It started as a joke.
The famous EVK4 SuperBlogger a.k.a. the SF Sailing Examiner wrote an article about the 2010 Pacific Cup, 500 days until the Pacific Cup. I decided to have a little fun at his expense, and to mock the whole idea of dreaming of a race that far ahead in the future, by writing 576 Days until the 2010 Laser Masters Worlds.
Frankly it was a hurried cut-and-paste job, using EVK4's article and just changing a few words here and there. For example, I particularly enjoyed changing EVK4's romantic description of sailing to Hawaii into a more ironically "romantic" description of Laser racing in England in September. His "warm weather getting warmer every day, beautiful sunsets, amazing rainbows..." became my "cool weather getting cooler every day, beautiful showers, amazing fogs..." And so on.
Just a bit of harmless fun between two bloggers.
Then things got started to get weird.
A few days later I receive an email from the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) office asking if they could put a link to my 576 Days post on their website. Of course I agreed. What's weird about this is that the ILCA website is a very official serious class website, packed full of official serious information for official serious Laser sailors. There are links to offical serious pages about all the serious major international Laser regattas and guidance on how to apply for entry to them, and links to information about class rule changes, and all that official serious class business stuff.
They don't normally do links to unofficial unserious blogs written by crazy old Laser dudes pathetically trying to be funny. But they did link to my 576 days drivel. Wow. I felt like I'd been anointed the official blogger of the 2010 Laser Masters Worlds. Yikes!
And then things got even weirder.
I began to think... always a dangerous move. What if preparing for a Laser regatta that is 576 days away isn't as silly as I first thought? What if I really did make the 2010 Worlds my major focus and worked out a program for the next 18 months to enter that regatta better prepared than I have ever been for a Laser event before? What would I have to do?
Hmmm...
Any ideas?
14 comments:
If you made up your mind to get really serious about this, right here and right now, if you laid out a carefully targeted training regimen, with a planned series of regattas throughout the year, if you combined physical conditioning and carefully prescribed nutrition with concentrated skill development and blogged about it all to maintain focus, by this time next year you'd be so bored you'd give it all up, start a MyFace page, and disappear for two months.
Just saying.
Oh really O?
Prove me wrong.
Mr. Tillerman, tear down that wall !
So here is another weird thing, I was minding my own business, just enjoying meeting people and sailing with them, getting in touch with a long lost relative by transcribing his (B)log, and I start reading Tilly’s blog.
Then I start reading Edwards Blog.
Next thing I know I’m motoring a J109 around with Zen, another blogger,
and photographing boats,
and . . . Oh No!
I’m now on a racing team that has the 2009 Rolex Big Boat Series in it’s sights . . .
So I am resisting the urge to start counting down the days. I am reading blogs rather than writing . . .
I am avoiding sailing in the cold rain . . .
I am hoping all these things won’t turn me into someone who spends more time on keyboards than boats.
If you really wanted to be prepared, leave RI, hire Rulo and move to the venue so you can practice there regularly.
That might be a little extreme. Maybe just visit Hayling Island and sail a regatta at least once in 2009 and again in 2010 prior to the World Championship. Pick a few "check in" practice events like the Masters NAs in Wrightsville Beach (appropriate because of the ocean venue).
Since it is known to be an open ocean venue that will likely have wind, fitness will be a huge factor. Throw out those running shoes and take up biking. Similarly, throw out your desk and chair, and only blog from your hiking bench. Create a goal like "200 Days of Hiking in 2009" and count them all using the Troy Polamalu number system.
As you make your championship run, be sure to wear your North hat. You may need more than one, but I'm sure they will want to keep you properly hatted once they have read the blog. And you can blog and Twit from your new waterproof Iphone. You will become the poster boy for waterproof cellular communications - the face of apple - with a North hat. We're all part of your network.
Do you think I'll have to give my North hat back if they start reading this blog? I'm going to have to be a real shill for them to ease my conscience.
Pass the NS koolaid, please.
The Tillerman Challenge?
Some of we ancients might recall a particular 'Contest' from a popular late 20th century US TV show. I'd like to propose an updated version to you and your readers.
To take on the 2010 Master Worlds seriously, you'll need dedication, focus, and inner strength. But how many of us have the inner strength to abstain from Facebook, Twitter, and any other social diseases we might have?
I propose a contest to be open to all Tillerman readers. How long can you go without logging into Facebook or the other social networks? A few days? A week? Shouldn't be hard - we've lived most of our lives without such diversions, no?
Announce a start date and the longest holdout wins bragging rights. By the honor system.
Are we masters of our own domains?
Captain John, you're not the first to get sucked into the vortex by Tillerman's blog ...
You guys sure talk a lot.
Gotta go to the lake
... without stopping at a social networking site
I know....toggling more between tillerman and other blogsite than i don on facebook...lol
what would happen if you really applied yourself? depends on what your goal is. using the power of attraction one typically reaches their goals. so if you do go for it, set your sights high. then go out and sail your ass off.
what are you waiting for?
There's nothing wrong with getting serious about it. Just be sure to equip your boat with the right gears. Boats, Yacht and Marines Suppliers are the first things that you should check for your supplies.
Well, good luck! :)
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