People are talking….
October 21st, 2009About 6 months ago, I started visiting Dean Brenner’s blog over at the Latimer Group, picking up tips and tools in the area of business writing and communications. Dean happens to be a friend and a fellow sailor, but also the President of US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, so he knows a few things about both leadership and sailing
This week, his audio podcast covers how teams manage to make good decisions when the pressure is on. Here’s the description and a link to the file.
How Great Teams Communicate to Make Good Decisions Under Pressure
Great teams have several common characteristics. In this edition of SoundWaves, Dean Brenner discusses one primary characteristic of great teams – clear communication. Listen as he shares some lessons from the recently-completed Sonar Class World Championship, where Dean and his teammates finished in 3rd place out of 57 boats. Listen now. Length: 5:38
October 16th, 2009
Here’s another video from Thursday’s Taste of BoatWorks program for HR and business professionals at Club Nautique in Alameda. Sailors Donna Berry, John Klinestiver, Edwin Bernbaum and Marc-Andre Olivier are working hard and figuring out how to conquer the BoatWorks Challenge Course with the help of Coach, Doug Perry.
What a interesting crew as well! The jib trimmer, Donna is a PR guru; Strategist John is an extremely seasoned senior HR executive, Ed runs Peak Paradigms, a company like GEL that helps individuals and organizations develop leadership skills via active seminars amid the splendor of the Himalayas. Marc-Andre is a senior consultant for Learning as Leadership, a Bay Area dynamic organization similarly focused on high performance.
I wish I’d had more time to ride along with these guys, but there were 3 other sub-teams to visit.
Video: Getting Ready to Rock the BoatWorks Challenge
October 16th, 2009
Here’s Lisa Bates, Andrea Tsingos and Roy Nierenberg of Wente Family Estates, Autodesk and ProjectKickStart sailing at GEL’s Taste of BoatWorks event under the watchful eyes of Captain Jim Hancock, the VP and General Manager of Club Nautique.
Just before I hopped aboard to observe dynamics and take some video, the gang was talking about wine.
Lisa is VP of HR for Wente Family Estates, and it becomes pretty clear that she knows how to use words as well as wine to motivate a team. Listen to the end to hear her say as they charge towards the starting line, “Let’s rock and roll!”
You’ll see similar levels of intense enthusiasm from Andrea and Roy. Stay tuned for other videos from later in the exercise. Communication flows between Roy, Lisa and Andrea like they’ve been sailing together for years, and Jim gets to sit back and enjoy watching his students perform after only one short practice session.
I love sailing!
Official BIG Team Regatta Press Release Posted
October 11th, 2009
Contact: Lacey Todd
415.421.2225
Fax: 415.421.2208
For Immediate Release
Non-Profit Treasure Island Sailing Center Raises $35,000 with
its 5th Annual BIG Team Regatta Event
Bay Area Businesses Collaborate to Provide Experiential Sailing Events That Enable Underprivileged Youth to Learn Critical Teamwork, Communication and Decision Making Skills
Treasure Island, CA, October 7, 2009 – Non-profit Treasure Island Sailing Center (TISC) raised $35,000 at its popular “BIG Team Regatta” held at the Olympic Circle Sailing Club (OCSC) in Berkeley on Friday, October 2. Several local businesses set sail in the pursuit of bragging rights and the chance to support TISC’s youth programs. The funds raised allow hundreds of underprivileged youth to attend a special summer sailing camp.
The BIG Team Regatta is a major part of TISC’s programs, which help children learn life skills and instill teamwork, communication and responsibility. Full and partial scholarships go to over 80% of its youth participants.
“The regatta gets people out on the water for the thrill of sailing and experiences that stick for a lifetime, all in the spirit of giving,” said Lacey Todd, operations manager for TISC. “To pull this off, we require an army of volunteers and generous sponsors who make this possible. This year marks the fifth successful BIG Team Regatta thanks to their efforts.”
Seven four-person teams represented by Wells Fargo Bank, PG&E, Northrup Grumman, Mechanics Bank, Hanson Bridgett and Almar Marinas, competed in seven races over the course of the day.
This year’s winning team, Wells Fargo, was joined onboard by veteran sailor and Olympic silver medalist Will Baylis of Tiburon, who coached them with great skill to their place on the podium.
During the awards ceremony, 10-year-old Isabella Duan from Hillsborough, Calif., took the microphone and gave thanks to TISC staff and the corporate racers for giving her three years of summer sailing camp.
“I have been sailing at Treasure Island Sailing Center with my brothers for the past three years. I have really enjoyed sailing because it has taught me a about staying focused, perseverance, and sportsmanship. I hope to come to TISC for many more years and someday I would like to be on a team and sail competitively.”
The San Francisco BIG Team Regatta came about five years ago in collaboration between two Bay Area businesses, Group Experiential Learning and OCSC Sailing School. Their founders, compelled by personal experience to support youth sailing, created a non-profit version of their corporate team-building programs.”
“Sailing is perhaps the most empowering opportunity parents and organizations can provide young children,” said Jay Palace, founder of BIG Team Regatta and president of GEL. “Learning to solo-sail a small dinghy gives a seven-year-old complete control and a huge sense of accomplishment. Braving the elements ignites excitement, instills confidence and inspires curiosity about weather, tides and science.”
Palace served as a volunteer sailing coach for Treasure Island in the late 1990’s and came up with the BIG Team Regatta fund-raising concept to benefit a Washington, D.C. non-profit in 2003. Since then, the organization has helped non-profits like TISC raise a combined $500,000 with 14 regattas in four cities – San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York.
To watch videos of the 2009 BIG Team Regatta visit: http://www.gelcorp.com/clients/bigteamregattasf2010.html
To make a donation please visit TISC’s Sponsor a Sailor Donation Website at http://tisailing.org/sponsor-a-sailor/. For more information on TISC, go to www.tisailing.org or email info@tisailing.org. And for more information on BIG Team Regatta please visit http://www.bigteamregatta.com/.
You can also join TISC on Facebook.
About Treasure Island Sailing Center
The Treasure Island Sailing Center (TISC) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to improve the Bay Area community and the sport of sailing by providing access, facilities, and sailing instruction to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, skill levels, and physical abilities. To learn more about our youth, adult and adaptive sailing programs, call (415) 421-2225 or visit www.tisailing.org.
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Almar Marine Racing Video from the 2009 BIG Team Regatta
October 5th, 2009Here’s another video of one of the great corporate teams supporting TISC’s youth and adaptive sailing programs via the BIG Team Regatta. This video features Almar Marine, led by Craig Paulsen, and coached by Tim Han. Everybody’s a veteran here… Almar’s has competed 4 years in a row, and Tim Han has coached a number of the events.
What’s the Big Team Regatta? It’s a corporate charity regatta attended this year by Mechanics Bank, Almar Marine, Hanson Bridgett, Northrop Grumman, Wells Fargo and two teams from PG&E. Each company donated $5000 per team to to the Treasure Island Sailing Center, and enjoyed a day of racing and camaraderie. The event is organized in partnership by OCSC and Group Experiential Learning, but 99% of the work is done by an amazing team of volunteers lead by Lacey Todd of the Treasure Island Sailing Center.
The proceeds will help Treasure Island provide scholarships for 140 kids to attend a week long sailing summer camp in 2010. Each year about 1200 kids from the bay area learn self confidence, leadership and team work. The Treasure Island Sailing Center is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to improve our community and the sport of sailing by providing access, facilities, and sailing instruction to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, skill levels, and physical abilities.
Mechanics Bank Racing Action From the 2009 BIG Team Regatta
October 4th, 2009Here’s the great gang from Mechanics Bank racing at the 2009 BIG Team Regatta.
We hear strategy from the team’s tactician, Courtney, and comments about their teamwork from Jeff, their OCSC sailing coach. The action takes place all within 90 seconds of the start of race 6.
What’s the Big Team Regatta? It’s a corporate charity regatta attended this year by Mechanics Bank, Almar Marine, Hanson Bridgett, Northrop Grumman, Wells Fargo and two teams from PG&E. Each company donated $5000 per team to to the Treasure Island Sailing Center, and enjoyed a day of racing and camaraderie. The event is organized in partnership by OCSC and Group Experiential Learning, but 99% of the work is done by an amazing team of volunteers lead by Lacey Todd of the Treasure Island Sailing Center.
The proceeds will help Treasure Island provide scholarships for 140 kids to attend a week long sailing summer camp in 2010. Each year about 1200 kids from the bay area learn self confidence, leadership and team work. The Treasure Island Sailing Center is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to improve our community and the sport of sailing by providing access, facilities, and sailing instruction to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, skill levels, and physical abilities.
Team Building Regatta Raises $35,000 For the Kids
October 4th, 2009It’s Sunday, and I’m still smiling ear to ear about Friday. For the 5th year in a row, a number of great organizations came together to help get children out on the bay at the 2009 BIG Team Regatta.
The weather was awesome for Mechanics Bank, Almar Marine, Hanson Bridgett, Northrop Grumman, Wells Fargo and two teams from PG&E. Each company donated $5000 per team to to the Treasure Island Sailing Center, and enjoyed a day of racing and camaraderie sponsored by OCSC and Group Experiential Learning.
The proceeds will help Treasure Island provide scholarships for 140 kids to attend a week long sailing summer camp in 2010. Each year about 1200 kids from the bay area learn self confidence, leadership and team work. The Treasure Island Sailing Center is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to improve our community and the sport of sailing by providing access, facilities, and sailing instruction to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, skill levels, and physical abilities.
Check out this video I shot while riding along while Melinda Darbee and her team from PG&E are side by side with last year’s winners, Northrop Grumman.
