Description

We provide the boat and the sails. You lead the way. Arrive in St. Martin and climb aboard a 50-foot boat bound for endless opportunities to lead, bond, master new skills, and achieve. This course puts you at the helm  of the boat, the journey, your crew and most of all, your overall experience. Learn basic seamanship, navigation and more as you sail 500 nautical miles, past fifteen Caribbean islands. Sail through the night on 80-mile, 15-hour jaunts. Learn and practice Theories of Risk Management, effective leadership, group dynamics, problem solving and decision-making. A large portion of the program lies in the hands of the students themselves. Each student leads a segment, plans passages, maintains a budget, and guides discussion.

Day 1-3
Climb aboard in Anse Marcel, St. Martin. First tasks: provisioning, settling into quarters and getting to know the yacht and your shipmates. Phase One of our journey begins with intensive sail training in the Renaissance Islands of St. Martin and St. Barts. We start with the basics -- jibing, tacking and the points of sail. The distances to be covered and the nature of the sea demand perseverance, respect and hard work. The vessel is a 24-hour a day floating class and the ocean, our lab. Right from the get go, we get a taste of group dynamics and how leadership styles motivate people to work together, make decisions and achieve. One thing that makes this trip unlike any other leadership class is that we get to see and experience theories brought to life out in the real world. We literally improve sailing and dive skills and achieve internationally recognized certification.

Day 4-8
Training drills intensify as the crew practices man-overboard drills and learns to safely navigate from island to island. Sailing Lasers helps us perfect our small boat handling and understanding of wind shifts. Take a well-deserved break to hike the Quill in Statia, up and over its volcanic crater and down into the lush rainforest below. Back on the water, it's time to finally put your sailing knowledge and problem-solving skills to the test.

Day 9-12
Congratulations! You've earned the first of your IYT sailing certifications, one of our key goals. Celebrate your accomplishments with a traditionally cooked island meal on the beautiful shores of Nevis. Now you're ready to begin Phase Two of the voyage when we shift our focus from rigorous sail training to island adventure, cultural immersion and community service. First mission: the Montserrat service project, a unique opportunity to truly experience Caribbean culture by helping its people. The recent volcanic eruptions here created great hardships and the locals truly appreciate our help. Here, we learn being an effective leader begins with being an effective listener. Open yourself up to new ideas and beliefs and learn to embrace a shifting perspective as you strive to improve quality of life for others.

Day 13-22
Continue bearing south, exploring the Archipelago of the Lesser Antilles. Marie Galante and Iles des Saintes exemplify tropical beauty. Dominica is a spectacular land of towering mountains, huge waterfalls and dense rainforests. Paddle up the Indian River and hike to the "boiling lakes" through bountiful ecosystems. You won't find much tourism here. The country is poor, but the culture is rich. Night sail to St. Lucia and hike up the dramatic jungle covered peaks of the Pitons. Volunteer at the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary in Bequia and help "Brother King" in his quest to save endangered sea turtles.

Day 23-27
Sailing is second nature and the crew is ready to start Phase Three of the trip. The program leaders step back now to become silent observers. Lead a segment. Plans passages. Maintain a budget. Be mindful of risk management issues. And guide discussions. This is your chance to demonstrate all the Leadership concepts we've been talking about and put them into practice -- with you at the helm. Where you go on the remainder of the voyage and how you get there is entirely up to you and your shipmates. Sweep south through the Windwards. As you hop to and from the tiny unspoiled islands of the Grenadine Passage, you find the most beautiful anchorages of the journey. Take in the festive sights and sounds of Carnival in St. Vincent. Snorkel or scuba dive on the shallow reefs of Tobago Cays, have a scavenger hunt on Mustique and learn how local fishermen craft their boats on the beaches of Carriacou.

Day 28-32
A pastel rainbow of dockside houses and shops surrounds our picturesque anchorage in Grenada. Head ashore to relax on the fine white sand of Grand Anse Beach, where local ladies sell fresh fruit and share stories of the revolution. Overnight sail to Trinidad, an island unlike any other we have visited. South America looms on the horizon as we navigate through "The Dragon's Mouth" between Venezuela and Trinidad. Sailing into our final port is a joyous arrival but sentimental departure from the yacht we've grown to love and respect. 32 days. 15 islands. 500 miles. You in the lead.