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A conversation about high performance team with Ocean Race skipper & sailor Rokas Milevičius

Truth be told, the wind plays only a small part in victory. A competent, unified crew can harness the same wind in ways that bring triumph within reach — or let it slip away entirely.

Rokas Milevičius, a skipper in The Ocean Race doesn’t speak from theory. His insights on team dynamics and leadership come from raw, personal experience — both in success and failure. Every situation, he believes, is a chance to learn if you’re willing to take it.

From the London Olympics to The Ocean Race

Rokas first felt the full weight of teamwork in 2014–2015, competing in the legendary Volvo Ocean Race. This nine-month circumnavigation, run in stages across the world’s oceans, is a test like no other.

Stages stretch for weeks; victory or defeat can hinge on fifteen minutes. With all teams sailing identical VO65 yachts, it’s clear: it’s not the boat that wins — it’s the crew.

Competition for a place on those crews is fierce. Eight boats, eight sailors each, plus a journalist; the world’s best sailors all vying for those few spots.

Rokas admits the odds were long. But when the famed Dutch skipper Bouwe Bekking announced two under-30 places, Rokas took his shot.

“I thought — well, maybe I’ll just get to meet the legendary B. Bekking,” he recalls.

By then, Rokas already had an Olympic appearance and serious mileage with Ambersail under his belt. Even so, when Team Brunel shortlisted him among thirty finalists from three hundred applicants, it was a stunning moment.

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Netinkamai parinktas komandos narys gali kainuoti gyvybę

„Atsakymas, kodėl atranka tokia griežta ir sudėtinga, paprastas – plaukiant kiekvieno gyvybė priklauso nuo kiekvieno. Tiesiogine to žodžio prasme. Laive yra aštuoni žmonės, budime vachtomis, realiai vienu metu laivą valdo keturi žmonės. Todėl kapitonas turi būti absoliučiai tikras, kad kiekvienas iš įgulos narių bet kuriuo metu padarys viską, kad laivas kuo geriau plauktų į priekį. Mes kiekvienas turėjome siekti patys ir reikalauti iš kitų – būti pačia geriausia savo versija. Visi žinojome, kad mūsų tikslas – pergalė, ir turime padaryti viską, kad ją pasiektume“, – pasakojo R. Milevičius.

Ekstremalios sąlygos daug labiau išgrynina tiesas, apie kurias kalbama ir versle – motyvuota, efektyvi komanda gali labai daug nuveikti. Ir priešingai. Tik darbe, kasdienybėje kartais galima pasislėpti už kitų, o plaukiant Patagonijos pakrantėmis, kai vėjo gūsiai mėgina suplėšyti bures, slėptis nebūna už ko. Tad čia išbandytos situacijos gali tapti gerais pavyzdžiais, kaip elgtis ar nesielgti versle.

Tiesa, nepaisant taip stropiai atrinktos komandos, buriuotojams nepavyko išvengti sunkių išbandymų. Vienas didžiausių iššūkių „Team Brunel“ įgulos laukė plaukiant iš Kinijos į Naująją Zelandiją. Visi gerai žinojo – bus tam tikras laiko tarpas, kai gali pasiekti netikslios orų prognozės, tai buvo nuolat kartojama per susirinkimus.

Jachta sėkmingai išplaukė iš Kinijos į atvirus vandenis, sulaukė pastovių vėjų į bures ir sėkmingai artėjo prie Naujosios Zelandijos krantų. Visi duomenys rodė, kad po dviejų parų „Team Brunel“ įgula sėkmingai pasieks finišą gerokai lenkdama kitus dalyvius. Ir staiga situaciją sujaukė tradicinė orų prognozė, pranešusi, kad netrukus laivas pateks į štilio zoną. Tai reiškė, kad visas optimistines prognozes reikia atidėti į šalį ir imtis skubių priemonių situacijai suvaldyti.

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The brutal truth: you’re only as strong as your weakest crew member

Physical strength, medical checks, psychological tests — the selection was ruthless. Rokas made it to the final five on board, fighting for two places.

“The reason it’s so tough is simple,” Rokas explains. “Everyone’s life depends on everyone else’s. Literally. With four on watch at a time, the skipper needs absolute confidence that each sailor can perform, anytime, under anything.”

In extreme conditions, the old truths sharpen: a motivated, effective team can move mountains. Or in this case, oceans.

When one mistake costs the race

One of the toughest trials came on the China–New Zealand leg. For days, Team Brunel flew toward the finish, well ahead of the fleet. But forecasts warned of a windless zone ahead — the dreaded doldrums.

The decision was made: change course, lose ground temporarily, avoid the trap.

Four hours later, a new forecast arrived. The previous one was wrong.

“We all knew the forecasts weren’t reliable then — and yet we still based our strategy on it,” Rokas says, his voice tight even now.

The crew had to watch, in agony, as the lead evaporated — and six penalty points replaced a certain win.

“That was one of the darkest moments. Team spirit cracked,” Rokas admits.

But the crew clawed back, stage by stage, and finished second overall — proof that the right crew, the right mindset, and the right resilience can turn disaster into redemption.

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Leadership lessons from the helm

Years later, captaining Lithuania’s Ambersail 2 in the European leg of The Ocean Race, Rokas put his hard-won lessons to the test.

Unlike Bekking, he couldn’t handpick his crew. Some were core members; others rotated in from Ambersail’s club. The demands were intense.

“I realised too late I was a tough skipper, setting high expectations on a team that didn’t yet have the experience to meet them,” Rokas reflects. “So I stepped in, doing too much myself — and that demotivated the team even more.”

The result? A drained leader, bad calls, and a slide down the rankings.

“It hit me hard: I needed to step back, rethink the plan, and remember — a team is only as strong as its weakest member.”

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The delicate alchemy of motivation

“Some people are driven to win. Others just love the sea. If you want victory, you have to align those motivations.”

For Rokas, sailing offers the perfect metaphor for business: you can’t fake alignment. You build it, patiently, honestly — or the cracks show when the storm hits.

Racing for a cleaner ocean

The Ocean Race is not just about trophies. It’s a race for the planet.

Every crew signs a pledge to avoid single-use plastics, they meet fans to talk sustainability, and on board, they collect water samples for scientists — data from some of the world’s most remote seas.

Rokas carries that mission forward with Ambersail 2, adding purpose to every mile.

If you want your crew to thrive in storms, not just calm seas, bring Rokas in as a keynote speaker with his presentation “Team in Storm” at @Shibui.