Vaucluse Challenge finally contested on third attempt – hint we won!

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On Saturday, after 2 aborted attempts, the 2nd, and away leg, of the DBSC/VYC laser challenge was held.  It was worth the wait, as finally the sailors were blessed by the weather gods who showed up with blue skies and 12-15 of Sydney’s finest North Easterly. A run out tide and a large easterly swell added to the chop, but frankly the conditions were perfect for laser racing.  Nethertheless, while most of the DBSC crew bashed up the harbour to the course; the wise and unconditioned opted for a tow.

In the full rigs, Marcus Whitley brained the fleet and greeted the judges.  3 VSC boats, who were disturbingly quick downwind, followed Marcus and then there was a glorious flotilla of DBSC boats, led home by Mark B (note to self; must change name to a permutation of “Mark” to sail faster).  Our middle fleet performed admirably, such that 12 of our boats beat home their 7th.

The DBSC performance was even more comprehensive in the Radial fleet, where new recruits Richard Bott and Dennis Kuhlmann led the field home.

At the end of the day, DBSC comprehensively won both legs and has retained the coveted Shield.  It must be acknowledged that the attraction is due to the fine spirit the series is sailed in and how good the sailors are in both Clubs.  We especially thank VYC for their triple hospitality this year!  Their beer and BBQ can’t be faulted.

Rest up.  Next year it’s on again, and there will be a couple of new perpetual awards for the fastest radials and full rig over the series, which will include both the DBSC and VYC regattas along with the home and away shield legs.

I can’t wait!

Luke Parker

 

Double Bay Sailing Club Christmas Party

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The hottest ticket in town this Festive Season is the DBSC End-of-Spring-Season Dinner at our smart new Club this Sat starting 7pm. Fine food by Paul and Andrea and fine wine by me and others.

Cost is free to members but to ensure we don’t go hungry or thirsty pls let us know if you are coming.

7 pm Sat 22nd Dec, bring spouses and concubines, no charge but please rsvp ASAP social@dbsc.com.au

Annual DBSC vs VYC Laser Challenge 2012

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There are five great Australian sporting rivalries; All Blacks vs Wallabies, Australia vs USA in the pool, The Ashes, State of Origin, and the annual Double Bay vs Vaucluse Laser challenge.

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Leg one of this season’s DBSC / VSC challenge was held on Saturday 17th November and was a great day in the history of DBSC.  For starters, we hosted one of the biggest fleets we have ever started – 40 full rigs and 16 radials.

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A measure of the struggle for supremacy between DBSC (the good guys) and VYC (the old enemy) were general recalls in both radial and full rigs fleets.  Both fleets eventually started under black flags but a few standard rigs jumped the gun and were OCS’ed out of contention.

In the radials, DBSC blitzed the field with Alex South leading home from Alistair Sutherland who sailed his Celtic socks off.  The top four radials were all Double Bay so this was a perfect score as the leading four boats from each club counted in the teams event.

The full rigs were won by Marek Horacek for DBSC with Mark Bethwaite second, followed by three VYC boats.  The star of the show was Andrew Cox who sailed the race of his laser life to finish 6th.  From a standing start to Laser sailing this September, Andrew has been racing Saturdays then training Sundays under the watchful eye of Adam South – there is now a rumour that coaching fees are going up!  Other really good performances came from Rod Barnes, Matt Wenke, Phil Bookallil and Jules Hall who rounded out our 7 scoring boats.  The scoring system of the challenge greatly rewards club depth and once the black flag transgressors were eliminated and club of origin debates were concluded, the DBSC peloton finished 15 boats ahead of VSC’s 7th ( full details attached).

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The light easterly (with random cameo appearances from N/E and S/E) made it tricky to set and run races but our able Captain of the Day, Peter Whitley and Co-Captain Stephen Gapps did a great job assisted by Peter Hall (Jule’s father) who flew from the UK to witness this great sporting event.

After the racing we welcomed our VYC friends and shared our expanded and renovated facilities and enjoyed Paul’s usual high quality BBQ.  As is customary, we shouted the VYC guys a few beers but made sure they were kept well away from the coveted Challenge shield!  Good, but desperate men often resort to desperate tactics!

While the results for first leg are fantastic for DBCS, it’s not over until it’s over.  The away leg will sailed and hosted at VYC on Saturday 2 February.  Once again all leave will be cancelled, red meat will be dangled in front of the good guys and we will do our best to ensure the trophy that Don Roach coveted more than any other remains in its rightful place!

Season Opener – Opening of the Don Roach Extension.

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1 September Season Opener

The day started with a wonderful celebration and official opening of our new Don Roach Extension.  Under blue skies, over one hundred guests enjoyed fine food and conversation, and a few short speeches by Mark Bethwaite, Gabrielle Upton, our Local Member,  Susan Wynne, the Woollahra Mayor, and Shirley Roach, our beloved life member.  It was fantastic to see a broad group of supporters and well wishers  drawn from our members, Life Members, families plus Commodores and members of other sailing clubs.  All agreed the club looks fantastic and many thanks were extended to Mark for seeing the project through on budget, on time and without injury.

Photos courtesy of Peter Collie

Photos courtesy of Peter Collie

At 2pm we got down the real business at hand, namely Laser racing.  For those that spent the offseason praying for wind….a little less praying next time please!  The southerly started fresh, built through the second race and maxed out at  37 knots, which certainly blew away the cobwebs (and a couple of masts).  The strong wind decimated the fleets and many consider that only the brave and/or foolhardy finished the second race.  To prove the point, in the fullrigs, Ashley Deacon won the first race and Matt Wenke endured to win the second. In the radials, Alex South revelled in the Weymouth like conditions to win both heats.

It’s likely that many DBSC sailors slept like babies on Saturday night (waking up and screaming every two hours) and welcomed father’s day with the satisfied feeling that comes with a body weary through exercise.  Rest up….we’re on again @ 2pm this coming Saturday, and every Saturday until the end of April.

Speaking of babies, congratulations to Geoff Kirk and Phil Bookallil whose wives gave birth just in time for Fathers Day!  DBSC will be in the creche business big time this season with another two births imminent – watch this space!

Luke Parker

Vice Commodore

Double Bay Sailing Club

Double Bay Introducing Laser 4.7 racing for 12/13 Season

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DBSC is welcoming 4.7s to its regular Saturday races from 1 September 2012.

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DBSC is committed to have Sydney’s best Laser fleets, so the Club will properly cater for 4.7s. The Club intends to sail 4.7s on the usual club course, however they will have their own top mark to provide a shorter windward leg. This will serve to keep each 4.7 race to the target 40 minutes and also keep the 4.7s closer to the Committee Boat in the centre of the course. Initially the 4.7s will share a start with Radials, but as the 4.7 fleet grows they will get their own start.

Additionally, DBSC’s club coach, Adam South plans to offer on water coaching during racing and regular weekly coaching clinics specifically tailored for 4.7s. The club will also have a 4.7 laser available for sailors to test sail before they source their own boat.

DBSC’s regular Saturday sailors include a number of past and present Youth, Open and Master champions. These sailors will provide younger 4.7 sailors with fantastic mentoring and coaching opportunities.

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Conveniently, DBSC is now completing its expansion/renovation and for the first time in recent history there are vacant storage racks available. They are available on a first come/first served basis, before the Club reverts to its usual “use it or lose it” allocation system.

The initial point of contact for prospective 4.7 racers is Alex South, DBSC member, member of the Australian Sailing Squad and former Australian Youth Champion. Alex’s email is allex.south@gmail.com.

Further details on Double Bay Sailing Club can be found at www.dbsc.com.au.

New Canopy to shade DBSC

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The new canopy has been tested over our new decking. Justin Laurens has been working hard at covering up all the things we leave out. Here are some pictures of the team undercover.

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DBSC July 2012

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The first double header last weekend resulted in a huge job being completed (the screeding) and many other not insignificant jobs being done.
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The second double header saw two E davit underslung beams, the two davit crane posts and supporting/bracing steelwork.  The bearer stiffener and watertank support beams also went in – after significant preparations by the Friday crew which allowed for significant achievement by too many members to name in a tight tide window.
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Not only did the steel all go up before lunch but all change and shower/toilet areas were waterproofed.  Many stayed to do other work: The mooring cleats were fixed, demolition of the old men’s change is now advanced and the store is almost fully sheeted.  Even some painting was undertaken to achieve a perfect zen moment for some.

Here are the latest photos.

Super Saturday Steelwork (8am 14 July 2012)

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With only a dozen or so people last Friday and Saturday, we struggled to get the work done: screeding finished and progress made on a number of different fronts. However, the club saved at least $4k by those members volunteering their time.

We have had a lot of generous donations, but we don’t have enough to pay for all the labour needed to complete the club, so we NEED members to donate some of their time, particularly this week.

This week we need at least twenty people, and not just anytime on Saturday morning.  Low tide is 0.62m at 10.15am, so we need YOU from 8am as the window for getting steel in is small.  This is the last of the really large and difficult jobs.

Can you please make yourself available, and email commodore@dbsc.com.au whether you can, or can’t attend please.

As previously advised, baked products will also be gratefully accepted (last week’s Anzac biscuits were terrific).

Vale Colin Cain

It is with great sadness that I advise Colin Cain died peacefully this morning after a year or more battling cancer.

Colin was a gentleman, a wonderful friend to so many, a great Laser Master sailor and golfer and an enthusiast for life.  He was also a great contributor – at MHASC he was held in similar high regard to Don Roach at Double Bay.  He was formerly Commodore there and President of the NSW Laser Class Association.  He was  a wonderful family man and will be greatly missed by Reddie, Lachlan and his daughters.

There will be wake for Colin at Manly Golf Club either this Friday or next Monday.

DBSC Upgrade June Progress Pictures

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Here is a look at the DBSC photo gallery so far. If anyone else has photos to contribute then please send through the photo submission form.

Latest: The new access to the change rooms has been carved out. Phil H’s “Footloose” is now in the Penthouse Suite. Fixing Of ply barriers to ensure Laser bows don’t Make an undesirable Entry to the change rooms, measuring Up for the sunshade, internal Wall framing, pressure wash down of The S wall, the start of Demolition of the W aisle wall including relocation of the Club noticeboard and the start of renovation of public area walls,

 

Hi guys – Thursday is the day we say farewell to “Dene Bergman” – the boat, not the living legend as so well described by Peter D!  Can I pls ask for a few hands to assist launch DB that morning – the tide is (for a change!) on our side – high soon after 9am at 1.34m.

So far it is Peter Collie and me – we need say four to meet at 8am, roll DB out of the shed, launch, retrieve dolly and store on front deck, then tie DB up so the eponymous living legend can effect handover to Hamish later that morning.  I then have to chair a meeting in the City from 9.30am but will be back at DBSC for the afternoon shift.

After a good w/e which has seen creation of the new access to the changerooms, elevation of Phil H’s “Footloose” to the Penthouse Suite, fixing of ply barriers to ensure Laser bows don’t make an undesirable entry to the changerooms, measuring up for the sunshade, internal wall framing, pressure washdown of the S wall, the start of demolition of the W aisle wall including relocation of the Club noticeboard and the start of renovation of public area walls, the plod for Thurs is

  • oil based undercoat to S wall bargeboards and door surrounds
  • blue overcoat to S wall weatherboards
  • continuation of renovation of public area walls
  • with the Bergman gone, we will also move the paint/tools/work area to the      centre aisle so we can strip the cork in the public area and      prepare for its replacement

Mark Bethwaite