Your team.
The Channel.
Under sail.
No conference room. No breakout exercise. No flip chart. Just 12 people, open water, and 4h30 that they will talk about for years.
The Channel is the world's busiest shipping lane. Your team crosses it under sail.
Team building that works does not happen in hotel meeting rooms. It happens when people are removed from their usual environment and placed in a genuinely shared situation. The sea is that situation. The wind is real. The horizon is real. The collaboration is real.
SailLink's sailing catamaran "Echoes" carries up to 12 passengers on a crossing from Dover Marina to Boulogne-sur-Mer, or reverse. Bring 12 people and the boat is entirely yours. Bring fewer and the remaining seats will be filled by other passengers, because every crossing sails full. That is the point. Andrew, our founder and skipper, is at the helm. The sea does the rest.
There are no ice-breaker games. No trust falls. Just the most naturally cohesive experience that exists: a shared voyage across the Channel, together.
"Sailing a catamaran creates a stimulating environment, conducive to cohesion and leadership, far from the usual offices. An immersive day at sea, accessible to all, initiates your team to maritime activities and offers a memorable experience to strengthen bonds and explore new perspectives."
What happens to a team on open water.
Six reasons why a Channel crossing outperforms any team building exercise on land.
Shared adventure
There is no hierarchy on a sailboat. Everyone is equally far from shore. Shared vulnerability creates genuine bonds that persist long after the crossing. A colleague who helped you read the wind is a colleague you trust differently back at the office.
Navigation as a team
Andrew invites your team to participate in sailing the boat: handling lines, reading instruments, watching for shipping traffic. Real tasks with real consequences. The sense of contribution is immediate and concrete, not simulated.
Real conversations
The rhythm of the sea changes how people talk. Without an agenda or a timer, conversations slow down and go deeper. 4h30 on the water is more honest than any facilitated workshop. People say things they would not say in a meeting room.
Stepping out of routine
The Channel is not a metaphor. It is an actual physical boundary crossed together. Leaving one country and arriving in another under your own sail is a genuinely rare experience. The shared memory of it is the point.
No screens. No distraction.
The boat is a natural digital detox. No notifications, no laptops, no escape hatch. 12 people are simply present with each other for 4h30. That presence, increasingly rare in working life, is itself the value.
Two countries, one crossing
Your team leaves from one country and arrives in another. Whether it is Dover to Boulogne or Boulogne to Dover, the crossing opens into a full day in France or a full day in Kent. The team building continues ashore.
What actually happens during the crossing.
Cast off together
Your team boards at the marina. Andrew briefs the crossing, introduces the boat, and explains the role everyone can play. The first task: cast off the lines. Simple, tactile, immediate. You are already in it.
Learn to read the wind
Once clear of the harbour, Andrew opens the boat to the crew. Trim the sails, take the helm, watch the compass. Navigation is learned by doing, not by explaining. Your team members discover skills they did not know they had.
The Channel in full
You are equidistant between two countries. No land visible from the cockpit. This is the moment the crossing becomes real. Hot coffee, quiet conversation, the sound of the hull through the water. No agenda. Just presence.
White Cliffs or Opal Coast
The White Cliffs of Dover appear from the south, or the hills above Boulogne from the north. Your team has sailed to another country under their own effort. The crossing ends, but the day does not. The destination opens.
12 people.
Not 200.
SailLink is not a corporate hospitality boat. It carries 12 passengers. That number is the product. A human-scale experience, a skipper who knows every person on board by the time you reach the other side. This is what makes SailLink work as a team building venue: the intimacy is structural, not designed.
Bring 12 people and the boat is entirely yours. Bring fewer and the remaining seats will be filled by other passengers, because every crossing sails full. That is the point.
Tell us about your teamEvery team is different.
Every crossing is tailored.
These are starting points, not fixed packages. Contact us and we will build an experience around your team's needs and ambitions.
The Channel Crossing
Your team crosses the Channel together, once. Dover to Boulogne or Boulogne to Dover. The crossing is the event. Arrive by train, car, or bike. Sail to the other side. A full day in the destination country, then return by ferry or train. The simplest introduction to the Channel under sail.
- Charter of the full boat for up to 12 people
- Approximately 4h30 under sail
- Hands-on sailing participation for all
- Hot drinks and light refreshments on board
- Remaining seats may be filled by other passengers if the group is smaller than 12
There and Back.
By sail.
Dover to Boulogne under sail. Two nights in France. Boulogne to Dover under sail. The same Channel, twice. It is never the same crossing: the wind has shifted, the light is different, the horizon has moved. Your team experiences both sides of the voyage, and both sides of the water.
- Two full crossings, both by sailing catamaran
- Approximately 4h30 each way under sail
- Two nights in Boulogne, partner hotels available
- The Opal Coast on your doorstep: char-à-voile, surfing, sailing, hiking, cycling, culture, gastronomy
- Dover side: White Cliffs walks, Saxon Shore Way, coastal paths, local pubs and independent restaurants
- The complete Channel experience, nothing left out
Half-Day at Sea
Not crossing the Channel but sailing in it. A 3-hour coastal sail from Dover or Boulogne, with time to learn the boat, spot the cliffs from the water, and return for lunch. Perfect as a standalone team activity or as part of a larger programme. For teams who want the sea without the full crossing.
- 3 hours of coastal sailing, boat entirely yours
- Hands-on sailing for all participants
- Hot drinks and refreshments on board
- Can be combined with a dinner or overnight stay
- Subject to availability and weather conditions
- A good entry point before committing to the full crossing
Stories from the crossing.
"I finished NCN1 in Dover, walked my loaded bike directly onto SailLink, and woke up the next morning in Boulogne. The transition from one country to another should always feel that natural."
"Rolling onto a sailing boat in Boulogne with my fully loaded touring bike, and off again four hours later under the White Cliffs. That was the best day of the whole trip."
"An exhilarating and fresh way to travel. Crossing the Channel under sail, following the rhythm of the waves and spotting wildlife, is just unforgettable."
Tell us about
your team.
Every team building enquiry is handled personally. Send us an email with your dates, group size, and what you have in mind. We will reply within 48 hours with a tailored proposal and availability. No automated forms. No call centre. Just Andrew and his crew.
info@saillink.co.ukWe aim to respond within 48 hours · April to October season
Corporate groups can join an existing crossing if the number of remaining seats matches your team size, or we can discuss dedicated dates based on tidal schedules and crew availability. Write to us with your dates and headcount and we will find what works.