The first racing season, we were pretty consistently “DFL” – Dead F***ing Last. Building our team was challenging: finding someone who had experience or willingness to learn, who was committed to racing, who “fit”. After a number of trials and misfits, we finally found the crew who fit: a passionate, energetic sailor, with incredible tactical ability, and knowledge of the rules!
The second racing season, we moved up to place consistently in the top 5 of the Tanzer 22 sailors on the Ottawa River. The next season, we progressed further, and really honed our skills and teamwork. We placed in the top 3 and started to make a name for ourselves. People started viewing Makai as a boat to beat, instead of “that new boat in the fleet with the woman skipper”.
Then we wanted to see how well we could do against other boats, in another body of water, with the team we built together. We bought a trailer, hauled out, and hit the road for the Tanzer 22 National Championship regatta.
The starting gun was at 10:00 a.m. It was light wind. Our competing sailors were light and jovial, expecting the race was blown off due to the light wind conditions. Still, we kept our heads in the game. Quietly, persistently, we altered course as we dealt with the changing conditions. We caught a slight breath of wind while others behind us were blowing off the race, anticipating the 3 gun signal that would cancel the race.
Instead, we got 2 guns – signalling a shortening of the race course. We needed wind to carry us another half leg of the course, and we could finish the race! Most of the fleet were so far behind that they didn’t have a hope of finishing.
We finished the first race in the top 3! Our competitors brushed it off as “beginners luck”. We knew our teamwork and tenacity paid off. The win built our confidence and inspired us to continue to perform at our best.
Although the wind conditions continued to be light, it picked up enough to allow for the requisite number of races. We scored 1st place in 3 of the 6 races. We turned out to be the boat to beat! We won the National Championship!
Why did we succeed? We had a shared vision: we were in the regatta to have fun, be challenged, and race our best. We were committed: we stayed in the game, and were tenacious despite the atmosphere around us. We communicated well: while others were joking, we whispered our strategies, made decisions, and carried them through. We knew our strengths: the boat performed best in light wind, and we were competent in our individual roles. We demonstrated the power in teamwork. "Together Everyone Achieves More".
"The strength of the team is in each individual member...the strength of each member is in the team."
Coaching Challenge: What experience have you had with a team producing results that surpassed your expectations?
We finished the first race in the top 3! Our competitors brushed it off as “beginners luck”. We knew our teamwork and tenacity paid off. The win built our confidence and inspired us to continue to perform at our best.
Although the wind conditions continued to be light, it picked up enough to allow for the requisite number of races. We scored 1st place in 3 of the 6 races. We turned out to be the boat to beat! We won the National Championship!Why did we succeed? We had a shared vision: we were in the regatta to have fun, be challenged, and race our best. We were committed: we stayed in the game, and were tenacious despite the atmosphere around us. We communicated well: while others were joking, we whispered our strategies, made decisions, and carried them through. We knew our strengths: the boat performed best in light wind, and we were competent in our individual roles. We demonstrated the power in teamwork. "Together Everyone Achieves More".
Coaching Challenge: What experience have you had with a team producing results that surpassed your expectations?
Share your success stories! E-mail mailto:Sylvia@SylviaGoodeve.com
