Retro template
Sailboat
The Sailboat board maps what pushes the team forward and what holds it back. It also names risks and the goal.
Wind
What pushes us forward?
- Pairing cut the payments review short
- Preview environments caught issues early
Anchors
What holds us back?
- Flaky tests meant re-running CI often
- Schema changes wait 2 days for review
Rocks
What risks lie ahead?
- Only one engineer knows billing retries
- Vendor API deprecated in January
Island
What is the goal?
- Self-serve onboarding for every customer
- Weekly release without manual steps
- 4 lanesPrefilled the moment you start.
- Writing timer 8 minSuggested for the preparation stage.
- Best forSprint retros that also look ahead.
- OriginFrom Speed Boat in Luke Hohmann's 2006 book Innovation Games.
How it runs
Preparation
Everyone writes in private while the other cards stay blurred.
Grouping
Drag duplicates together. Anchors and rocks often overlap.
Voting
3 votes each. Spend one on a rock.
Discussion
Retree queues items by votes. Read the island cards first.
Finished
Write action items for anchors. Give each risky rock an owner.
Column by column
Wind
What pushes us forward?
What made the last few weeks easier. Write the cause rather than the mood.
- Pairing cut the payments review short
- Preview environments caught issues early
Anchors
What holds us back?
Drag the team already feels: waiting, rework or interruptions you could loosen.
- Flaky tests meant re-running CI often
- Schema changes wait 2 days for review
Rocks
What risks lie ahead?
Trouble that has not hit yet. Name what would set it off.
- Only one engineer knows billing retries
- Vendor API deprecated in January
Island
What is the goal?
Where the team is trying to get to, in a card or 2.
- Self-serve onboarding for every customer
- Weekly release without manual steps
Best for
- Sprint retros that also look ahead.
- Quarter or project reviews with a real deadline.
- Teams new to retrospectives, because the picture explains itself.
Tips
- Fill the island first when the team is unsure what it aims at.
- If a card fits both, ask whether it costs time now or later.
- Leave anonymous cards on with a new team. Rocks get softened otherwise.
Questions
How is Sailboat different from Speed Boat?
Speed Boat asks only for the anchors. Sailboat adds wind for what helps, plus rocks and an island.
How long does a Sailboat retro take?
Plan an hour for a team of 5 to 8. Most of it goes on the top items.
What goes in Rocks and not Anchors?
Anchors already cost the team time. A reviewer who leaves next month is a rock.
Is the Sailboat template free?
Yes. Every Retree template is free with no account and no paywall.