RSM MBA Regatta - Seventh edition takes place in the Netherlands

by Icarus Sailing Media on 18 Oct 2014 The seventh edition of RSM Regatta took place from 29th till 31st of August in the Netherlands. The Rotterdam School of Management regatta is part of the MBA League, where the best Universities and business schools from around the world are invited to take part in a series of events. This edition of the RSM regatta attracted current students and alumni to a weekend of racing in Lelystad just outside Amsterdam.

Sailing is an excellent sport for networking, just ask the sponsors of the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and Extreme Sailing Series. So the RSM Regatta is a great mixer for MBA students from the top schools to share experiences, make connections and have a fun weekend battling around the track in two types of boats, the sporty Maxfun 25s and the more user-friendly Bavaria yachts.

One of the top contenders this year was from Russia’s Skolkovo University from where skipper Sergey Shvilkin bought along a seasoned crew to take on the competition. The London Business School was represented by Rob Cotteril on the helm with Ben Grosman helping him on tactics. A new entry this year was LUM University of Italy with Gianpiero Menza as skipper, a welcome addition.

And this year, France’s prestigious Insead teamed up with Kelogg University with Ingrid van Wees on the helm and Erwin Van Helden from RSM on the main. Another University cooperation was between IE University of Spain and Erasmus University in Holland. All these crew are current and future business leaders, so decision making aboard is always interesting.

And Warwick University teamed up with Insead as well in the Bavaria 39 class. Finally Erasmus University entered with Yannis Pagoulatos hoping to take his team to the top.

After racing there was plenty of time for socializing, where the competitors could share their experiences from the water, and from their different walks of life. The RSM Regatta has had great success over the years in bringing top students and ceos together. And there’s something about sailing that seems to break the ice and connect people very quickly.

LUM University finished this year at the top of the leaderboard. The Italians sailed well, helped along the way by having two professors among the crew. The Russians from Skolkovo University came second, a superb result for their first entry to the competition. They were helped by having a helmsman with 30 plus years of sailing under his belt.

That was the flavour from Lelystad, if you’re an MBAer from one of the top schools, you’re welcome to get in touch and get involved…