katie pettibone, Author at Rising Tide Leadership Institute

Katie reports in from San Francisco ~The America’s Cup Begins!

September 8, 2013 by katie pettibone

Three years in the making, yesterday was the start of the 34th America’s Cup. With completely new boats, and completely different type of sailing, the goal is to make it viewer friendly and exciting. The racing is super short ~ around 30 minute races (max: two a day), and it all happens inside of San Francisco Bay.

Although a match race, the rules and course have deviated with the change into giant, wing-sail catarmarans. Previously, we raced monohulls. I liken the change as similar to that from racing helicopters to racing F-16s. We could maneuver back and forward within inches and now it is a speed race with occasions for tight maneuvering. Both are exciting, but just very different. These new boats can go up to 50 miles an hour! Not only is that flying, these things literally raise out of the water in a mode called “foiling.” To achieve the highest speeds the boats rise up on blade foils leaving no hull friction in the water. Extraordinary design, but it will come down to which sailors (drivers and crew) are the best at keeping these massive machines up on their foils. Hulls in the water are slow!

The American’s won the last America’s Cup in 2010 making the US the ‘Defender’ and host of the 2013 Cup. Unlike traditional America’s Cup’s where there are many countries challenging to race against the Defenders, the 2010 Cup was a ‘Deed of Gift’ Match. In short two very acrimonious teams who can’t agree on rules ended up in a one-on-one match where bare-bone default rules written in 1851 are used. (Also occurred in 1988 with Dennis Conor and the big winged NZ boat.) They raced different boats in a best of three races in Valencia. Oracle Racing Team (USA) beat the Swiss and brought the Cup back to San Francisco.

The cost: Neither the time and nor resources that would be required of changing to these new multi-hull boats for the 34th Cup was well thought out. Instead of the hoped for 10-12 countries of Challengers, there ended up only being three challengers: Artemis – Sweden, Luna Rossa – Italy, and Emirates Team – New Zealand) who could afford to pay the astronomical sums required to get to the starting line. Exciting but cutting edge changes ended up with the death of a very famous British sailor. Emirates Team NZ (ETNZ) emerged out of the Challenger Series as the one to challenge Oracle easily beating Artemis and Luna Rosa. New Zealand has just over four million people ~ that is the size of Los Angeles, which is just one city in California. ETNZ has been in the America’s Cup since 1995, and certainly have set the standard for winning.

ETNZ and Oracle Racing have not yet raced against each other. How they will line up, and if either one has an advantage remains to be seen. Many eyes will be on this event. Will one boat have such an advantage to walk away or will it be close? Only time will tell! [Read More]

TOP: PHOTO GILLES MARTIN-RAGET/WWW.AMERICASCUP.COM
LIVE_©ACEA/ABNER KINGMAN

Filed Under: Featured Sports, Inspiration, Leadership, SATT

Farewell ~ Sailing Arabia The Tour 2013

February 27, 2013 by katie pettibone

Omani women sailors thrived…

The 2013 EFG Sailing Arabia The Tour has come to a close. February 25 was the final leg from Mussanah to Muscat. It was a whirlwind, as the leg from Dibba to Mussanah had us floating around with no wind during the night for hours, arriving into Mussanah Sunday at 5:00 pm only to have a skipper’s meeting at 7:00 pm, prize giving, quick dinner and bed. The next morning start had us down at the boats at 6:00 am. The leg was very frustrating as one cannot control the wind – or in our case – lack thereof. Keeping attention and enthusiasm as the sails thwack, thwack, and the waves toss the boat around like a toy is difficult. The worst part was that we had crossed tacks with what turned out to be the winning boat, but didn’t go into the shore with them. Ahhhh, hindsight.

We started the final leg by heading down the coast under motor, as there wasn’t enough wind. All the boats were in high spirits, and we motored alongside our good friends and Farr 30 mentors, Team BAE, sharing jokes and stories. All of the boats in the fleet have been filled with good sailors, and simply good people. It’s difficult after spending everyday with these people to know that in a day it will be over, and you won’t see them for quite some time. Usually, one can expect to run into other sailors on the sailing circuit, but in this case with many who are here in the Gulf and not competing in the U.S. or European circuits, it may be a year (and doing the SATT) before I will get to see my friends again.

The starting line was dropped just after the restricted area that is the waters before the Sultan’s home. (four miles of beach included!) The final race was going to determine the 2nd/3rd place between BAE and EFG Bank. Both teams skippered by renowned and experienced french skippers Cédric Pouligny and Sidney Gavignet would be a match race. The rest of the fleet was sailing for pride. We had an intense battle with Delf and Renaissance for 3rd, 4th and 5th, but kept getting forced to avoid Abu Dhabi and sail not ideal courses. The final placing was going to be determined by some gybing and crew work. Unfortunately, the last critical gybe was not executed flawlessly. Pressure and a lot happening was the undoing. It was really, really hard. The girls were devastated. Two cried. Oh, did I feel for them. It brought back memories of when our women’s team was eliminated in 1995 in the finals of the America’s Cup Challenger Series. Although a much grander/bigger scale, the importance and loss of a race is not lost on me. And like Dawn Riley told me back then, I told them, “There will always be another race or regatta.”

There is so much to say in reflection over the SATT 2013 tour, and the leaps and bounds made by the Omani girls! They were true contributing members on the team. It was their boat, and them doing the work. We went from having two Omani women sailors last year, to having 50% this year. The final position of the team does not reflect the amazing leaps and bounds of personal growth or sailing skills that the girls experienced. They had to start taking on jobs, responsibility for their time management, and sailing. Sailing is a true team sport, and they thrived.

There is much to be done as the ladies continue to grow, and it is fantastic that Oman Sail is invested in their growth, and the growth of this amazing sport. This tour was very difficult – more difficult than last year, because of the lack of recovery time between races. We had a number of legs where we had to be up at 5:00 am, waited around, finally raced, and then got in at night – only to get up again early in the morning. The added pit stop at Dubai took away a needed day off, and the points allotted the in-port racing meant that certain girls could not be given a break from sailing on those days as well. On the way in to Mussanah we talked to the girls about what they liked about the tour, and most said that they preferred in-port racing as opposed to the offshore. They struggled mightily with the lack of sleep, and the need for ongoing concentration even when there were no competitors around. The demanding weather didn’t faze them, as they all said their favorite leg was the sleigh ride across to Abu Dhabi – which involved 2 of them getting sea sick!

Next, the Omani girls will head to France to race J80s in Brest. It will be a huge fleet, a different boat, and very cold compared to the warm waters and temps of the Gulf. It will be interesting to see how they fare! I unfortunately cannot make it, because I have a job that will be demanding my attention during that time – but I will be watching and encouraging them from afar.

~Katie

Photos by Lloyd Images

Filed Under: Execute/Manage, Featured, Inspiration, Leadership, SATT

Great sailing, rugged beauty… and did I mention sea snakes?

February 23, 2013 by katie pettibone

Leg 5 ~ Ras Al Khaimah to Zighy Bay in Oman ~ via the Strait of Hormuz

Our stopover at Six Senses Resort, Zighy Bay, has been an amazing slice of heaven, and a much-needed rejuvenation. The resort is beautiful, serene and eco-friendly. I highly recommend it, and will definitely be visiting their resorts in the future!

Leg 5 was long, and sometimes painful, but we made it after nearly two days and one night. This leg includes the internationally famous Strait of Hormuz. The start, leaving Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), was a nightmare. Two of our passports had been incorrectly stamped somewhere in the process, which when we went to leave, caused an 8 hour delay! The Race Committee had arranged for an early morning start – so we were up at 5:00 am – only to wait, and wait, and wait until 2:00 pm to finally leave the dock. Really frustrating. It was upwind the coast of UAE in a good, but quickly clocking and dying breeze. Early in the night we were on spinnakers heading up to the top. Going through the strait in the dark (again), under spinnaker through a little hole and sheer cliffs, allowed us to not have to circumvent the strait entirely on the outside. Once we popped through to the other side of the gulf, the wind died for all competitors. It was a restart, with all of us floating around. Luckily for us, we were positioned in on the shore, and were able to grab some zephers and move along with a couple of other boats. Others were not so lucky, and hung around for hours before they could move. At one stage we were in 2nd! The wind was fickle, however. Although we were moving, EFG Bank grabbed another piece of wind, and were able to sneak by us – knocking us off the podium. Argggh! But being fourth was a great move up for the team, and the girls were very happy.

Did I mention that on this leg we saw a ton of sea snakes? During this tour I have seen more sea snakes than ever before, but on this leg it was amazing to see the amount, and the variations! (Most of the 62 species grow to between 3.9-4.9 ft in length, with the largest, reaching 9.8 ft. Despite the venom being highly toxic to humans, sea snakes usually present little threat.) National Geographic Photo

The girls struggle with night sailing, and not sleeping. At this stage of the race they are tired. Light air sailing requires immense concentration, but very small and nuanced movements. This is hard for new sailors who are exhausted, but they kept trying, and although they would zone-out, and require prodding, they kept good attitudes. Intisar did a tremendous job at trimming in light air, wavy conditions – she has really come a long way. All the girls have come a long way. One of the things that we have continued to work on is to drink enough water, and go to the bathroom on the boat. If one doesn’t drink enough water, performance suffers greatly, plus it is simply not healthy. So to incentivize this, in the last port I announced a competition. The Omani girl who drank the most bottles of water, and used the bathroom the most, would get a spa treatment of their choice at Six Senses Resort… and I would pay. It worked wonders! I have to go up to the office shortly to pay for that. 🙂

Today, we leave on a very long leg to Mussanah, Oman, which is where the training facility of Oman Sail Keelboat Teams is located, and essentially has been home to the girls. Their friends, and old instructors will be there. It will be quick, as we finish in the afternoon, and then leave the next day for the final leg into Muscat. It has been such a good journey for the girls thus far. There is much to reflect upon, but they have really taken it on. Yesterday’s in-port race in Zighy Bay utilized the full Omani crew, with coach Niall and Dee onboard. The race was not counted, but it allowed our Omani girls to do it all, and own it. A good experience – although Tahira told me later, that she missed having the coaches onboard, and wanted us back on – pronto!

Here’s hoping to keeping the wind today, and tonight!

~Katie

Photos by Lloyd Images & National Geographic

Filed Under: Inspiration, Leadership, SATT

Leg 3 & 4 ~ Amazing skylines, tired sailors & gill nets

February 19, 2013 by katie pettibone

What a whirlwind it has been, adding Dubai as a pit stop, into the mix of Sailing Arabia The Tour. A day of rest was taken from the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), UAE, stopover, so that the fleet could do a quick jaunt to the city. If going into Doha, Qatar, at night reminds one of Las Vegas, then going into Dubai at night is like going to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Amazing buildings, and skyline… We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express – a brief taste of home!

The Omani girls have been making solid progress, but like all progress it is a couple steps forward, and a couple steps back. This especially occurs when they are tired. In the in-port race at Abu Dhabi, the girls racing were on fire. They were trimming, attentive, the kite went up and down smoothly (for the most part), and we had a good result. However, a race like this is an endurance race, so our long nights and early mornings were especially telling by their exhaustion. They are not used to it, and its hard to train for. With prize giving, and lunch in the sun, the girls were pretty tired that night. Because of the added pit stop in Dubai, and a well thought out desire to finish in daylight or early evening, the start the next morning from Abu Dhabi was breakfast at 4:00 am, bus at 4:30/5:00 am, and off the dock at 6:00 am. In our debrief, prior to the leg to Dubai, we discussed that it takes some time to ‘get going’ in the mornings. Because of this, we told the girls to be on the 4:30 am bus. The next morning, the girls not only missed the bus, they failed to show up (metaphorically) until late in the morning! We coaches completely rigged the boat, sorted the food, water and made sure that all were off the dock timely.

The 4th SATT leg was a really nice sail, and by late morning when our Omani girls started to wake up, they got into it – but it took a lot of time. The finish was hard fought, with the Dutch. We had been fighting them the entire way, and were literally only meters off their stern as we came towards the finish line. Although we faked them out with a fake gybe to break away, they had the favored side of the course, and just beat us. It was a nice day.

The race from Dubai to RAK was meant to start at 10:00 am in the morning, in order to have raced in daylight – which as it turns out, would have been a dramatically better situation. Due to a complete fiasco with customs, we were delayed on shore until 1:30 am. This caused us to get into RAK at midnight, with an immediate turn-around in the morning to head to the boats for in-port racing! UGH. However, being tired ended up the least of our concerns, because it turned out the leg was covered in huge swaths of gill nets – most portions unlit with occasional flashers, and fisherman flashing lights at us at one end (if you were lucky). If you check the tracker you will see that our fleet would be moving along, and then be brought to a shuddering halt. This caused some to wipeout, from going downwind, and then becoming mired in the fishing nets. Some got off, some did not, and required fisherman to help, or sailors to jump in to try to clear the nets (dangerous). We were in fifth at the first waypoint, but after dodging a few nets, our time was up. We ended up firmly stuck in a huge net for over an hour. As competitors sailed away, I contemplated jumping in, but there were fisherman coming, so I decided to wait. The girls handled the wipeouts and craziness well – and negotiated help from the fisherman in arabic, which was handy. Eventually, we got going, and it was us and the Dutch again, heading toward the finish. But this time the wind died, and we didn’t make the time limit. So frustrating, and we didn’t get to the hotel until 1:00 am. Double UGH.

So today, at 11:00 am, was in-port racing. The girls were physically shattered. We rotated in our two backups to give Tahira and Raja a break. Raiya and Intisar, our veterans, were onboard. Intisar is trimming and has really come a long way. Raiya, taking on the big job of bow, and having been seasick the night before, was showing signs of exhaustion today. But like the amazing trooper she is, she put on a brave face, and took it on. Tomorrow’s leg is the second longest, and also a very difficult one around the Strait of Hormuz. A tricky place to sail. Our briefing is at 7:00 pm tonight, and I am sure we will cover safety again. I believe we will be required to stay even closer to land than last year. The good news is that as of the time I headed over here, there was no pirate activity, and it appears pretty quiet. At any rate, I believe we will have a military escort again, and besides – one of the boats is from the Oman Navy, so what can go wrong? 🙂

~Katie

Photos by Lloyd Images

Filed Under: Leadership, SATT

In-port racing in Abu Dhabi ~ the girls were on fire!

February 17, 2013 by katie pettibone

We had in-port racing today, inside the harbor at Abu Dhabi. It was a beautiful day with three races set in sunny, 8-10 knots. Our first race was a bit of a warm-up, as we got off the line slow, and didn’t get a lane to go to the favored side. The next two races we ended up in fourth, and fifth place. The girls were on fire! They have really taken to heart the coaching, and the debrief we had from our previous legs, and in-port race. They did a great job today, and it was really heartening to see their progress. This year both Intisar and Tahira are trimming, and are completely responsible, with just oversight from us coaches – but it is them doing the job. The same with Raiya, who is on bow. Bow is a tough job – tons of lines and maneuvers to manage, and she is taking it on. Eptisam was in the pit today, and was so attentive to all the voices making demands on adjustments of the controls she was in charge of… And Tahira, who is normally a trimmer, got moved to a floater position. She was tasked with making sure the spinnaker was down in the boat when we had to round the leeward mark, and head back upwind. This had been an issue from the previous in port race… She was terrific – and worked her tail off!

These girls are taking it on, and are improving all the time. Some of the remaining challenges include continuing to get them to eat, and even more difficult – to drink water. It is noticeable when they don’t, as concentration ebbs… But we have changed the sandwiches to rolls with cucumber and hummus, or chicken, cheese and hummus – so that appears to be more desirable. Still have to work on the water…

Kids watching in-port racing in Abu Dhabi

These boys had the opportunity to see the only all-female crew – Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat – in the fleet racing equally against the men’s teams. (Click on photo to read SATT article)

Tomorrow we’re off the dock at 6 am, with a 6:30 am start. The goal is to be in Dubai by dark. With the current forecast we should be there by 6 pm, which means hurrying to the hotel, eat, debrief and then up the next morning to race to Ras Al Khaimah. A whirlwind! It is a shame as I would have liked to have seen Dubai, but never mind – another time!

~Katie

Photos by Lloyd Images

Filed Under: Execute/Manage, Featured, Inspiration, Leadership, SATT