As the first-ever Puig Women’s America's Cup edges closer, Concord Pacific Racing is committed to building not only the best sailing team but also the strongest team dynamic. 

Over the past six months, the team has brought in corporate expertise through Mental Performance Team Coach Marjoleine Hulshof, leveraging tools like behavioural profiles to understand individual and collective decision-making and communication styles. 

This focus on culture and trust is expected to be the team’s secret weapon on race day. These principles, honed in a high-pressure sporting environment, also offer valuable lessons that can be applied to the business world.

We sat down with Concord Pacific Racing captain Isabella Bertold and Mental Performance Team Coach Marjoleine Hulshof to hear their perspectives on leadership, team culture, and what makes the best team.

‍

Leadership in High-Risk Environments

‍

Isabella Bertold: "Reflecting on leadership, I've experienced significant learning and growth since being a part of Concord Pacific Racing. I’ve never approached leadership from a hierarchical perspective, but I was challenged with that in this setting. The other sailors' lives are my responsibility, and I also feel an added responsibility for the team's financial and commercial success—these are very different 'high-risk' situations compared to investment decisions (although I think differently about those now as well!). This environment has taught me to create a structure that allows individuals to lead when necessary but also with a mutual understanding that at times, decisions will be made by one individual and they will need to be accepted. One mantra that has framed recent team discussions and aligned us more is '(dis)agree and commit.'

‍

"In a corporate setting, I've learned that to be a good leader, you need to keep learning and asking questions to better understand yourself. Be open to feedback, truly listen, and strive to build a culture where everyone's strengths can shine while enabling those around them to thrive. High performance comes down to communication—people, places, things, and their interactions."

‍

Marjoleine Hulshof: "Leadership is behaviour and action. It involves taking responsibility for the mission and the team’s operation. Leadership isn't just about being a leader; it means being prepared daily, in any task or role. Leaders in this high-risk environment need active followership and collaboration. The responsibility of ensuring the safety of the boat and people, along with achieving results, is immense. Effective collaboration and decision-making at speed are crucial. This team, full of achievers and diverse energies, has a temptation to spin when everyone wants to contribute, so there is a need to simplify and as Isabella mentions ‘(dis)agree & commit’. Various people have already shown great leadership by pulling the group up on this pattern, which is a really promising form of leadership as it shows increased self-regulation. 

‍

‍

Building Team Culture on a Tight Timeline

‍

Isabella Bertold: "Building a team culture is crucial because even if you don’t try to build a certain culture, one will develop. We prefer a positive, productive culture over a self-developed one. The challenge was balancing the timeline of selecting a team early with more time for building dynamics or seeing how sailors developed their skills and selecting a team closer to the sailing window. We have a diverse group with varying levels of team and professional experience."

‍

Marjoleine Hulshof: "Culture exists whether you build it intentionally or let it happen. For a healthy performance culture, it's essential to align personal and team values and make them specific in daily behaviours and standards. This team had a fresh canvas which meant no set patterns between them yet, although there is history and previous relationships between teammates. Shared mission and values, along with a bigger purpose, are crucial. A tight timeline helps prioritise and focus on what really matters, and agree on mechanisms for dealing with conflict and tensions that build trust. With that in mind, I think there are plenty of positives in getting this group together with the clock ticking. Trust equals consistency times skills and competence. This team comprises people who want to learn, give and receive feedback, and see the bigger picture which is fantastic. Accepting and working with our human nature—our will to win, our insecurities, egos, and emotions—is where resilience and mental team strength start to develop. It is what I love about my role. Culture is shaped and influenced by everyone, including coaches, stakeholders, and others supporting them.”

‍

‍

What is the Best Team?

‍

Isabella Bertold: "Early on, I questioned what makes the best team, keeping in mind that two athletes might be equally skilled, but their ability to communicate, receive feedback, or add a different perspective can make a massive difference. Like in business, diversity is crucial, especially when it comes to innovation. We are doing something radically new—learning how to sail a boat to then race at the highest level, without a boat and very limited time on the water. My hypothesis was that the best team would be a group of athletes who balance each other out, combining analytical and creative strengths to form a 'super brain.' This should enable quick learning and increase team flexibility and dynamism. Some of this was right, some was wrong, but it has set a strong foundation for us to work from. The challenge is balancing a diverse team that questions and challenges preconceived ideas, without slowing down the process. We have much to learn about feedback loops and iterating quickly while ensuring people feel heard."

‍

Marjoleine Hulshof: "The best team isn't just a sum of individual talents and technical skills. A team is 1+1+1+1, with the 1 being multiplied exponentially when we work on the pluses to connect people and understand the dynamics between them. A team is a human system with upper flows, underflows, and everything in between—that is where the work sits and where the energy and potential is released. Developing awareness and fluency for each other's stories, experiences, and triggers is crucial. The difference between being the best in  the team versus being the best for the team lies in understanding what the team mission needs from each member. Utilising and appreciating differences and strengths, providing tools, insights, language, and practice to tackle the ‘tough’ work, and fostering vulnerability and bravery in interactions are key. This hard work frees up mental capacity, builds new neural pathways, and allows the team to focus on the mission, respond to setbacks as learning points, and make decisions and communicate at speed."

‍

As Concord Pacific Racing prepares for the Puig Women’s America's Cup, the insights from Bertold and Hulshof highlight the importance of leadership, culture, and collaboration—principles that are just as vital in business as they are in competitive sailing.