SATT Archives - Page 11 of 15 - Rising Tide Leadership Institute

Six Omani Women Sailors = Team Work

February 9, 2013 by katie pettibone

Katie, Intisar Al Tobi (L) and Raya Al Habsi (R)

Today was another beautiful and warm day in Bahrain. We worked on electronics, performance numbers and then took the girls out sailing. We have six Omani women that we are training, although there will be four of them on the boat racing at one time. That means that there are two who will rotate in and out, and essentially be our back-up team – needing to be ready at a moment’s notice. So today, we rotated in: Epitsam and Asraar. That also meant shifting our regular crew into different positions, to give them practice in other places. Some rust showed through today – but it was light – some things going awry, such as a line being lead incorrectly or a bad gybe of the spinnaker didn’t do untoward damage. However, should we have been racing, the consequences could have been worse. Sailing in light air means inches count. Too much movement can disrupt and kill precious boat speed, and undoing problems sometimes requires movement…

But at the end of the day, the girls learned a lot, and we continued to move forward in preparing for the race. Better yet for me – I am for the most part over the food poisoning, and my appetite returned far quicker than my stomach was able, but that is something I can deal with!

~Katie

Filed Under: Leadership, SATT

First Day in Bahrain

February 7, 2013 by katie pettibone

Food poisoning ~ Big Hugs ~ Pleasant Sailing…
Beautiful day here in Manama Bahrain. What a difference a year can make! The unrest from last year is not as present and getting through customs went without a hitch- ok – I did get the eyeball because my profession is attorney, but unlike last year this didn’t get me stuck for hours! It was nice to be travelling with my good friend Liz Baylis, Executive Director of WIMRA, who is joining us on this journey.

The day started off tough as I had food poisoning. Ugh. I powered through it, sipped water, and went down to the boats. No time for being sick. The girls were so excited to see me – lots of hugs and smiles. They couldnt wait to show me how much they had progressed! After a couple of hours of working on the boat, we headed out to tryout the sails, and I let the girls show me what they had. With a light wind and sun covered by clouds , it was pleasant sailing. It was really good – they have really come a long way with their training and awareness of what needs to happen. I have seen how their minds have processed the bigger items from last year, and now are onto the more complex – they are starting to ask more nuanced questions about the order of things, sail trim, weight. It was simply a pleasure to see one of the new members of the women’s omani squad, Raja, take the boat off the dock and put her back. This year our team is racing with 50% Omani ladies compared to last year when we only sailed with 25%. It is a great step forward and already the media is excited. Today I saw a piece in “Time Out Bahrain” magazine with a nice article dedicated to the women’s team. Read article

Ok- early to bed. Been a long day for me with no food and only sipping water…

Katie

Filed Under: SATT

On the plane to Bahrain

February 6, 2013 by katie pettibone

Katie Pettibone

Little did I know when I came home last March from the Middle East that my experience with the OMAN SAIL women’s sailing team would lead to my returning to Oman this week with a brand new perspective.

Over the past year, we have built structure to our dream of helping women to develop into their full potential. And I’m proud to announce the launch of the Rising Tide Leadership Institute.

Through my own journey, I have learned that my experiences racing on high-performance sailing teams has equipped me for success in leadership in my career. Using sailing as the platform, the RTLI gives us a way to inspire, educate and equip young women to become leaders who excel in the global economy.

I’m excited to reunite with my young, enthusiastic Omani friends as Dee, my fellow elite sailors and I help train and coach Raiya, Insitar and others to higher levels of self-development and leadership excellence.

Come join me in Oman and live our story as it unfolds..

Katie

Filed Under: SATT

January Boat Prep

January 24, 2013 by katie pettibone

On a warm mid-January day in Oman, Raya al Habsi, Insitar and team mates work on boat prep for the upcoming Sailing Arabia the Tour 2013.

Stay tuned for Katie Pettibone’s return to Oman Women’s sail team as they race along the Arabian Coastline……..

Filed Under: SATT

Digesting the Experience

June 18, 2012 by katie pettibone

6.18.12 – Now that Sailing Arabia The Tour is over, I’ve returned to my life in California where I’ve finally had a few moments to reflect on the experience that I shared with crew of Al Thurya Bank Muscat during the time I spent in Oman and the Middle East.

During the months of training leading up to the competition, the Omani women were exposed to an environment, which tested their stamina and their ability to cope with rough and changeable seas. In addition, these women faced the challenge of training against two teams of Omani men in Mussanah. I still remember a somewhat distinct and feeling of separateness as the training races got underway. There were many who doubted the strength and endurance of the Omani women. But as time went on, and the women proved that they could handle the rigor, this feeling dissipated. Eventually, I saw the Omani men and Omani women together on the dock discussing boats and sailing tactics using classic “hand karate” (where the story is retold using your hands as boats), and it was a beautiful moment. From a sailor’s perspective, it looked like friendly competitors, bonded by a shared experience on the water, simply telling sea stories.