Christopher Cross said it best in his song “Sailing”: “Fantasy, it gets the best of me, when I’m sailing.” The same can be said of most of us sitting behind the wheel of a car at the racetrack.
My wife and I were recently in Barcelona Spain during the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup. There was no doubt that the race for the 37th America’s Cup is very much on, with a full complement of Barcelona-based teams setting sail. Seeing those teams and their sailboats is an amazing experience.
If you’ve never watched them, you are missing out because these are like no sailboat you’ve ever seen. America’s Cup boats are known as “AC75 class racing yachts.” These are monohulls, unlike the catamarans used in previous editions of the America’s Cup. Think of them as the F1 of wind-driven boat racing, not to mention the highest class of international racing known to man. When you see them appear to effortlessly turn on a dime without even attempting to slow down at speeds reaching 63 miles per hour, you immediately begin asking yourself, “How can I get my racecar to do that!”
The America’s Cup is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. But you may ask yourself if you would rather race sailboats or cars. Let me show you how easy it is to make up your mind. Competing for the Cup is expensive, with modern teams spending more than $100 million each. The 2013 winner was estimated to have spent $300 million on the competition. That new racecar is looking better already, right? It’s clear to me how NASA got it right some years ago.
Once again while remembering Christopher Cross’ lyrics, it’s encouraging to understand that fantasizing about specific goals like racing cars can foster creativity, help you better understand your wants and needs, and even enable you to plan for the future. Fantasy is important to our mental well-being, particularly for young, aspiring racecar drivers. It provides a momentary escape, a release. It helps increase the potential of one’s imagination to solve life’s problems.
For me, a fantasy gives more confidence and a sense of control over a situation by letting me rehearse how I will deal with a situation. For example, if I close my eyes and replay going into a turn much too fast and losing control of my car, I can try doing it over and over until I come up with the best way to retain control, change my line, braking point, or suspension setup. In the meantime, I believe I just might buy a lottery ticket and fantasize about being able to afford to race in the America’s Cup. Then again, F1 has a nice ring to it too.
I enjoy seeing others fantasize, which often leads them to setting goals. Just last this last weekend while I was flyfishing on a tranquil stretch of water, my cell phone vibrated. I was pleased hearing my grandson Tyler’s voice on the other end.
“Papa, guess what? I got my drivers’ license today! Now all I need is for you to teach me how to drive racecars!” he said.
I cannot begin to express the warm feeling within, the pride, gratification, and a sense of achievement for my grandson and me.
That brings up my newest fantasy. My son Will and his lovely wife Erin have made me a proud grandfather to a new baby boy. Needless to say, the fantasies about him are many and that leaves me waiting to see him taking control of whatever endeavor he chooses, be it racing cars, sailboats, or whatever suits him.
