What is Dear Leader doing?

The answer is simple: he has gone back to his engineering roots to help Grasshopper 2.0 snatch the pebbles in Kingston, Ontario at the World Radial Youth.

The Reynolds number is different on Lake Ontario than on Sydney Harbour, leading to difference in flow over various parts of a Laser.  Understanding the difference should be able to enhance performance by adjusting technique in what should a difficult regatta.

Dear Leader has moved his gin palace to the Charles River in Massachusetts.  Each morning, he jumps on his Segway and heads to MIT where he spends hours working on the Reynolds number issue and the impact on viscosity, cavitation and, ultimately, boat speed.  

Speaking from the laboratory, Dear Leader said:

"Studying the self-organizational phenomena in fluids from vortices to turbulent flows to cavitation in complex systems requires several different disciplines in close collaboration, and is more than looking at bubbles.

It has been a terrific experience.  My good friend, Larry, has sent over a couple of his guys from San Franscisco to help.  They were suppose to be great engineers but I had to show them how to use a slide-rule and then buy a few on eBay for them.  Let's hope they can transfer some of their experience in Hobies to a Laser.  Larry also offered to send Slingo over to help test, but I said no because I didn't have time to make a Laser that would have given us the same proportions of Grasshopper 2.0 on his Radial"

Noting the lack of training Dear Leader is doing himself for the Masters regatta, Madam Leader, said:

"No training but with the best pizza in world locally available, and a long term weather forecast of heavy weather, Dear Leader will be able to put on the extra kilograms required to be competitive."  

Fellowship

Obviously, DBSC primary objectives are to:

• convert all sailors to the Laser class;
• convert all golfers into sailors; and, generally,
• global domination by taking over ILCA, ISAF, IOC, world government (i.e. the United Nations) and FIFA.

However, we all need some downtime and our members are encouraged to use the clubhouse for fellowship functions.  Some events are banned for reasons only an imbecile would need an explanation for, and these include:

• 15 year birthday parties, 16 year birthday parties.... up to and including 32 year birthday parties;
• celebrations for  School Certificate, Higher School Certificate, Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees and non-STEM PhDs;
• divorce/seperation parties; and, in a large catch-all,
• any event where more money is spent on alcohol than victuals.

This leaves all sorts of other parties: weddings; mother's day; christenings (and the secular alternatives of naming parties); Toastmasters; Rotary functions; book clubs; bridge games; crocheting clubs; etc.

To show how well the clubhouse scrubs up, here are some photos.

If you are interested in a fellowship function at the club, please contact social@dbsc.com.au

Remembering the warmth of March and the Metros....

Many thanks to PC and Jimbo for the photos.

Getting ready for the racing.

NB Sprint series Sunday 31 May @ Avalon Sailing Club

The NSWLA reports........

The next round of the NB Sailsports Winter Sprint Series is on this Sunday 31st May hosted from Avalon Sailing Club.

The rigging and sign on and off location will be at Sand Point Palm Beach on Sand Point Lane off Iluka Road and Woorak Roads. You can see the location by clicking the link here.

The windward leeward sailing course will be off Sand Point. Three races are scheduled with the first race warning at 11.00am.

The Sailing Instructions are attached and these SI’s, the Notice of Race, the results to date and other information is on the NSW/ACT Laser site.

As usual you can enter online, paying by credit card,  on NB Sailsports web site here or by beach entry in cash at Sand Point. Entry fee is $20.

After racing results, a sausage sizzle and a drink will be available at Avalon Sailing Club. There will be a raffle for a new Laser sail drawn on the day at ASC.

Cheers

No change to fees...but we would appreciate payment.

DBSC fees remain unchanged for the 2015/16 season.

As you recall, it was agreed last year to ask for the fees to be paid at the beginning of our financial year, 1 May 2015.  So far, only 56% of the fees have been paid.

If you have not yet paid, please electronically pay the same amount as last year to :

BSB: 082 187
Account: 509246310
Name: Double Bay Sailing Club Incorporated

Please include your NAME in the remitter details section so we know who made the payment.

Please note that the reason we make requests for fees by email/newsletter and not by invoice generated by the Yachting Australia ("YA") website is that we are now charged a fee.  While some may want to pay a couple of percentage points more for an invoice, it would reduce the total amount collected by the club by about $1,700.  We think the inconvenience of manual payment requests is bettered by the club spending $1,700 on maintaining and running the club.

If you can't remember what your fees were last year, or you have lost your bank statement, the basics are:

• $800 if you store a laser in the club ( includes board,  membership and racing fee)
• $400 if you race a laser that is stored elsewhere ( membership and racing)
• $200 if you are a non sailing member.  

There are concessions for juniors, family units etc.  In any event if you are unsure of your amount, please contact secretary@dbsc.com.au 

Organisational change.........

Double Bay, Australia - May 22, 2015: DBSC today announced the appointment of Clare Alexander as the Honorary Secretary of the Politburo (previously known by the sexist moniker ManCo).

Speaking at the international press conference following the organisation's annual general meeting, the People's Prince elaborated:

"Clare who is the Co-Founder and current CEO of Team Alexander has a successful track record in delivering sailing outcomes at all levels in the sport.  Her organisational abilities became apparent soon after she joined the club.  While my gender makes it impossible for me to partake in multi-tasking, I can appreciate those who do, and I am in awe of Clare's exceptional demonstration of that skill.  We look forward to her  contribution to the club."

Later in the evening, the outgoing Secretary, whose name we have already forgotten, said:

"I’m resigning as Secretary, but not from the volunteering on the website and newsletter, at least until our indemnity insurers ban me.  This is the ideal situation with Madame Secretary and I sharing what used to be one job, and my job doesn't need me to attend the meetings.  Any snippets for the newsletter or suggested improvements to the website should be sent to webmaster@dbsc.com.au. 

Clubman of the Year & AGM recap

Congratulations to Paul Adam, Canteen Crew Captain on winning the big prize.  Under Paul's ever vigilant management, the canteen not only fed the hoards, but generated at $11k surplus for DBSC this year.  Additionally, Paul performed on shore safety services and assisted in rescues too.  Generous as alway, Paul acknowledged the regular crew members who were necessary to make the canteen the success that it is: Andrea, Shirley, Deb and Carolyn.

The AGM itself was a wonderful celebration of the season past. In 45 minutes we held the Presentations for Lasers and Big Boats, heard reports from each of the executive (abridged version; all's well and finances are sound), shared accolades and applause for Paul Adam and an held an election that followed the exact format of the minutes prepared in advance! 

We all then retired to enjoy dinner and drinks thanks to Paul, Deb and Shirley, with cameo help from many others. 

Thanks to all those that came and helped. 

Friday's AGM to determine major policy

It appears that a DBSC member has been temporarily suspended as a member of Royal Sydney Golf Club: see news item.

While we believe that melanoma is a serious issue in Australia, we don't agree with the way RSGC has addressed the issue.  Also, vitamin D deficiency is becoming more common and that needs to be  addressed.  There is also the social preference of encouraging the loved ones and least hostile acquaintances of members to use the club while members are competing in their chosen sport.

To that end the club's Politburo (previously known by the sexist moniker, ManCo) has proposed to authorise European-style sunbathing on the DBSC deck, subject to certain conditions.  Ozzy is to draft a disclaimer form to cover the risk of over-exposure to the sun and  Troublemaker is to get our insurers to approve the form for public liability purposes.  Once in place, we will consider how spot checks of the prescribed levels of sunscreen will be carried out without over-burdening our superbly efficient Canteen Crew.

The policy will also apply to those associated with the 18s who visit the club on Sundays.

Any objections to the new policy can be raised at the AGM this week.  Due to the importance of the issue, we are still considering whether acceptance of the new policy will require 75% of those members present to vote in favour of it, or whether rejection will require 75% to vote against it. 

Regardless, please help with the AGM catering by RSVP'ing at: http://doodle.com/gy6dtei2bv9tp9c4m3u5i9gm/private

By clicking on this link on your Aldi tablet, you can see how democracy worked in 2014.

Editors Note: Double Bay is the leading sailing club in western Sydney.  We represent a wide range of  demographics, and are the only club in Sydney to have a policy welcoming absolutely everyone (except d**kheads), including LGBTs, vegetarians, rangas and those with a BMI over 25.

Call for Measurers for the Nationals at Belmont

The Laser Open Nationals are at Belmont from 27th December 2015 to 4th January 2016. The NSWLA is on track for most of the arrangements but are light on for folks with some experience to do the necessary equipment measurement for the event.  Double Bay did a magnificent job managing this at the last Nationals in NSW at Georges River.  So the NSWLA were wondering whether some of our team may be able to again assist at Belmont.

The measurement runs over two days 27 and 28th December so they will fund some overnight accommodation for those that are not likely to be at Belmont competing at the event. The NSWLA has all the measurement equipment – templates gauges etc, and would have them delivered to Belmont, but they need a few folks with the experience and Laser measurement capability. 

Kevin Philips has asked us to gauge the interest in this with DBSC.  If prospective volunteers would drop commodore@dbsc.com.au an email, I'll consolidate and pass to NSWLA.

Thanks

RYCT Governor’s Cup awarded to Roger Hickman

Hobart, Tasmania - 09 May 2015: RYCT announced Roger Hickman, owner/skipper of Wild Rose, the overall winner of the 70th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, last night received the Governor’s Cup, the most prestigious perpetual trophy awarded each year by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

A Tasmanian by birth and a long time member of the RYCT, but now based in Sydney, Hickman flew down to Hobart to accept the trophy from Commodore Richard Batt at the club’s annual prizegiving dinner.

Speaking from the podium after accepting the trophy, R2H, shared with the audience:

"I love Tasmania.  I will keep coming back in the S2H as long as I can because the race is one of the three best sailing competitions in the world, the other two being the Olympic Laser competition and the Manos Roussos Trophy.

I also see the the S2H as a community service and giving back to a sport that has given me so much pleasure.  Not everyone can sail a proper boat, by that I mean steer a Laser.  So if I can give those less fortunate the joy of sitting on the weather rail for a few days of pseudo sailing each year, I will.

My next challenge is to time manage the community service stuff with the DBSC Spring Pointscore thus giving me enough training to be in the running for the Manos Rouses Trophy. "