Description
Book Synopsis Winner of the Small Business Book Awards from Small Business Trends 2013
The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is among the most demanding sailing competitions in the world. Unpredictable seas make the 628-nautical-mile course grueling under the best conditions, but the 1998 race proved to be the most perilous to date when a sudden and violent storm struck. Winds gusted over 100 mph and monstrous 80-foot waves towered over boat masts. Six sailors perished and another 55 were saved in what became the largest search and rescue operation in Australia's history.
In the face of turmoil and tragedy, a crew of 'amateur' sailors piloted their tiny vessel, the AFR Midnight Rambler, not only to the finish but to overall vi
Table of Contents
Contents
Map of the Sydney to Hobart Race vii
Preface: At The Edge ix
The Role of the Leader xv
PART ONE The Story of the AFR Midnight Rambler and the Sydney to Hobart Race 1
1 The Everest of Ocean Racing 3
2 The Patriarch of a Sailing Family 12
3 Nuzulu and the Start of a Winning Team 15
4 The Midnight Rambler—A One-Off Boat 26
5 The Ramblers—Run-Up to the Race 29
6 The Aussie Competitors 34
7 Sayonara—The Big Yank Tank 39
8 Uncertain Weather—Buster or Bomb? 43
9 AFR Midnight Rambler—And They’re Away! 47
10 Sayonara—The Best Professional Sailors on the Planet 52
11 AFR Midnight Rambler—Smokin’ 55
12 Sayonara—Temporary Humility 60
13 An Ominous Forecast—Storm Warning 64
14 AFR Midnight Rambler—Hard or Squishy? 69
15 VC Off shore Stand Aside—A Twist of Fate 76
16 Rescue from the Sky—Angels on Winches 81
17 AFR Midnight Rambler—Hell on White Water 89
18 AFR Midnight Rambler—Sharing the Helm 96
19 Sword of Orion—Out of Control 104
20 General Mayday—An Official Catastrophe 113
21 AFR Midnight Rambler—Listen to That 119
22 Sayonara—Tack the Boat 126
23 AFR Midnight Rambler—A Commanding Position 130
24 Sayonara—A Thousand Years 136
25 Go the Rambler! 139
26 Wake of the Storm 144
27 Blue Water, Short Ocean—The Ramblers’ Record of Sustained Success 148
PART TWO Critical Strategies for Teamwork at The Edge 155
28 Introduction to the Strategies 157
29 The Research Challenge 160
30 My Hobart 165
31 Team Unity: Make the team the rock star. 170
32 Prepare, Prepare, Prepare: Remove all excuses for failure. 179
33 Balanced Optimism: Find and focus on the winning scenario. 187
34 Relentless Learning: Build a gung-ho culture of learning and innovation. 195
35 Calculated Risk: Be willing to sail into the storm. 206
36 Stay Connected: Cut through the noise of the wind and the waves. 217
37 Step into the Breach: Find ways to share the helm. 223
38 Eliminate Friction: Step up to conflict—and deal with the things that slow you down. 229
39 Practiced Resilience: Master the art of rapid recovery. 236
40 Tenacious Creativity: Never give up—there’s always another move. 241
A Note to the Skipper 245
The Parts of a Sailboat 250
Acknowledgments 251
Notes 257
Bibliography 263
Index 267
