough viewing.

The book on which it's based - the strange voyage of Donald Crowhurst - is harrowing too, but I'm not sure how difficuy he was to understand.

He committed himself to a course of action to solve his financial problems that he didn't have either the experience or ability to complete - then painted himself into a corner by making absurd claims.

Still pretty impressive that  he got to Argentina in a leaky half finished boat though.

Wonderful irony there!

Also worth reading A Voyage for Madmen which tells the wider story of that round the world race, putting Crowhurst into some context alongside the other competitors 

It was more about the decision to commit suicide which struck me as an extreme course of action. This is what I meant by a product of the time, that he chose to die and leave his family rather than face the consequences of his deception. In the end, I'd say he could have salvaged quite a story had he stuck with it, despite his lies.

There was an interesting story in Outside a couple of issues back that had similarity to this story - https://www.outsideonline.com/2360811/mayday-fathers-disappearance-pirates - a retired psychologist sails off on his dream voyage around the world (solo) and starts sending very weird communications about being hijacked by pirates in the middle of the Pacific before disappearing with his ship.  His daughter supposes that he'd lost his grip on reality and scuttled his yacht.  It highlighted for me the emotional pressure that a solo endeavour can have if you are not the right 'type' of person.  Fundamentally we are not designed, with a few exceptions, to live in isolation and once you detach from reality...would be interested to watch the film though.

A voyage for madmen is interesting on this point, viz the ability of Blyth and Ridgway to cope solo is interesting..................it is a good read, as is R Knox Johnstons book A world of my own, he won the race and its an extraordinary tale.