Reward your employees with a team building sailing holiday
The benefits that corporations get from engaging their employees in team building exercises is well documented. It should not be seen as a splurge but an investment. Team building often gets a bad reception, with employees squirming and trying to get out of it. However, team building is vitally important to the culture of your company. The key to successful team building is to keep it fun, and don’t overstuff the corporate part.
Boost morale for better business
Are you looking for fun and inclusive ways to get your team working well together? The rewards for investing money and time into team building exercises are undeniably significant. Workers who are happy and engaged are loyal, hard-working and take fewer sick days. Getting your employees working well as a team will improve their efficiency, directly impacting the productivity of your business.
Being on a luxury yacht is the perfect way to unite
Even just stepping on to a yacht brings a camaraderie, a joint sense of adventure and lifting of the spirits. Living in close quarters and helping to crew the yacht, gives your team a chance to open up to each other, improving communication and creating shared experiences. Employees will be better able to understand and appreciate each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and interests after a week of shared togetherness.
What sort of activities can we do?
There are plenty of activities that can be completed on board and during the sailing week that promote problem-solving skills, creativity, confidence building, and teamwork. For example:
Sailing skills
Overseen by the skipper, you can challenge your team to plot a course around the islands. Working together to understand charts and bearings. Learning how to operate the anchor and plot a course. When the wind allows, and the boat is under sail, the skipper can keep enthusiastic crew members busy with the ropes and winches. Listening, communication and teamwork are vital, especially in windy conditions.
Communal cooking
There are plenty of chances to work closely together in the galley, rustling up meals in confined quarters to feed hungry crewmates. By dividing your team into groups, you can find out who works well together. Unleash the inner chefs and hidden talents in your team, challenging them to produce the best breakfast/lunch of the week. Incite collaboration, sending teams off to local markets to source ingredients and plan menus. Coming together to feast on hard-earned meals is surely one of the best ways to bond!
Knotty issues
You can learn to tie a variety of knots and understand the benefits and use of each. Will you manage to remember which knot not to use and tie the right knots for each occasion? These are abilities that are great to have in your skillset for life beyond the sailing week. You never know when you may be called upon to tie a good knot in life!
Robinson Crusoe
Stranding the crew on a remote island beach, you could challenge your team to build shelter/shade and come up with creative ways to make fresh water for survival.
Trekking trails
Why not abandon your crew on an island with a map and water. Task them to orienteer across the island to the rendezvous point. Will they pool skills and show the determination needed to beat the boat to the pick-up point?
Paddleboard problem solving
Why not challenge your team to get all the crew and equipment to shore in record time without getting soaked. This activity will bring on leadership and communication skills, at the same time as providing some great comedy moments. Balancing on a stand-up paddleboard under pressure… what could go wrong?!
Do we get any relaxing time on our team building sailing holidday?
Yes, don’t worry, there will be plenty of time to swim, enjoy the scenery and explore the islands. After all, this is a sailing holiday and well-earnt rest for your team as well as a chance to bond. And at the end of each day, you will come together to re-live the day’s events over dinner at a fantastic local restaurant.
How fit do we need to be?
Sailing is an inclusive sport that is accessible for all ages and fitness levels. There will be a skipper on board that is perfectly capable of handling the yacht by themselves. This means that each crew member can get involved as much or as little as they want and are able to do. There is no age limit. That said, if any of your team has mobility issues or particular needs make sure that we are aware of this in the early stages of planning.
Big team? Even better!
But what if my team is too big to fit on a yacht? That is not a problem – we can charter more yachts! In fact, it provides even more opportunities, as with a flotilla we can pitch crews against each other in team games. Possibly even staging a mini regatta!
When is the best time to take a team building sailing holiday?
It is advisable to organize your team sailing trip for either May or September. During this shoulder season, prices are lower and it is less crowded. Furthermore, winds tend to be more reliable so some proper sailing activities can take place. At the same time, the weather is still pleasant, with plenty of sunshine and daily temperatures around 21° in May and 25° in September.
That said, you are welcome to book for any time in the season that works for you, just get in touch and we will help you plan it all.
What about the sleeping arrangements?
Monohull yachts provide the best team building opportunities as the crew gets to experience more hands-on sailing and the excitement that that entails. Cabins on yachts are usually doubles, so you need to ensure that there are colleagues that are happy to share. Some also have one cabin that contains a bunk bed.
The skipper will need a place to sleep, some yachts have a dedicated crew cabin for this purpose. Work out who you would like to bring, and how many cabins you will require and we will find a yacht, or a flotilla of yachts, that will be suitable.
Reward your employees & you will reap the benefits
Make sure that your employees feel valued and appreciated so they are inspired to push your company to its full potential. Talk to our team today about organizing a team building sailing holiday for your next corporate team event.
