BOHUNT School hosted a full day of activities with Clipper Round the World Yacht Race winner Brendan Hall.

Brendan’s school assembly – entitled ’Leading through the eye of the storm’ – was a gripping narrative about an ocean yacht race on the edge, and a young skipper’s determined journey to victory.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the ultimate long distance challenge - a 35,000-mile circumnavigation of the globe, contested by amateur crews in identical racing yachts - and the winning team is the one that keeps their focus the longest.

The 2010 winning boat, Spirit of Australia, was led by 28-year-old Brendan. Although he was the youngest and least experienced skipper in the race, the win was no accident - it was the culmination of years of training, skilled navigation and a leadership style way beyond his years. 

The win was anything but easy, with his leadership skills severely tested many times, most acutely by a North Pacific hurricane. Brendan had to go to the rescue of an injured skipper on a competing yacht and skippered both boats across one of the most feared oceans in the world. 

Brendan’s brutally honest, no-holds-barred presentation was revealing and inspiring to the 800 students listening intently, with valuable lessons in leadership and management - as well as never giving up.

Thrown in quite literally at the deep end, he was pushed to the limit, and learned the leadership and teamwork lessons you can only learn the hard way.

After assembly Brendan spent the rest of the day running two workshops for groups of students who have been identified as having potential as leaders and giving a talk to the local community.

He also met with school leaders, who may well be continuing to work with him as they sail the good ship Bohunt into the uncharted waters of having a sixth form, which opens in September.

His experience shows with the right research, leadership and mindset an inaugural voyage can also be a winning one.