OverSeas
Leaders Challenge
The ultimate professional experience from the 2027 Architecture Biennale in Venice to the seas, islands and cities, of Dalmatia.
Senior leadership growth requires continual effort and executives benefit from challenges that take you out of your comfort zones. Professors Pownall and Eichholtz, seasoned ocean sailors and academic directors of the Cultural Leadership and the Global Real Estate Leaders programmes, join forces to take you on an immersive leadership challenge at sea.
In May 2027, we will be sailing from Venice to Split, Croatia, honing your leadership skills. You won’t be a passenger but an active crew leader and member, participating in everything that is needed to sail a yacht safely as a well-functioning team.
This leadership challenge will start at the 2027 Architecture Biennale, the global event where art expertise meets real estate ideas.
Let yourself be taken by the wind, navigate by the stars and the seas.
The OverSeas Leaders Challenge provides a unique combination of a curated experience at the 2027 Architecture Biennale in Venice, an at-sea leadership course that will take you out of your comfort zone, a cultural adventure in some of the most beautiful places of the Dalmatian archipelago, and a great networking opportunity of the highest quality.
A sustainable, certified leadership programme, that gives you time to reflect, hone your leadership skills and immerse yourself with the natural environment!
Strictly limited to 8 places on sailing yacht Dufour 54. Are you up for it?
FAQs
Time, place, and costs
Dates
May 19 – 28, 2027
Start
Venice, Italy
End
Split, Croatia
Costs
€ 9,500 for the 9-day programme
Early bird: Register by 31 December 2026 and receive a 10% discount
Experience
No prior sailing experience required
What’s included
- All food and beverages on the boat
- All official on-shore meals
- Preparation day
- Loan of personal safety equipment on the boat
- Basic sailing gear
- Tickets for all events and materials
Not included
- Travel to Venice
- Travel from Split
- on-shore accommodation
- personal insurance
- personal sailing gear.
On shore days at the Venice Architectural Biennale only
€ 2,750 for the Biennale-only part of the program including reception on board, May 19-21th, 2027
Your captains at sea
Professors Pownall and Eichholtz are seasoned ocean sailors and will provide guidance, coaching, and feedback.
See them in action on their run at the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025, one of the most iconic boat races in the world.
You, however, don’t need to be an experienced sailor to do the OverSeas program.
Leadership training at sea
The sea is a great teacher of leadership resilience, facing uncertainty and testing endurance. Circumstances can quickly change from balmy to windy and back, necessitating clear thinking and quick decision making to keep the crew and the yacht safe.
Professors Rachel Pownall and Piet Eichholtz welcome you onto the Anna III, a yacht that will be run by you as crew of ten participants. This crew of ten participants will be split into two watches of five persons each. The first watch runs the sailing yacht one half of the day, and the second watch the other half. The off-watch time is allocated to leadership exercises, food preparation, and time off.
The leadership of each watch will rotate among the course participants, in such a way that all participants lead the crew at sea and through manoeuvres such as setting sail, anchoring or mooring. Everyone will have a turn to decide the course to navigate and steer.
During the evenings, either at anchor or in port, we will reflect on the effectiveness of your leadership style as it emerged during the day, and we will enjoy downtime against the stunning natural and cultural beauty of the Dalmatian archipelago and night sky.
Programme takeaways:
- Building resilience, preparedness, and endurance.
- Navigating and leading in times of uncertainty and adversity.
- Reflection on personal drivers of value and guiding principles.
- Personalised feedback to build your self-awareness as a leader.
- Accomplishing a personal leadership challenge.
- Maastricht University Certified Leadership Course.
What if I have not sailed before or have no experience?
You do not need to be an experienced sailor to do this. The captains provide guidance, coaching, and feedback. A general level of fitness is desirable and ability to swim essential.
Anything else to look forward to?
We will also sail by the stars for a night voyage. Experience the sun setting in the West and rising in the East as we head through the islands of Dalmatia.
Terms & Conditions
The Maastricht University OverSeas Leadership challenge is a carefully curated experience for professionals who are willing to challenge themselves physically and mentally and ready to commit to personal growth. No prior sailing experience is required, but a general level of fitness is desirable and ability to swim essential. Participants will be required to pay a 10% non-refundable deposit in order to secure their place. 50% must be paid by December 2026. This will be offset against the full course fees which is required to be paid in full by February 2027.
Schedule
(wind conditions may change timing)
May 19
- Arrival
- Afternoon walk in Venice to get to know each other
- Mission of the program
- Opening dinner
May 20 – 21
- The 2027 Architecture Biennale
- Lectures by leading architects, designers, and urban planners
- Possible topics are the city of the future, technology and urban design, beauty and the success of cities, the economic value of cultural heritage, cities as engines for growth
- Tours and guided pavilion visits
- Boat evening Reception and reception for all joining
- Daily group discussions relating to the insights gained
- Biennale group dinner on the 21st
May 22
- Transfer to the Dufour 54, and getting to know the yacht
- Afternoon sail in Venice.
- Out on the water for first training
- Sea sailing safety instruction
- The watch system, watch allocation, and tasks on the boat
- Routing plan
- Bunk allocation
May 23-27
- Sailing from Venice to Split
- Team building, leadership, and yacht handling skills
- Possible stops and anchorages in Rovinj, Pula, Losinj, Ilovik, Zadar, Kornati Islands
- Historic city tours and island hikes
- Celebratory drinks and dinner
May 28
- Experiencing Split, Croatia
- Optional guided visit to former palace of Roman Emperor Diocletian
- End of formal program – keep a day in lieu for less wind and late arrival
- Departure
The yacht
Flagship of the Dufour fleet, the Dufour 54 embodies the essence of contemporary luxury sailing. Sleek, silent and majestic, it combines the power of a large sail boat with the serene elegance of a yacht.
More than a sailing experience, it is a space of freedom: open to the sea, shaped by light, designed to last.
You will be sharing your cabin with a crew mate. The Dufour 54 has a very comfortable central cabin and a well-equipped galley, allowing for joint meals inside when the weather dictates it.
Most of your time will be spent outside, either in the cockpit or on deck.
