Project Plan for the Whitbread World Sailboat Race The following document analyzes the Whitbread World Sailboat Race scenario presented at the end of Chapter 9 in Gray and Larson's text, Project Management: the Managerial Process. The project includes two main objectives; one, design, build and test a new ship, and two, select and train a crew capable of winning the race. Both objectives must be completed within 45 weeks, from the start of the race, and with a planned budget of $3.2 million. Initial projections show the current program will take 50 weeks to complete with a final budget estimate of $3.152 million. Although the project estimate is within budget, the time frame for completion extends beyond the acceptable 45 weeks. Therefore, the following discussion takes a closer look at project conditions by developing a project priority matrix, project network, and Gantt chart to help Bjorn Ericksen and his team reduce project duration. The author then offers a project closure approach. Analysis of Bjorn Ericksen's Project Strategy Bjorn Ericksen was chosen as project manager due to his past experience as a master helmsman and his recent fame as the "best designer of racing sailboats in the world" (Gray & Larson, 2006) . Bjorn designated Karin Knutsen as chief design engineer and Trygve Wallvik as his master helmsman. The pair will also act as team leaders responsible for preparing their sailing vessel for the traditional entry parade on the River Thames in the UK, which marks the start of the regatta. Karin and Trygve both have in-depth knowledge of the sequence of events and costs required to design, build and test the ship, as well as... half of the document... the member performed specific tasks, its strengths and weaknesses and development plans for performance improvement. These ratings should justify pay, if applicable distribute rewards and offer constructive feedback on how the member can improve performance,ConclusionBjorn Ericksen and his team have undertaken a long and expensive project designed to help them win the next Whitbread World Sailboat Race. Using the plan proposed above, the team should be well prepared to design, build and sail their ship to victory. Even if they are certain they will encounter setbacks, problems, and delays, having a priority matrix, project network, and Gantt chart will provide a solid plan that will easily keep their project on track. Once the race is finished and the performance has been analyzed, defending the championship will become next year's goal.