The IESE Sailing Club provides students with a chance to learn sailing, race and have fun! William Tisone (MBA 19) describes some of the club's activities.
An MBA at IESE is not just an opportunity to meet an incredible group of future lifelong friends, nor just to learn from a set of thought-provoking professors; it is also a chance to get fully immersed in IESE’s student-led activities, aimed at providing enriching experiences and leveraging what Barcelona has to offer.
The IESE Sailing Club provides such an opportunity. Led by a number of sailing enthusiasts, the club is focused around three main pillars: learning, racing & fun! No matter how much sailing experience one has before arriving, there is something for everyone founded upon the value of wanting to share our passion for sailing with others – in particular those with no experience at all!
Learning involves the opportunity to sail on a regular basis and learn the basics of navigation & racing. For those who want to gain the certification, we also offer the possibility to undergo the internationally recognised RYA Day Skipper license taught in English. This year we had 50 students successfully undergo the course, and is a great option for those aspiring to become future skippers who able to charter a yacht anywhere in the world.
Racing is for both experienced racers and for beginners. We engage with the local racing community and the MBA sailing league to take a break from our studies and unleash our competitive selves on the water. Racing experience is not required, we welcome all who would like to learn to be part of our crew! Regattas include the Barcelona J80 Winter Series, Bocconi Portofino MBA cup, IE MBA winter regatta & many more. We also host our very own IESE Spring Games regatta which is a chance for those who would like to take what they’ve learnt during their sailing activities, and challenge their fellow MBA crews for the top prize.
IESE represent!
Fun is probably the most important objective of them all! SailIESE, YachtIESE & club socials are our enablers. SailIESE is for those who would like to take an afternoon, either on a weekend or on a free day, to charter a range of yachts (36-56 feet in length) so that we can spend a great afternoon sailing together under the sun, in front of the Barcelona coast, listening to music and relaxing.
YachtIESE is our MBA version of the infamous YachtWeek. Run over a weekend, we charter a number of yachts, sail down the coast and as a fleet of boats with a series of restaurant meals and parties organised for the group. This truly is an unforgettable experience and requires no sailing experience at all!
Enjoying some sun and sea!
Lots of the learnings on board are also great for the workplace. Sailing a large yacht requires teamwork, communication and leadership; whilst building and leading the club alongside a small team has been extremely rewarding. It has felt like managing a small company and often we were able to take learnings from class and apply them to the club (operations, marketing, team building, etc). I would recommend all future MBA students to strive to take a leadership role in any student run club, to positively enrich your MBA experience as well as gain practical experience which can prove invaluable when applied back in the workplace.
The best feeling!
The IESE Sailing Club really is a great representation of what makes the IESE MBA such an amazing experience. Combining the passion its leaders have for the sport, the friendly environment of its students and the fantastic weather and location of Barcelona, it is something that cannot be missed!
Follow us on Instagram to see it for yourself: @Sail_IESE
Thank you to William Tisone (MBA Class of 2019) and the IESE Sailing Club for writing this post!
The IESE Sailing Club
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