A Fleet Assist management conference featuring activities from a book on leadership entitled ‘Boat to Boardroom’ has led to the company sponsoring the author in his latest round the globe sailing adventure.
Fleet Assist, the UK’s leading supply chain management specialist to a significant number of the UK’s major contract hire and leasing companies collectively operating almost 900,000 vehicles and rental firms and with an extensive network of more than 5,000 garages, is sponsoring Alex Alley.
Mr Alley co-wrote ‘Boat to Boardroom’, which provides high-performance lessons for leaders and teams based on his experience from competing in the Global Challenge Round the World Yacht Race in 2004/5.
Now Mr Alley, who has sailed since childhood, has represented England in international competitions and has set a number of world records, is shortly to embark on a solo round-the-world navigation in a 40-foot racing boat called Pixel Flyer.
Aiming to break the solo non-stop eastbound around the world 2013 record for a 40-foot boat of 137 days, 20 hours 1 minute and 57 seconds set by Chinese sailor Guo Chuan, the boat displays the Fleet Assist logo on its hull. The yacht, nicknamed ‘Pixel Boat’ is called Pixel Flyer because it has more than 6,000 5cm by 5cm squares on its hull and each one can include a picture or logo.
Due to leave the UK on Monday (October 29) for France and then, depending on weather, set sail in early November, the record-breaking attempt has been more than nine years in the planning.
Mr Alley said: “The entire adventure is crowd funded making it the first sailing record bid to be so funded. I am very grateful to Fleet Assist for its support.
“Since the management conference we have had great fun sailing together and on my return I’m looking forward to working further with Fleet Assist on other leadership-style events.”
Karen Ewer, head of business development at Cambridgeshire-based Fleet Assist, said: “Our management conference was focused on working together and team building. Activities were based on those referenced in Alex’s book, which uses case studies from the race to help demonstrate leadership and teamwork in action.
“Fleet Assist’s decision to sponsor Alex in his record attempt has further bonded the business and the employees with him. We all wish him great success and will be following his adventure via his regular internet updates and tracker that exactly pinpoints the boat’s location.”
Follow Alex Alley’s solo round-the-world navigation world record bid at www.alexalley.com and via the tracker link at http://my.yb.tl/alexalley
