Three Lines

I sailed in the US Laser Masters National Championship at New Bedford Yacht Club this weekend. At the awards ceremony the commodore of NBYC gave a speech that was the best speech I have ever heard at such an event. At some of the Worlds I have attended the ceremonies can drag on for hours as every local dignitary and politician has to give a rambling speech about how glad he or she is to see us, which is even more excruciatingly long if it has to be translated into more than one language.

The commodores' speech was three sentences and went something like...

We love holding events like this.
It's the reason we exist.
Thanks for coming.

The guy received a huge round of applause. Brevity was appreciated by sixty Laser sailors weary after three hard days' racing and eager to hit the road for the long drive home.

I often wonder why folks who make speeches for a living don't realise that every important message can be summed in no more than three lines, and will be more memorable that way than in three thousand words. I am enthused by Barack Obama's speeches but I have to admit that all he is really saying is...

George Bush bad.
A vote for McCain is a vote for more Bush stuff.
Change is good.

And of course it's a standing joke that every sentence in Rudy Guiliani's speeches could be boiled down to "noun verb 911".

I'll probably find the energy in the next few days to ramble on in a few posts about the sailing this weekend and the many learning experiences. But for now please accept this summary...

Sailed in the Masters Nationals.
That guy beat me again.
What's new?