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 victory. While bigger, better-equipped yachts attempted to maneuver around the storm, Ed Psaltis and his crew made the daring decision to head directly into its path. Their triumph—perhaps even their survival—owes itself to an extraordinary level of teamwork: an alchemy of cooperation, trust, planning, and execution.

Into the Storm chronicles their nearly four-day ordeal and draws parallels to the world of business, revealing 10 critical strategies for teamwork at the edge. Illustrated with examples from the story and compelling case studies, the book sheds light on what teams need to do to succeed in tough times. Finally, Into the Storm provides resources and tools to support teams as they navigate the chaotic seas of business today.

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