Rise of the Regatta

Running the Race Against Yourself

by Rick Stecker

(This post first appeared on Substack as “Rise of the Regatta” – Subscribe here)

The tides have come in. The great delivery ships have arrived. And their cargoes of plenty have been off-loaded. For the moment, the waters on the bay lie calm and at rest from their routine work.

Yet now from the near shore, sails appear to signal the launch of the sporting sloops. These sleek vessels take to the waves to ply their capabilities and pit their speed before the breezes still wafting across the waters.

Soon a regatta has formed, the gala competition of sailing craft, each eager to outdo one another in performance and rivalry. The sails are seen to streak across the bay, running headlong towards the opposite shore.

Each sailor puts themselves to the test. ‘Can I, through my capability and strength outperform the rest? Can I win the day over these competitors, even perhaps with guile and cunning?’

The temptation to resort to unsavory tactics rises urgently among many. Their performance, their show of sailing bravado, is most important. From the shore the jostling and jolting of sails can be clearly seen.

For a moment, the race seems to give way to a calamity of colliding craft. But from among the melee the true sailors emerge. They refuse to be conflicted by the corruption. They have won the moment, and now they race with resolve.

These unentangled are the first to reach the shore on the far side, and they celebrate not just the victory, but the run of the race. They rejected the distasteful temptation. They rose above themselves. And they return to their home shore with dignity.