WAYPOINT SAILING PUTS NEW WIND IN TEAM'S SAILS

 The one constant in sailing is change.  Conditions change.  Winds change, from steady to howling to dead calm and back again.  Currents change.  Crew members and skippers change, come and go, and so do the boats.  Every sail has unexpected surprises.  Don’t be surprised—expect it before leaving the dock.  Your standing rigging may snap, a sail may rip, and the mainsheet breaks. Worst of all, someone could forget to bring the snacks!  

Adjust your expectations and your attitude.  The currents in business change all the time.  Anticipate change and be ready to adjust when it happens.  Flexible teams will beat rigid teams every time. 

Whether you are married or single, everyone on a boat is a mate.  You may have ten or twenty other mates on board. Be a good mate.  Mates that are self-centered, lazy, complaining, demanding, critical or moody will ruin happy crews or happy marriages. 

 Good seamanship offers help, cooperates, communicates clearly, and leaves bad moods at the dock.  Encouragement, positive feedback, flexibility and enthusiasm contribute to everyone’s performance. 

 If you ever fall behind in a race—join the club. Every sailor knows the view from behind.  When this happens, keep hope alive.  Keep sailing on.  You never know if the boat ahead of you will snag their spinnaker or hit a whale.  You never know if your course turns out to be faster than theirs.  And If you are ever in the doldrums (the wind stops), and your boat isn’t moving, remember that everyone else is in the doldrums too.  Try to squeeze out any advantage whatsoever. Even an extra ¼ mile per hour can make the difference to a win.  And if you ever lose a race, sign up for the next and try again.  As two-time America’s Cup winner Dennis Conner once told me, he never loses even when he loses.  “We don’t think of it as losing, because we just gained more experience and knowledge that will help us in the next race.  We never lose.  We only learn.  Even our losses are wins.”