Adaptability in sailing and business

Cameron:

Hello and welcome to Business Agenda. I'm Cameron Smith, a partner here at Ashurst. I've got the great pleasure in being joined today by yachtsman James Harayda. James is the skipper and team principal at Gentoo Sailing Team, and we at Ashurst are really delighted to have partnered with Gentoo Sailing team whose innovative vision and sustainability ambitions reflect our own. By way of background, James has been sailing all his life and has significant credentials to his name, including being twice British double-handed offshore sailing champion, and having competed in several long distance ocean races to date. James will be one of up to 40 competitors in November 2024, lining up at the start from Brittany in France for the Vendée Globe race, and he's likely to be the youngest competitor in the race. This podcast focuses on the theme of adaptability and its importance both to the sailing world and to the business world.

From Ashurst perspective, adaptability is particularly relevant, both to us as a law firm and as individual lawyers, as it's critical that we remain adaptable to changes in the economic and political climate, remain able to adapt to regulatory changes in our own markets and are able to change to respond to clients' evolving needs. By remaining adaptable and versatile, we end up being far more relevant for our clients and provide far better value to their businesses. To fail to adapt to these changes risks us becoming irrelevant to our client's needs. It's no different, perhaps more so for the world's top sportsman, such as James Harayda. So I'd like to welcome James and to ask James about how being adaptable helps him achieve success in his field. So James, welcome to the podcast. As a solo offshore yacht racer, you need to be navigator, tactician, helmsman, crew, sail maker, electrician, rigger, hydraulics expert, and to be a master of every other aspect of your boat, Gentoo, how do you prepare for this in the lead up to each race?

James:

Hi, Cameron. Thank you very much for having me on the podcast. And yes, as you mentioned, the sport of offshore racing and particularly solo offshore racing is very broad in the sense of the skills we need to be successful in it. I think a lot of it comes down to preparation and how important preparation actually is. This is made even more important by the fact, or by the risks that are involved with the sport. A lot of the time I will be in the middle of the ocean further away from people on land than the astronauts in the International Space Station. So the way we prepare for these races is crucial, and I think part of this preparation is forming contingency plans. And these contingency plans need to be adaptable, because in sailing, again, it's a sport with a lot of variables that you can't control and it's almost impossible to predict what issues I might face or the situations that I might be in.

It's really important that I get a general understanding of a lot of these areas that you mentioned in the question, but even more so an understanding of how to apply this knowledge to other circumstances. I spend about three days a week probably with the boat, and this involves maintaining or optimising it. And through this process, working with the team, and our boat captain, and the various specialists that we have coming in and working on the boat, it gives me a greater understanding and teaches me more and more about the various systems we have on the boat and subsequently how to also fix them if they go wrong. Ocean racing is in many ways an experience-based sport. So I think the more you experience, the more you see as a sailor and the more conditions you go out in, the more you're able to adapt and also understand how to handle these situations.

And by situations, I mean anything from breakages that I might face along the race, all the way through to the conditions that I sail such as in the Southern Ocean, it's an area of the world that I personally haven't sailed in before. I've spoken to a lot of people who have, but it's not uncommon to be in quite deep low pressure systems or storms, I guess, with waves the height of buildings. It's how you adapt and are able to even learn as you go, if you will, in all those circumstances.

A big priority for me is to spend as much time on the water sailing on Gentoo as possible. And I'm really fortunate to have been able to surround myself with a really strong team and a network of people who are experts in these various fields, whether it is hydraulics or the electronic systems on the boat or even navigation and the more sailing side of the sport. And this is where although the sport, or the discipline of the sport that I'm doing is solo and I'm by myself on the boat, it does require a really strong team and a great group of people around me. I think more so for me because I am young and compared to a lot of the other skippers that I'm racing against, arguably less experienced. So that makes it even more important that I do have these people around to help.

Cameron:

And do you think your relative youth, compared to some of the more experienced French competitors who may have been solo sailing for 20 or more years, does that put you at an advantage or disadvantage in relation to being adaptable and responsive on the water?

James:

It's a good question. I think the more experienced competitors definitely have a greater understanding of how to handle their boats, particularly in the extreme conditions and also have a better understanding of where the limit of their boat is, where their "I'm okay" is and how far they can push it. Every day I go out sailing is a school day and a big learning curve for me, but I can also guarantee that most of those skippers have also experienced more breakages and failures than I have. And although it might be the case, it doesn't make me too nervous of that fact. And I don't feel that I'm at a competitive disadvantage because I do think with good focus in the next couple of years and a watertight plan, I have no doubt that I'll be able to not just manage the boat in these extreme conditions, but hopefully be able to thrive as well.

I think another side to it, and probably more on the performance side, or adapting to new technologies and the possible performance gains we get from that is, I do believe I'm at a competitive advantage. It's a little bit like a kid or a teenager these days being able to navigate and I'm better than their grandparents, I guess. In many ways the boats are so advanced in their technology and they're so technology and data driven at the moment that actually, from that point of view, I probably do have an advantage and are more agile and more able to adapt to these new developments.

Cameron:

And no matter how long people have been sailing, they still have to deal with the latest technology, whether it's navigation equipment, or hydraulics, or electronics of some sort, I guess. So you're all in the same boat in that respect. What do you think makes a great solo sailor? If you could pick out a few key attributes, what do you think makes one great at the sport you've chosen?

James:

It's a very good question. One that I'm probably still trying to figure out myself a little bit. I think to be the best solo sailor and the IMOCA class, that the class that I'm competing in is just packed with the highest level solo sailors in the world. And I think, to be competitive against them and actually be better than them, it takes a number of things beyond a few loose screws probably. But I think you need to be able to enjoy the challenging aspect of the sport. Some would probably say a masochist mentality a little bit. So loving the fact that the activity appears to be painful is probably important to begin with. I think while sailing a really clear mind and a cool head gives you the ability to make good decisions and effective decisions in really difficult or adverse conditions.

And by difficult and adverse conditions, I don't mean necessarily physically big waves and lots of wind, but also adverse conditions in terms of the state of your body. I'll spend most of a race sleep-deprived and your brain is only working at 60-70%. And so the ability to make clear decisions in those times is really important. Managing these boats and keeping them in one piece is actually quite difficult at times. The boats just want to keep going faster and will literally drive themselves to the point where they start falling apart. So it's really important that I keep a clear head and I understand what is going on all the time and how I'm loading up the boat, how I'm sailing the boat, being able to push the boat to the right limit basically.

Cameron:

They often talk about knowing when to throttle back and not push the boat beyond its limits. And I guess there have been those offshore sailors who have always pushed boats a bit too hard, and I guess the mantra you've got to finish to do well, if you don't finish, then it's all in vain in some ways.

James:

Exactly. And I think one thing that I live by is, I have to be racing tomorrow, so do whatever you need to do to perform and exceed expectations, but you do need to be able to race and perform tomorrow. And I think on that note as well, with the boats being so at the very boundary of what they're able to cope with, it also comes with a certain level of fear for the individual on board. When the boat is sailing along at 25, 30 knots and it's really loud, it's quite violent down below, the skies might be dark, it might be completely alone in the middle of the ocean, everything in your body is telling you to slow down or even just not to be there. And I think being able to overcome that fear and being able to push and focus on what's important in the moment is also really crucial. The other side is being able to thrive off being alone.

I take great pleasure in being by myself and also having a burden, a full responsibility of myself and the boat and the competitive environment that I'm in. I always joke that I'm probably the most extroverted introvert on the planet. And then also the confidence in ability and a systematic approach to preparation. And with that is also the attention to detail. Given that this podcast is on adaptability, I don't want that to get confused with the creation of rigid plans or doing things, but rather the way you do prepare must be systematic so that you can give yourself the opportunity to adapt while you're actually sailing. And I think sailing is a little bit a game of chess as well, you need to be a strategic thinker and ahead of what the current situation is. And I think that goes back to the point I made earlier, with having to have a clear mind. I think that's super important.

Cameron:

Absolutely. On a slightly different take, you're not only skipper of Gentoo, you're also team principal. How have you organised the team for your campaign to ensure you've got the best chance of getting the start line, finishing the race and performing well?

James:

It can actually be quite difficult for me, because I love both sides of the team. I love the sporting aspect and being the skipper of the team, but I also really do enjoy the commercial side and the running of a business, if you will. What we've done at the moment is we've loaded the team a little bit on the commercial side, because being completely transparent, the primary objective right now is to raise the funds and the sponsorship required for us to actually be on the start line and compete in these events. And also to stay on top of what's important, which is of course the performance. And to do that we need to have a commercial strategy that's industry leading. And then on top of that as well, it's for our environmental and social projects to deliver the maximum value outside of the team as well.

When it comes to finishing the race, I think it comes down to two things, which is the correct preparation, and then also the ability of the sailor on board. There's obviously a little bit of luck involved as there's so many uncontrolled variables out there in ocean racing, but I think this is similar to what you would find in all walks of life a little bit. And I think, even when you're consider yourself unlucky, it's how do you turn being unlucky into a form of luck, whether you change a path that you went down and it might work out better than planned, how do you adapt and actually thrive off of those even difficult moments?

Cameron:

And does that mean that, as you get closer to the start of the Vendée, your team, that's involved in preparing the boat and dealing with all of the physical aspects, will grow presumably as long as you've got the funds to do that?

James:

Absolutely. And also what we see or what we try to do at the moment is, in the few weeks leading up to particularly a big event, our team will grow quite considerably, not in terms of necessarily the number of people on the payroll, but the number of people that I'm speaking with. I work really closely with a female sailor, Dee Caffari, who I teamed up with for a Olympic campaign a couple of years ago. And we will work quite closely on things like the navigation and the weather, the team working on the boat and actually doing the preparation of the boat expands. We actually bring in a few of the members of the youth programme that we have to come in and support on the technical side. The team does evolve and change and walk to the situation that we're in throughout the course of the year, which I find really exciting and I really enjoy it, because no week is the same and the focus is always changing.

Cameron:

And also it must be fantastic for a lot of the members of your youth programme to be involved in preparation, assistance of a campaign like this, which many young sailors would give anything to be involved in. So it's a fantastic opportunity for them as well.

James:

Absolutely. It's a programme that I wish existed five years ago when I was of that age.

Cameron:

Absolutely. You've talked about the fact that at times you are going to be hundreds if not thousands of miles out into Southern Ocean, well away from any sort of physical support, but what type of support are you entitled to rely upon from your shore based teams during the race? How do you prepare together with your broader team for this process, and what technical support and assistance do you have at your disposal during the race?

James:

So the IMOCA class governs the support that we're allowed during the racing, and they're actually very strict from that point of view. And I think, basically once I cross the start line, I'm allowed very limited outside assistance. I'm allowed to communicate with people from the outside, but in terms of the assistance they provide me, it's very limited. I'm very much relying on my own ability to get the most out of the boat, outperform expectations and also ensure that I get the boat across the finish line. Where the team can step in is with technical advice. With regards to any breakages or repairs that I need to do, if it's particularly difficult repairs that I can't do by myself, then I can rely on them to help give advice on how to fix it. But I'm not allowed any physical help, so no one can jump on the boat and support me or bring me any spare parts if I need it.

So all of the problems that I face, I need to be able to fix with what I bring on the boat when I leave the dock in the morning before a race. Generally I'm not allowed any support when it comes to the improvement of the performance of the boat or my decision making.

Cameron:

Does that include routing and weather analysis and navigation?

James:

Exactly. I can get assistance before the start, but then once I begin, it's all up to me. And I think I have it in my mind that the goal for me is to make sure that I work really closely with the team prior to the race so that I have the right knowledge and resources on board or in my mind available, so that when I do start, I'm in a position where even if I was allowed outside assistance, it wouldn't change the result. So I want to feel prepared enough where I don't think anyone on land can help me more than I can help myself. And I think that's quite a comforting place to be in, because then you also are in the mindset where you don't even think about needing outside help because you're confident in where you're going, what your plan is, and the preparation that you've done and your ability to adapt those plans, I guess, to the situation.

Cameron:

Looking at your competitors, how would you describe the competitors in relation to their adaptability and versatility? Who would you rate most highly and why do you think they deserve that accolade?

James:

I'm, first of all, incredibly honoured to be racing in a fleet, which is just full of some pretty amazing individuals and teams. And it really is the pinnacle of the sport, and therefore every skipper on the start line is really highly regarded from my eyes, not just in their sailing ability, but also just in the ability for them to have gotten to where they are. It's difficult for me to choose one person. I could probably list off 10 or 12 names that I think particularly highly of, but I'd say there's a new skipper in the fleet this year called John Gresham. He is proved himself on countless occasions, and in so many different classes of sailing, and in so many different disciplines. And I think John is some somehow able to adapt and be so versatile that this is what makes him such a great skipper, and a skipper that's so in demand as well. And I definitely look up to him as someone to hopefully be competing more closely against in the not too distant future.

Cameron:

And what about historically, are there role models, leaving aside Dee Caffari that you've sailed with a lot, but historically are there people that you see as either role models, or mentors, or that you look at them and say, "If I can be anywhere close to them as an offshore sailor, that would be my goal"?

James:

I'm glad you mentioned Dee's name because I've gotten a telling off if I didn't say her, but there are a number of British sailors that have done the Vendée before, like Brian Thompson, Ellen MacArthur, and these are all sailors that I definitely look up to. And I think it's important to mention that the Vendée Globe is not just a yacht race and a competitive sport. There's also the human endeavour that goes in behind it. And I actually think in many cases there's probably more impressive, or as we can see, that some of the skippers have had to face bigger challenges than others. And I think there are several occasions where boats have, for example, lost a keel in the Atlantic on their way up to the finish, and the skipper's been able to keep sailing the boat and actually finish the race, which is unbelievable.
There are sailors who have had to pull in behind islands in the Southern Ocean and dive down and get seaweed to eat because while they're fixing the boat, it's going to take several weeks and they would run out of food otherwise. And there's countless stories of the human side of this event, which I find fascinating and honestly hope that I never find myself in that situation, but is very respectable and in incredible.

Cameron:

It does sound as though there's huge amount of camaraderie between all the sailors and there's a huge support that each gets from their fellow competitors, which does seem really notable that almost above all, they want each other to finish as well as being competitive. So that is something that really comes through when you get involved in the Vendée or read about it. So finally, just one last question and trying to draw parallels with business world, in terms of adaptability, what lessons are there do you think, in business or elsewhere, that can be learned from offshore sailing?

James:

I think solo racing, and offshore racing in general, actually provides a really great demonstration of how one needs to adapt in order to thrive or be successful. And I think a lot of the lessons are actually probably relevant across all of life, as well as being particularly relevant in the business environment or business world. I believe there's two key elements to adaptability and how it's instrumental. One is more in the present tense, or even a little bit retrospective I guess. And then the other is future proofing yourself, or your organisation, or the organisation you work for. I think the foremost comes down to the ability to adapt to a circumstance that's just happening or just happened, sorry, or is currently unravelling itself. And I believe the ability to adapt actually comes from the preparation or the experience before that event.

For me, I begin by asking myself, what support can I get and what support can I not get during the race? In most cases, the answer is quite simple for me. And I can use an example about a broken autopilot, which... I have two systems on the boat. So firstly, I've given myself the opportunity to continue racing and adapt. Autopilot A has a really intelligent processor and is my primary pilot on board, and allows me to sail the boat really up to the limit of the boat, so at a hundred percent. Pilot B is much less intelligent, it's our backup pilot, and it requires the boat to be sailed in a very different way and a lot more forgiving setup. So my preparation, I've sailed the boat with the backup pilot a lot, and I've allowed myself the opportunity to learn how to adapt my setup of the boat to this situation and also understand the limits of the tool that I now have to rely on.

Of course, pilot A will not always break in the perfect moment, in beautiful conditions, when it's daylight. So it's making sure that you are prepared for a possible adaptation that you're going to need to make it down the line. And I guess that this view could be taken with a business entering a new market, so possibly actively exploring and almost trialling new offerings or new opportunities for a client. And so this might be through speaking to the clients and getting a better understanding of where their business is positioned within an ever-changing market. I think also there's the future outlook, which I take quite frequently, and this is more focused on broader views in order to stay at the leading edge of, in my case, ocean racing in order to hopefully gain a competitive advantage over the competition in the long term.

And this would be, I guess, similar to the views members of a large corporation should take in order to stay competitive in the market and meet the ever-changing demands of your clients. The support of ocean racing in particular, the circuit that I compete on, is changing so quickly in terms of the technology that's found on the boats, the design of the boat. And it's almost at the point now where the moment you launch a boat, it's already out of date because there's going to be someone else with a new boat who will launch one in two weeks time and that'll be more developed. So it's so important that we future-proof ourselves against this change and even try to predict the adaptation that we'll need to make down the line. From a performance view, we're keeping a really close eye on some of the trends in the new boats, determining what design features and what technologies work, what doesn't, and also the direction that the designers are going down or the ideas that they're exploring.

If we want to build a new boat in 2024, which is our goal as a team, we need to make sure that the boat is not just at the cutting edge when it's launched, but also at the cutting edge at the start of on the globe, which would actually be about three to four years later than the launch date. In order to do this, what rule changes are we expecting to see? What do we want to do so that we're not boxed into a corner so that we can still evolve the boat and adapt it to new technologies that will come out in that three year period? And I guess this is similar for Ashurst and the need for your organisation to adapt to the regulatory changes in the market. And in the same way we need to adapt to the regulatory changes in our racing circuit and our market class.

Cameron:

Absolutely. And I think there huge numbers of parallels there between business and top of sporting competitions, and that probably your last comment probably brings us neatly to saying, what you need to do is outpace change. You need to be ahead of the game and looking at the horizon as what's next coming up. And I guess that's what we do at Ashurst with our clients. And as you say, that's what you need to do to stay ahead of the game and stay competitive. But James, thanks very much for a fantastic discussion. Really appreciated your time. Best of luck with the race and all of the lead up races as well. We'll be following you, and it's been a pleasure speaking to you.

James:

Thank you very much for having me. I really enjoyed it.