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WorkshopSoftware & productRetrospectives

Sailboat retrospective

45 minutes 7 blocksFree Free template

Wind, anchors, rocks and the island: a visual retro where the team names what drives them, what slows them and what's ahead.

Use this template See inside

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

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Wind
What pushed us forward?
Anchors
What held us back?
Rocks
What risks are ahead?
Island
Where are we heading?

In short

A sailboat retrospective asks the team what pushed them forward (wind), what held them back (anchors), what risks lie ahead (rocks) and where they're going (the island). This template gives you the four-area board, phone input, dot voting and a 45-minute agenda that ends with two owned actions.
Time
45 minutes
People
3 to 15
Board
4 areas, 3 dots each
Plan
Free

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

The agenda

By the end of this meeting, the team has named its biggest anchor and risk and agreed two actions with owners.

45 min · 7 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. Weather report: one word for the last sprint, 4 minutes 4
  2. Where's the island? Restate the goal, 3 minutes 3
  3. Wind, anchors, rocks, island, 12 minutesBrainstorm 12
  4. Group the notes and dot-vote, 8 minutesDiscuss 8
  5. Talk through the top anchors and rocks, 10 minutesDiscuss 10
  6. Two actions, two owners, 5 minutes 5
  7. Return on time invested, 3 minutes 3
011233445 min
  1. +0′Weather report: one word for the last sprintOne word for the last sprint?4 minCheck-in
  2. +4′Where's the island? Restate the goalTip: Remind everyone of the sprint or project goal before anyone writes notes.3 minInfo
  3. +7′Wind, anchors, rocks, islandTip: Silent writing first, 8 minutes. Then read the board together.12 minBrainstorm
  4. +19′Group the notes and dot-voteTip: Group similar notes, then three dots each on what matters most.8 minDiscuss
  5. +27′Talk through the top anchors and rocks10 minDiscuss
  6. +37′Two actions, two ownersTip: Two is enough. Each action gets an owner and a check-in date.5 minDecide
  7. +42′Return on time investedWas this retro worth your time? 1 to 53 minWrap-up

How to run it

  1. 1Restate the goal (the island) so everyone writes notes against the same target.
  2. 2Give 8 minutes of silent writing. People add notes from their phones into the four areas.
  3. 3Group similar notes on the board, then give everyone three dots to vote.
  4. 4Talk through the top anchors and rocks only, and leave with two actions that have owners.

Questions people ask

What is a sailboat retrospective?
A visual retrospective format. The team adds notes to four areas of a sailboat picture: wind (what helped), anchors (what slowed us), rocks (risks ahead) and the island (the goal).
What's the difference between a sailboat and a speedboat retro?
They're the same idea. The speedboat version usually has only the engine and anchors; the sailboat adds the rocks and the island, so risks and goals get discussed too.
How long should a sailboat retrospective take?
45 minutes for a two-week sprint works for most teams of up to ten. Allow an hour for longer periods or bigger teams.

Run it with your group

Free
  • Ideas land on the board from every phone, then dot-vote
  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
Use this template

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

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Open it, make it yours, run it live.

Change anything in the editor. When you're ready, press Present: everyone joins with a scan and answers on their phone.

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