In 2014, I kick started my own campaign with a sole purpose of reaching the start line of the Mini Transat, a solo yacht race across the Atlantic. Which to anyone who doesn’t know, getting to the start is the hardest part of the campaign itself.
On the surface, you might think it sounds a bit like a holiday, spending days on end, on a boat in the sunshine, before reaching the sandy beaches of the Caribbean. However, there are multiple hurdles you’re required to jump over in order to get there, which takes not only perseverance and determination, but also key project management fundamentals.
“Crossing the Atlantic solo is nothing trivial. It is a real personal commitment, where a sailor is in charge of his/her own fate: in the middle of the ocean, we cannot rely on anyone.”
Although such a tough race the Mini Transat is very popular and only 84 intrepid adventurers can take part; it is a battle just to qualify and get a place. Like any project my campaign started with detailed planning, setting objectives and key milestones.
Setting Objectives
The ultimate objective was clear to me from the beginning, ‘to reach the other side’ and this was key when scoping out my project. I had a very limited budget, and had no expectation of getting the big bucks from sponsorship for my first big race in my sailing career.
You might be familiar with the ‘scope triangle,’ a commonly used project management principle. The normal theory is that either, time, cost or quality would be fixed within a project, and the other two vary in inverse proportion to each other.
With sailing comes multiple variables which are forever changing the scope of your project, you could lose a week’s work simply due to the weather! Playing each axis of the triangle to your advantage at any given time is vital to ensure you reach your deadlines.
Cost
Cost was a fundamental element to my campaign; relying solely on sponsorship, it was imperative for me to plan accordingly. I created four separate budget calculations, depending on the amount of sponsorship I managed to source. Which in terms of scope meant that as my budget increased, the quality went up proportionally.
The four different budgets took into account all of my outgoing costs during the two year project, with the lowest budget being the ‘bare minimum’ (MVP) and the ‘dream,’ being the best case scenario. Assigning a cost value directly against quality meant I could quickly make decisions when it required, while having a baseline objective that I absolutely had to meet to ensure the project was a success.
Time
At the beginning of the project I had a lot of time on my hands, while there was a lot to do, it was ahead of the race season, and I didn’t have many sponsorship obligations. I spent all daylight hours working on the boat, and dark hours in front of a computer, planning, growing my media presence, and looking for sponsors. I had spreadsheets coming out of my ears; budget calculations, timing plans, to do lists, checklists, regulations, rules and shopping lists.
For every sponsor I brought on board, every contract I signed, I had to review and re scope – constantly asking ‘is this adding value? How much time can I save? Will it increase the quality? Is it worth it?’
Quality
From my budget calculations, it was clear where quality could be improved, which in most cases was proportional to available budget, but some things were more dependent on time. By analysing and planning this from the beginning of my campaign it meant I could prioritise work that would dramatically improve the quality with minimal cost.
When I first got the boat, my main priority was working out what needed improving or replacing before the big race in two year. Creating a roadmap of when each desired task could be completed, ensuring it fitted around the race calendar and training schedule.
Managing risks and uncertainties
From the outset I started a spreadsheet, listing every possible risk/issue I could face on the boat, against its severity and likelihood. This ranged from the keel coming off and the boat turning upside down, to smaller things like branding stickers falling off. For each potential issue, I worked on a solution of how I could fix or mitigate.
I looked closely at each system to find their weak points, to predict where they might first fail (pre mortem exercise). By looking into systems that closely it meant I could make changes to avoid the fail points completely, or at least control where it would fail so I could manage it more easily.
Example
If a halyard was to break at the top of the mast the sail would fall down, and the halyard would likely fall down inside the mast, meaning I’d have to climb the rig to feed a new halyard down. Not something you want to be doing while solo on the dock, let alone at sea.
To reduce the risk I reinforced every halyard at their wear points, so any chaffe/damage was reduced massively. During the race, I also dropped the sails periodically to check for wear so I could monitor their condition. As a final measure I had a plan b if it were to happen. By fitting a small low friction ring at the top of the mast, I threaded a lightweight line though from top to bottom, which I taped to the mast. This meant that if I was to lose a halyard I could thread a spare halyard through the ring at the top and hoist any of my sails up on it.
Similar to any project, once I identified a risk, it was then analysed and evaluated against its likelihood and impact, which was then monitored and reviewed throughout the project, with alternative plans in place – just in case!
Managing expectations
It’s crucial to manage expectations from the outset in a project, which was particularly true for me on my Mini Transat campaign, both from a business and personal point of view.
I set my own objectives at the beginning of the project and had a clear vision and strategy I wanted to follow. The Mini Transat for me was all about the adventure, reaching the other side of the Atlantic in a tiny little boat, by myself. I was never in the race to win, and so i never sold that promise – I sold the story, and the adventure around it all.
Knowing my values and vision for the project from the beginning helped shape my strategy when looking for sponsors. I focussed on companies with the same ethos and spirit, hoping they would share my passion and see the benefits of supporting my project.
As sponsors came onboard it was my responsibility to ensure each and every one of them agreed with my direction. Without this understanding the project could have led to a number of challenges:
- Unclear objectives and measures of success
- Confusion about what task is due and when
- A focus on the wrong priorities, leading to wasted time and reduced productivity
- Lack of team engagement
This approach can be taken directly into project and stakeholder management, whether discussing project scope and the desired outcomes or team resource and capacity. Involving the whole project team early on can help shape the objectives and ensure everyone is engaged and enthusiastic towards the end goal, resulting in a successful project.
Leadership and teamwork
The definition of teamwork is the joint effort of a group of people, working towards the same goal. Quite simply, project management doesn’t work unless the team does – so it’s important to get it right.
For teamwork to be achieved, good leadership is required, ensuring everyone understands their role and how they contribute to the final goal and team success.
As the leader/project manager for this campaign it was my responsibility to ensure everyone in my campaign was on the same page and working towards the same goal.
The more obvious teamwork elements were when sailing with 2 or more people on my boat, whether when racing, training or taking sponsors out for taster sails. When sailing as a team it is vital that everyone knows what they are expected to do, and know when to do it. Manoeuvres can involve every member of the team, all requiring to do a different task, in sequence with each other. Communication within the boat is crucial, and getting the balance is the key to success. As the person in charge, I would always run through each manoeuvre on land or in a safe environment, ensuring everyone knows and understands what’s happening ahead of time. Running through a step by step process and opening up conversation for questions and suggestions.
Roles and responsibilities
Every role/task on a boat requires a different skill set, and most people will have a personal preference or greater ability to each specific role. Understanding each team member’s background and previous knowledge is a great way to try to match skill sets to the different roles.
For example, ‘Navigation’ is a very tactical role, requiring a very numerical brain, often involving computers/gadgets, spending a large amount of time downstairs at the chart table, they need to be someone who isn’t prone to getting sea sick and happy to give orders with confidence.
The same logic can be applied to any project, as a project manager you need to ensure the right people are in the project team, and that each person knows their role and responsibilities in order for the project to be a success.
Find out more about the lead up to my Mini Transat and how Leg 1 went!
