Today someone asked me why did I choose the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-2018 as the figure to share with you my knowledge, why didn’t I choose an African Safari or a Tour of France Race, or a Dakar Race in the desert…

And I replied: I chose the Volvo Ocean Race as a parallel compass to keep myself on track with my strategy ride 2017-2018, simply because I love the ocean. To keep it and guard it is to love the ocean.

And the ocean is more than the beautiful and pristine resort beaches. The beautifulness of the ocean doesn’t even start at the shores… But with open waters. The ocean is vast, is a poem of God on earth full of surprises and extremes.

The storms, the rain, the wind, the deep currents, the animals… The colors… the ocean can be seen as blue, or green or even much grey or darker from outside, but the water is transparent… With sarcastic bubbles glowing all over. The ocean is different every single second. The majestuosity of the ocean doesn’t let us be arrogant. To sail and cross the ocean remind us to be humble, because we can’t cut corners in the open sea. The ocean shows us a degree of uncertainty every day. At the Volvo Ocean Race, each team feels the pressure of the unknown… The ocean is their canvas… In which each crew is only wishing to arrive to the next destination safely… Sharing the huge desire to finish each leg…. Imagine the teamwork efforts required to make it happen… the coordination spirit between each of the members of each crew and the incredible  level of resistance, the passion to continue, the positive energy, the mental accuracy,  strength, dedication, inner stamina and efforts to keep going no matter what, trying to push for the perfect velocity to win. 

I can’t think of a more difficult test of resistance for a person than this race. More than 7 months across the open sea…. It is the ocean. As uncertain and changeable. The ocean, as moody and wavy. The ocean, as strong and peaceful. Living the day to day meteorogical conditions changes. What an ocean, a salty ocean. Everything in the ocean is salty. One day the sun burns you skin, the next one can be so cloudy and cold or rainy and the wind may freeze your face and hands…. The power of the ocean can’t be measured, it is uncertain… Each day sailing is one day at a time…

Strategy is like this race. You never know what will happen and will affect your beautiful business.  We can conceive the strategy beautifully on paper, but when we decide to sail with it… Many challenges, blockroads and big waves will arise. It will happen. We never know if our forecasting efforts will help us to thrive… But if we are prepared, suddenly, God will grant us with the gift of success, enjoying the calm and spectacular results too… 

To learn strategy is the key to sail well with our beautiful businesses… Our strategy is our compass. We have decided to make it happen… No matter what, leg after leg we will want to finish it, and win.

I will develop the basic fundamentals of strategy this year.  The Volvo Ocean Race will help us to keep on track… We have a route to accomplish. Come and sail with me…  We have legs to start and finish. We have destinations to visit. Come and sail with each of the teams: Akzonobel, Mapfre, Brunel, Clean Seas, Dongfeng Race Team, Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag and Vestas 11th Hour Racing. It will be awesome to follow them all over the world.

Finally I would like to say, I am honored and thankful to share my knowledge about strategy in parallel to the race of all these champion sailors. Enjoy the race.