Fifteen youthful sailors made news in Hawaii nearly two years ago when they briefly sailed on the voyaging canoe Hokule'a while training for the 2007 Transpacific Yacht Race aboard their 52-foot sloop “;Morning Light.”;

Their celebrity status resulted partly from the fact that Transpac veteran and movie producer Roy E. Disney was Morning Light's owner, but mostly because they were taking the leading roles in a feature film documenting their recruitment, training and competing in Transpac.

The “;Morning Light Project,”; as Disney's Pacific High Productions had dubbed it, began with a nationwide search for young sailors who would be at least 18 years old by the start of the race.

This nautical talent search resulted in 538 applicants who were eventually pared down to 30 and included two from Oahu, 21-year-old Linsey Austin of Honolulu and 17-year-old Mark Towell of Kaneohe.

Towell ultimately became one of the 11 crew members to race after taking part in a comprehensive tryout procedure that primarily looked for team spirit and trainability while sailing aboard four identical Catalina 37s.

Joining Towell were young sailors ranging in age from 18 to 23 from 11 other states and one foreign country, Australia.

It was made clear from the beginning there was to be neither a script nor a preconceived outcome for the film. However, as luck would have it, after sailing for nearly 11 days across 2,225 miles of open ocean under the constant eye of the camera, Morning Light emulated its name by crossing the Diamond Head finish line at precisely 6 minutes after sunrise under a backdrop of a warm, glowing sky.

They placed third in their division and as they say in the film industry, “;That was a wrap!”;

Morning Light, the movie, will soon be released to theaters across the U.S. And prior to that, there will be a 1-hour television special airing on ESPN2 on Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. and Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. that will feature the crew selection trials conducted in Long Beach, Calif.

But the best news is that, following the formal world premiere in Hollywood, there will be a Morning Light Hawaii premiere fundraiser at the Consolidated Ward 16 Theaters on Oct. 16 to benefit the Hawaii Sailing Foundation and the Hokule'a's Polynesian Voyaging Society.

This fundraiser will be of great importance to both organizations as they depend on donations to achieve their educational goals. And as everyone will want to be among the first to see this outstanding film it is sure to be a sellout.

This not-to-be-missed event will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails, pupus and a silent auction, and be followed at 7 p.m. by a special presentation by executive producers Roy Disney and Leslie DeMeuse, and will include an appearance by Towell.

The film's screening will begin at 7:30 p.m. and afterward there will be time for questions and answers from the audience.

Tickets may still be available at the Waikiki, Hawaii, and Kaneohe yacht clubs, and from the Polynesian Voyaging Society for just $50.