Sailboat Retrospective
Set sail toward team success by uncovering what propels you forward—and what’s holding you back. Use this template
About this template
The Sailboat Retrospective template is a visual tool, often used in Agile project management, that uses the sailboat metaphor to help teams reflect on their journey to identify what pushed them forward, examine what slowed them down, and spot risks or opportunities to improve.
This template gives you a ready-to-use sailboat layout in Vani with sections for:
- Island (Goal) - The destination or outcome you want to achieve.
- Boat (Team) - The people onboard and what's been delivered.
- Winds (Enablers) - The positive forces that helped move the team forward.
- Anchors (Blockers) - The challenges or issues that slowed progress.
- Rocks (Risks) - Potential obstacles or threats that could derail progress if not avoided.
- Sunshine (Wins) - The successes and highlights worth celebrating.
How to use this template in Vani
- Set the goal: Place your island and name your sprint or project near the boat.
- Brainstorm together: Everyone adds sticky notes to Winds, Anchors, Rocks, and Sunshine. Use the timer to keep things moving.
- Vote: Use the voting tool to pick the top issues and highlights.
- Discuss and decide: Review the top-voted clusters and capture action items directly on the canvas.
- Create Task Cards: Turn key action items into Task Cards. Assign each card an owner, set a timeline, and track its status (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done). This keeps follow-ups transparent and accountable.
- Follow-Up: Use the Catchup video collaboration for fast alignment on task cards—ideal for quick decisions or clarifying updates without scheduling long meetings.
- Wrap up: Download the frames as an image or PDF. Use Version History to revisit and track progress over time.
When to use the Sailboat Retrospective template
- At the end of a sprint or project to keep learning continuously.
- After hitting a milestone or delivering a major release.
- During quarterly team reflections.
- For team kick-offs to align on risks and success drivers.
- After incidents to uncover systemic blockers and prevent repeats.
Why use this template in Vani?
Unlike static whiteboards, Vani’s Infinite Canvas makes collaboration natural and fluid. With built-in tools like Task Cards, Catchup video calls, Voice Notes, and Voting, your team can engage more deeply in retrospectives. With Vani’s visual clarity, it’s easy to revisit insights later and track your team’s growth over time.
Sailboat Retrospective template FAQ
Running a Sailboat Retrospective is simple. Begin by explaining the sailboat metaphor so everyone understands the framework. Next, have team members add sticky notes under each section—Winds (enablers), Anchors (blockers), Rocks (risks), Sunshine (wins), and Island (goal). Once ideas are collected in sticky notes, the group discusses the notes, clusters them into themes, prioritizes key action items, and assigns ownership to ensure accountability.
Not at all. The template is designed to guide you step by step, so even a first-time facilitator can run an effective session. Your main role is to encourage participation and keep the discussion on track.
No. While Sailboat Retrospectives are popular in Agile project management, the framework is flexible and works for any team that wants to reflect, learn, and improve their project management strategies.
That’s where Vani shines. It supports both real-time and asynchronous collaboration. Team members who can’t attend live can still contribute later by leaving their feedback through Voice Notes or Comments, ensuring every perspective is included.
The best outcome is a shared understanding of what’s working well and how the team can improve its processes, along with a clear set of actionable next steps—a short list of prioritized Task Cards with defined owners and timelines.