You’re on a 42ft yacht in the middle of the English Channel, on passage to the Channel Islands. It’s 2 o’clock in the morning, it’s raining and the wind is rising Force 5, occasionally 6. You decide that the sail needs to be reefed, and that you can’t manage it from your watch alone – it needs another person.

You send one of your watch below to raise the standby crew.

Someone shakes you hard on the shoulder; you come awake instantly, aware of the fact that it isn’t 5 minutes since you crawled into your bunk at past midnight and that you’re next on duty at 0400 – this must be urgent. You pull on your oilskins, wriggle into your safety harness, clip on and get up on deck.

The rain has become heavier since midnight and the winds rising. 
The helmsman briefs you and the other crew; “Tighten up the topping lift, someone on the main halyard, someone with …….
10 minutes later and one reef in the main has reduced the sail area sufficiently to make the yacht more comfortable to handle; no need for you to hang around on deck, it’ll be your watch soon enough. You go below, take off your oilskins and climb back into your bunk, satisfied you played your part.

another example of good teamwork

for individuals to work together to achieve an allotted task can often be difficult. There are three identifiable aspects that need to be addressed, and if possible kept in balance; the team’s task, the collective needs of the team and the needs of the individual members of the team – often these may appear in conflict. Individuals need to be trained to carry out specific tasks, to learn new skills – and individuals react to being taught in very different ways. The team needs to understand clearly the task that needs to be carried out; and often there is a need to explain the reasons for that undertaking, to obtain commitment from the individuals. That team itself requires developing, and should often exercise in accomplishing its tasks (e.g. it’s often a good idea to practise putting a reef in the mainsail in calm weather).

teamwork features in every facet of our lives and the ability of individuals to bind together in a team, for some project at work for instance, can make the difference between success and failure. One of the most invigorating ways of developing teamwork is through some form of outdoor exercise and offshore sailing is renown for its ability to mould individuals into accomplished teams. The many and varied tasks that need to be addressed before, during, and after a sailing trip offer endless opportunity to practise building a team. Each member will understand what they personally contribute, know what the other members contribute, know what the task is, and realise that they could not complete it successfully without the other team members.

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