Driven by the spirit of adventure, 4 engineers are sailing through the North Sea to raise ecological awareness. Combining their passions for mountaineering, sailing, and the environment, the team has set out on an expedition to lesser-explored places and prove that it is possible to go on an extreme environment-friendly adventure. For them, this journey is more than riding the waves and scaling peaks, it's about making this experience unforgettable, educational, and inspiring for others.
But why does this strike a chord with us at Deriv? Because the Kahuna expedition is best defined as a team of competent people, unified by integrity and focused on inspiring and empowering others to go on similar expeditions. And that right there is the picture of 3 of Deriv's core values – teamwork, competence, and integrity.
Teamwork and competence
"Our expedition is a demanding and ambitious one. We've been planning and preparing for more than a year now. It will require a greater degree of rigour and autonomy." - Baptistin Coutance
Mountaineering and sailing are individually demanding and ambitious sports. So an expedition combining both is bound to be challenging – one that requires a diversely skilled team working together in unison. Robin is a freestyle snowboarder, Quentin's a freeride skier, Baptistin is a mountain-climbing expert, and Yvan is a professional skipper. As a team, they each have a part to play in defining the success of Kahuna. It'll take the right combination of skill, attitude, and teamwork for their year-long planning and preparation to become a reality.
Yes, they will face challenges that they trained for and unexpected obstacles they will have to overcome by adapting their training. However, at Deriv, we've seen how teamwork makes the dream work for over 2 decades. Our experience makes us believe that Team Kahuna will achieve what they've set out to do competently.
Integrity
"We'll use our engineering skills to create a dashboard to manage the boat's energy consumption. We'll also create a detailed environmental report of the expedition." - Robin Villard
How does integrity relate to the Kahuna expedition? At Deriv, we see integrity as the compass that defines the way forward. Team Kahuna's journey is characterised by integrity – incorporating an energy-efficient means of travel and documenting their 5-month experience on an electric-powered boat as well as research for future development on ecological awareness. Throughout the expedition, they are determined to demonstrate among the youth that it is possible to go on such an adventure with minimal energy consumption.
At its core, Kahuna is about looking at the bigger picture. Instead of treating this as a mountaineering and sailing adventure, Yvan, Robin, Quentin, and Baptistin have committed to using this opportunity to learn how to regulate energy consumption and share discoveries about the Arctic circle. The environmental report they will develop at the end of the expedition includes information on the practical side of energy management while at sea and details on less-documented mountaineering routes of the Arctic region. As they aim to innovate, educate, and inspire others through their journey, the spirit of Team Kahuna is people-centric, knowledge-centric, and growth-centric.
We have stepped forward to support Kahuna's mission simply because it embodies principles that are vital for Deriv – teamwork, competence, and integrity.
"Deriv's association with Kahuna is the first of its kind, and we're excited to support them through this journey", says Deriv's CEO, Jean-Yves Sireau. "Their passion and inspiration to take calculated risks and manage them represent the culture we've created at Deriv. Yvan, Baptistin, Robin, and Quentin are determined to make a difference through this opportunity, and that is the sentiment we inculcate and promote within Deriv and with our clients."
Watch this space to learn more about the team and the expedition.
