Pool Sailing Team Building
A unique Pool Sailing Team Building event in Davis CA on a sprawling horse ranch for 40 people was a success!
7 teams of 4-6 people each built model sailboats and then competed in the swimming pool in three different sailing competitions.
The model sailboats allowed for multiple parts to be built at the same time so teamwork and coordination were key to success. The team pictured here built the sailboat in just under 1 hour beating out the other 6 teams. All of the teams finished in time for the sailing competition.
The client chose a Sailboat Team Building because of the consistent winds that blow steadily across the wide open fields that separate the ranch from the Pacific Coast Mountains. Of course, once we finished building the sailboats, the wind died. Alas, as a veteran team building professional I foresaw this happening, because what can go wrong, in most cases, will go wrong if you are counting on it to provide a perfect meeting experience. Statistically this is probably not accurate, however, it is how it feels.
I came equipped with the most powerful industrial fan Home Depot will provide in-stock to the public. We integrated the fan into the competition by allowing teams to place the fan anywhere they thought would maximize their advantage for each competition. The sailboats are “free-sailing” model boats so no RC equipment to steer or change the sails. Contestants in the competition had to use their collective brain power to figure out how to maximize the positions of the sails, the rudders, and the fan, all to maximize advantage over the competitors.
We ended the day with a Regatta which allowed for active team participation and hilarity ensued, and I think we actually had a winning boat of the Regatta race, but I’m still not 100% sure.
A huge thank you to the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) for inviting us out to their annual retreat, and for spending a wonderful couple hours building sailboats in paradise.
