Benedicte’s Sabbatical: Learning to sail – and going all in

Turning a dream into reality

At LEMAN, colleagues have the opportunity to apply for a financially supported sabbatical, giving them time and space to step away from everyday working life and focus on something personally meaningful.

For Benedicte Bienkowski Svendsen, in early summer 2026 that opportunity became the chance to fulfil a dream she had carried for years: becoming confident enough to sail her own boat.

Benedicte, Global CRM & Customer Experience Manager at LEMAN, first discovered sailing five years ago. With no previous experience, she joined an open sailing community and quickly became hooked.

“After one full day on the water, with the sails up and the engine switched off, I was sold.” Over the following years, she joined longer sailing trips and eventually became involved in restoring a storm-damaged 27-foot sailing boat. After nearly two years of learning about everything from fibreglass to engines and fittings, she bought the boat herself.

Learning by doing

Benedicte planned her sabbatical around the start of the Danish sailing season. The goal was not a specific destination, but to gain experience and confidence in her own boat.

“People kept asking where I was going to sail. But that wasn’t really the point. I wanted to become experienced enough that, afterwards, I could sail much further if I wanted to.”

Most of the first five weeks were spent at the harbour and on the water, while she also continued improving the boat and turning it into her own “floating summer house”.

Not everything went according to plan. When the propeller came loose, Benedicte had to drop anchor and wait to be towed safely back to harbour. While waiting for replacement parts, she took an unexpected five-day diving trip to Türkiye. The final part of her sabbatical also included another passion: live music, with visits to Copenhell and Roskilde Festival.

More than a break

After eight years at LEMAN, Benedicte felt that some proper time away was welcome.

“I can look back and think: ‘Wow, what an experience. I actually did it with the boat!’ And as a bonus, I also got to reset and come back to the office with new energy.”

Her advice to colleagues considering a sabbatical is simple:

“Use the opportunity for something you have always wanted to do. It doesn’t really matter what it is. You’ll probably manage to relax and recharge along the way as well.”