Damn you Andrew Campbell.
Two years ago, at the changing of the years, I was Aspirating. I was telling myself that I wouldn't set New Year Resolutions for 2008; instead I wrote about some "aspirations" for the year. The fifth of six "aspirations" was to sail my Laser 100 days in 2008.
I think I set the target of 100 days because I had read that some of the top guys and gals in the class were sailing that much, or more. I failed to make it to 100. I only sailed 94 days. But I did learn a lot and, at the end of the year, wrote some Random Thoughts on the Number Ninety Four.
Come to think of it I also failed to achieve the other five "aspirations". Just shows what a waste of time this New Year Resolution business really is.
But at the start of another year I can't help thinking ahead. What will the year bring? Should I have some resolutions, goals, aspirations, themes... or should I just resolve to follow Captain JP's advice and take more time to stand and stare?
So all these thoughts are noodling around in my head when up pops a new post on Andrew Campbell's blog. The dude sailed 150 days in 2009!!!! Could I? Should I?
Now I can't stop thinking about the number 150.
Damn you Andrew Campbell.
7 comments:
I was feeling pretty good about my days sailing in 2009, then went sailing with Aaron Kennedy of Ay Caliente.
He mentioned that after buying a San Juan 30 a few years ago, he sailed every day for 365 days - on San Francisco Bay!
Forget the aspiration, and the frustration, counting is fine, but remember to JUST GO SAILING.
Andrew turned into a Star sailor and that doesn't count.
Captain John... that's very sound advice.
Sam... good thinking.
If you failed to sail 100 days in 2008, setting your sights on sailing 150 days would allow you to fail in a way you had never before imagined. If you set your mind to it, there's really no limit to how spectacularly you could fail.
You are an inspiration to all of us who have built our lives on failure and underachievement.
How many times has Andrew blogged or commented (counterbolgged?)? In order to measure the full man, blogging days must be added to sailing days. You may well be the better man. If not - apply some kind of age handicapping system until you win.
That 150 days of sailing a year would seem to verge on a professional commitment.
Perhaps that's a difference between sailing nowadays and a few generations ago; nowadays the pros train and sail year 'round and are out on the water easily most days of the year.
Supposedly, according to scuttlebutt I've heard, the training gap between the pros and amateurs was smaller back in Ye Olden Days of Wooden Shippes and Iron Menne.
For a recreation alsailor without truly serious professional / world-beating aspirations, sailing 150 days a year in a small one-design racing dinghy would seem perilously close to that awful four-letter word, W-O-R-K.
For myself, I could surely imagine enjoying 150 days or more a year on the water if it included a mix of cruising and racing, passage-making, gunkholing, big and little boats, race management, and helping new sailors.
Here's an interesting idea for an "aspiration": a week (okay, month) in which I "sail" on seven different boats, including a kayak, power boat, sailing dinghy, day sailing keelboat, cruising keelboat, and catamaran, with one sail out of sight of land and at least one night on the hook.
O Docker... you are absolutely right. This blog is of course a living record of failure and underachievement in sailing. My aspiration in 2010 is to achieve a similar outcome in the coverage of my recently resurrected running career... but of course I might fail in that endeavor.
Yarg... I like it. I will follow your suggestion and add blogging days to sailing days. Maybe add in running days as well. Perhaps even include days I thought about going sailing or running but didn't. I bet I could easily make it to 500.
Pat... of course you are right. Andrew is effectively a "professional" sailor, and we mere mortals shouldn't measure ourselves against his standards. He may not be employed full-time by a single employer as a sailor but through sponsorship he is effectively being paid to train and race all year round. I like your idea of "7 boats in 7 days" as an aspiration. I could easily have done that on my recent visit to the Bitter End YC... but didn't.
Post a Comment