Great Grand Master

[Marlene A. Sassaman]

Wow, as if being a master sailor wasn't enough, I learned that indeed, I am a great grand master sunfisher. All I needed to do was age 60 years and the title befell me. To be a senior I have to wait another 8 years, and to be a grand master I would have to regress biologically. That's what i really want. I want to turn back the clock. I want the wrinkles on my face to soothe themself back into the creamy soft sensual feeling of my youth. Though in my younger years I never even considered that I had nice skin, a slim body, and a brain capable of figuring out how to win a regatta.

Now, the night before a major competition, I find myself alone with my thoughts. After all it is 8 pm. My house guest a 55 year old male competitor has been sound asleep since I returned home over an hour ago. My husband of the same age, fell into a snoring sleeper fifteen minutes ago. This is so weird. The last major regatta I attended was about 4 years ago. It was an all women's hobie 16 event. Even that regatta had folks dancing into the night, and drinking til dawn. But here we are the night before an event that has a minimum age requirement of 40 and everyone's long been retired.

I, too would probably be fast asleep except I had a few sips of coffee about 5 pm. Afterall, had I not had the coffee, I would not have had the energy to transfer my boat from its home to the regatta site. Whatever happened to the parties, the girls eyeing the boys, and the boys seducing the girls? Whatever happened to the bottles of rum that were downed as we stooped between cars in the parking lot?

It just feels so wierd; laying in bed typing a bla bla blog message, the night before a really big event. Maybe I should just go to sleep, too. After all, competing against 40 or more of the nation's/world's top sailors is not going to be an easy feat. Just getting off the start line promises to be a challenge. Golly, I need to focus and not get in any predicaments, confrontations, or disqualifications. Pray for 10-12 knots, and smooth sailing.