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Starting point will be decent IM swim fitness. This is a solo swim (with support).
Key thing to think about - is there current? 9 miles with current vs 9 miles no current vs 9 miles against current are very different beasts.
There won't be any current. This is a lake swim that will be west>east, which is the prevailing wind direction as well. Assuming a typical summer day, it should be smooth as glass if I start at sunrise.
This is looking to the west:
Other things to think about - practice eating/drinking while treading. Also peeing while treading. Next to impossible to do that while swimming. If you have the opportunity, practice that stuff with your pilot beforehand too.
So the way to do it is like this - Treat it just like long course bike or run training. Do a long swim every weekend. Add 10 minutes or so to that long swim until you hit 3 or 4 hours. Bring all your fuel to the edge of the pool and practice stopping every 20 minutes for a quick snack and then keep swimming. Stopping more often than that will damage your finish time. Stopping less often than that will make you bonk.
Advanced tip - A lot of people are finding adding in ucan to their long fuel helps stabilize blood sugar for stuff where they can't take breaks as often (like long ows). But practice it in training, not just on race day.
I'm recording this.
The most recent race build up I did involved a lot of 5-6k swims and only a couple of 7-8ks and I took 40mins off my swim time in two years between races.
I found that doing Eg. 15x100m pull/paddles @ 80% at the end of a hard session helped me push through that fatigue you get with swimming long distance.
Figure out your nutrition plan and tell your paddler what it is - when you want what and how they are going to signal to you that it is time to have something. I told my paddler to raise their arm so I could see it when I breathed to that side. That way it stops you from having to look at your watch etc.
Have your paddler beside you. Not in front/behind.
If you breathe to one side, put them on that side. But be mindful of the time of day that you'll be swimming if the sun is going to be in your eyes.
I didn't practice with my paddler either time before the race but I was lucky that I had great people both times. Just be clear with them that it is their job to sight and feed you and your job is to swim.
Good luck!
I swam 6-7 days per week, usually 4-5 times in the lake and the rest in the pool. The Lake was for long and steady efforts, the pool workouts were standard distance-swimmer-type workouts. 4-8km of intervals. 1-2 recovery swims per week. My biggest ever week was 110,000m.I had quite a few 90,000-100,000m weeks. Most weeks at least 70,000-75,000. I know it sounds ridiculous, but a few 6 or 8 hour lake swims will get you there no problerm. It worked for me, but then I had shoulder surgery. 2:10 for 10k, 1:01 5k OWS were my rough PR's.
YRMV
rule 5 and stfu