Table of Contents

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

About the Author

DENNIS PERKINS is the author of Leading at The Edge and CEO of Syncretics Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping leaders and teams thrive under conditions of adversity, uncertainty, and change. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, he successfully completed his first Sydney Hobart Race in 2006. JILLIAN B. MURPHY is the Director of Client Services at Syncretics.

Reviews

..". Perkins and Murphy draw up a list of strategies for 'teamwork at the edge' in sharing the burdens and, in the end, the rewards." --In the Black magazine

..".a clear and concise examination of the most effective team building principles for navigating successfully through times of crisis and adversity." --Blog Business World

..".a heart-stopping tale of incredible teamwork...and the power of teamwork to prevail over uncertainty, adversity, and formidable competition." --Guerrilla Project Management

..".allows you to learn valuable leadership lessons as well as enjoy a gripping tale of an amazing adventure." --LifeTwo

..".effectively telling a story of how leaders can survive and win when they apply certain skills even in the most adverse conditions." --BlogCritics

..".excellent lessons on how to form a team, manage a team and the team dynamics that work best, especially when faced with an extremely demanding challenge." --Serve to Lead

..".rich in lessons for anyone tasked with maintaining smooth, effective teamwork and delivering winning results in the unpredictable, turbulent waters of today's business environment." --Eric Jacobson, Leadership Blogger

A Winner in the 2013 Small Business Book Awards in Leadership

Winner of the Small Business Book Awards from Small Business Trends 2013

"And while this is an epic story with great life lessons, it has plenty of intellectual capital, too." --Life Insurance Selling

"Anyone skippering a boat should buy this. Anyone involved in running a business should do likewise. I highly recommend it." --Australian Sailing + Yachting Magazine

"If you enjoy books that employ tales of extreme adventure to teach business lessons, you will find a lot of value in Into the Storm." --800 CEO Read

"Into the Storm is a truly great tale and wonderful read." --Mainsheet, newsletter for San Diego Yacht Club

"It is one of the most enjoyable team-building books I've read in a while...effective, compelling, and enjoyable..." --Facilities Manager

"It's a nail biting adventure story combined with practical advice on how to build a winning team - whether it's in sports, business or life." --Hike Bike Travel

"Perkins has created a valuable and engaging guide for any team trying to navigate the treacherous waters of its own corner of the business world." --Risk Management magazine

"Perkins weaves an extraordinary tale of great leadership and team work... Ultimately it's a book about human endeavour and well worth a read." --Marinews

"Startups need teamwork entering the perfect storm." --Martin Zwilling, Forbes.com

"The inspiring story of this team is very applicable for any team enviornment. Into the Storm is a fun read disguised s a business book." --Networking Insights

"The thrilling story... is alone worth the time of reading this book but a reader is also treated to insightful leadership strategies..." --Enter Stage Right

"There are many books on building teamwork, but very few are as interesting and as effective as Into The Storm." --Inland Empire Business Journal

"This book is one that you cannot put down... I really liked the format - captivating adventure followed by lessons." --CEO Blog