Christopher Pratt
Professional skipper (17 years of experience). Master's degree in psychosociology of Sport and management. Leader of MARSAIL, trainer, and speaker.
Professional skipper for over 15 years, Christopher PRATT has never dreamed of doing anything other than sailing. Sailing, and at the highest level; that has always been his ambition. After a path in sports studies and a title of Vice-World Champion in dinghy sailing at just 18 years old, he has tried his hand at the biggest races in his field (Solitaire du Figaro, Transat Jacques Vabre, Transat AG2R, Tour de France à la voile, Route du Rhum, etc.). Establishing himself as the 'rising star' by winning the Crédit Agricole Hope Challenge in 2005 and then the DCNS Talent Pathways in 2008, he made a remarkable performance in the 2010 Route du Rhum, despite being the youngest in the IMOCA class. He then continued his training alongside renowned skippers like Armel Le Cleac'h and Jérémie Beyou, achieving two successive podiums in the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2011 and 2013. After returning to Figaro in the summer of 2016, he lined up in multi 50 at the start of the 2017 Transat Jacques Vabre, where he experienced a fortune at sea. Never discouraged, he signed a commendable 4th place the following year in the Transat AG2R. He was part of the Charal Sailing Team for nearly 4 years, achieving two 3rd places in the Transat Jacques Vabre. Betting on his skills and unwavering commitment, Jérémie Beyou appointed him as the substitute skipper for the 2020 Vendée Globe. In 2022, Christopher joined the Spindrift crew for 3 attempts at the Jules Verne Trophy. He was then called by Team Malizia to participate in the 4th stage of The Ocean Race, where they finished 2nd. After working as an advisor for Team Maxime Sorel, he will start the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabres as co-skipper on the IMOCA V&B-Monbana-Mayenne. Christopher Pratt is also an ambitious and accomplished entrepreneur. Alongside his sporting career, he co-founded the company MARSAIL in 2008, specializing in nautical events, and then developed managerial support solutions for companies using specific tools from offshore racing. Passionate about the Sport-Business interactions, he worked with the Sport MG Performance research laboratory at Aix-Marseille University on decision-making and motivation in extreme environments. Today, the Marsail experience is accelerating following the acquisition of the racing trimaran WIND OF TRUST.
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Large-scale projects in a complex and uncertain environment
With technological evolution and the increasing complexity of projects, competitive sailing today requires precise project management and significant foresight. Sailors are becoming pilots and must have a global vision. Management of schedules and workload phases for teams, coordination of service providers, setting objectives, and planning training sessions, etc. Sailing is a laboratory for project management.
Adaptation to New Modes of Operation and Organization
Solo sailing is primarily a team sport. The interaction between the various members of an offshore racing team, including with the skipper when at sea, is an essential key to performance. Managing remotely has been the daily lot of every great sailor long before the health crisis. The ability to adapt and react are two major skills of sailors. In a constantly evolving environment, and in the face of the unexpected, the sailor must respond with efficiency and calm. They train to regularly step out of their comfort zone, which allows them not to be disturbed by change.
Managing the Crisis and Anticipating the Exit
Weather uncertainties, media crises, sponsor pressure... Crisis management is an intrinsic corollary of high-level sailing. Preparing to face a storm is a common exercise for any skipper. It is an exercise in anticipation and risk analysis. It is during the crisis that one must think about the post-crisis phase. Sailors know this well. Beyond being able to face the storm, it is also important to preserve oneself in order to be ready to set the sail again as soon as conditions improve. By working with the tools of offshore racing teams, your teams build the collective performance of tomorrow in service of our clients. To detect weak signals, and thus development opportunities, one must be prepared. Listening and empathy should be the guiding principles.
Support for Managers and Development of Team Cohesion
It is because the individual is confident with their peers, collaborators, or hierarchy that they can express their full potential. By creating an environment of trust, and thus strong cohesion within teams, collective performance is born. It allows each individual and the collective to take risks while feeling supported. Building towards a common destination is the best way to keep a team engaged. From individual motivation arises collective intelligence. Each team member is empowered in their role to serve overall performance.
Strengthening Transversality and Internal Cooperation
The performance of a crew primarily depends on each crew member's ability to find their place and work in harmony with others. Being competent individually is not enough. To go further, we must question collective performance as being significantly greater than the sum of individual performances. The expertise of each crew member does not determine the crew's performance. It is the ability to work together, to cooperate, that will make the difference. Within a crew, roles and responsibilities are precisely defined. Each person focuses on their mission. This focus, essential for performance, must not become a form of impermeability to others and their own mission. Assignment of roles and responsibilities, definition and implementation of efficient collective decision-making processes, communication methods within a group—these are the methods we can inherit from sailing and apply in the company on a daily basis. Every position is important. Technical expertise and management do not oppose each other but complement each other. Cooperation between these two areas is essential for the smooth operation of the vessel. The Skipper must be able to interact with each expert without supplanting them.
Strategic Vision of the Company
Whether solo, in pairs, or in a crew, sailors must be able to choose the best route and the best strategy to take it. Sailing is primarily a strategic sport. Defining the strategy is not enough; sailors must be able to share it effectively. At sea, without a common vision, it is impossible to reach one's goal! It is because everyone is individually focused on the same objective ("heading in the same direction") and driven by the same challenge that the group moves forward in unison. The synchronization of functioning primarily comes from this common destination and the strong desire of each individual to reach it. This is also what it means to "give meaning" (meaning, direction – meaning, understanding).