Planning • Preparation • Process

"The right process will produce the right result." 

                                                –Taiichi Ohno, The Toyota Way

Offshore sailing and yachts are a passion, but they have played a fundamental role in forming my belief in, and commitment to, PROCESS as a key driver of success in design, engineering, business and sailing.

It has been said that most long distance ocean races are already won (by the best prepared yacht) before the fleet leaves the dock. All that remains to be determined during the race is which yacht that is. I believe that this is true of most projects as well.

Success in offshore racing is a direct result of thoughtful planning, careful preparation, meticulous attention to detail, and relentless commitment to process, often for many months prior to the starting signal.

Like a complex business endeavor, the racing yacht and crew operate for extended periods of time, with imperfect information, in a dynamic environment filled with many external factors over which they can exert no significant control, in pursuit of a defined goal. The sailors can only control how the yacht and crew respond to those external conditions (anticipated and unanticipated), and how prepared they are to do so. 


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