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Weather or not: Yet another croutonic "Good winds deliver a busy day" sailing press releas


SAN FRANCISCO (#1223) – Does this press release inspire you? Do you like to read, in the lede, about the weather, weather apps, the race officers, and the post-race "sausage sizzle" – instead of who won, or who's leading? Certainly not me. And some wonder why I don't publish junk like this here on Sailing Illustrated.

Obviously, I've redacted parts of the foregoing to protect the innocent – and not so innocent.

And you've gotta love the "close racing" caption. At least it's a nice photo, and included a photo credit.

How far down before you get to the competitors' names? Country? Home town/clubs? What's unique, relevant or cool about the person or people? People! If not in the headline and first paragraph, such releases – as the AP's esteemed Bernie Wilson says – "go in the bin, not the paper."

Is such drivel unique to our sport? Probably not, but that's no excuse.

You have to wonder if there is a template on some lame sailing website, or sailing email newsletter, that inspires such croutonic releases? Hilarious if it were not so sad for our sport.

Please, regatta organizers and gentle PR people, stop writing and distributing such crap! For the sake and love of our sport, and your event, go back and listen to our recent TFE LIVEs with PR experts Bernie Wilson and Talbot Wilson on our SI Facebook page here (Bernie) and here (Talbot).

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