Winter series chills out. Record is broken.

Hello Sunday Morning! Photo credit: Brett Beyer

As we started setting up the course in what was predicted to be a typical westerly following the 25 knot winds of the previous day we were feeling too warm and noticed the wind turning to the south. We set up a short southerly course in a genteel 3-7 knot breeze and started about 10 boats in each fleet. After a shortened finish in the first race we made the course even shorter for the second as the wind dropped. Ultimately we shortened this race at the top mark on the second work where the fleet was closest to home and did not run the third race. Later in the afternoon a nice breeze came up but too late for us.

Lets hope for good wind for the last two races of this series.

Results

Radial

Race 1: Stannage Sylvie - ‘Little Miss Persist’

Race 2: Sutherland Alistair - ‘Iron Buddah’

Standards

Race 1: Ian Alexander - ‘Big Dog’

Race 2: Jules Hall - ‘Disko Trooper’

This race also had the slowest average boat speed on record, for any of the GPS recorded races over the past 3 years at the DBSC!

“I’ve never seen less than 1 knot of average boat speed in DBSC GPS series over the 3 years we’ve done this.” - Brett Beyer

Patton to compete for his country at Youth Worlds

Rising DBSC star Campbell Patton has won the right to represent Bermuda in the Laser Radial class at  World Sailing’s Youth Worlds. 

The Youth Worlds are in Gdynia, Poland from July 13 to 20.

Campbell has been working very hard toward this goal, and we wish him the very best. Go Campbell!

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Campbell & Clare - award nominees

Two members of the Double Bay Sailing Club have been shortlisted for NSW+ACT Sailing Awards.

Clare Alexander has been nominated for the Shesails award, and Campbell Patton for the Youth Sailor of the Year award.

We wish both Campbell and Clare best of luck at the award ceremony to be held at the CYCA on July 6.

Save the dates!

• 24 August - The annual club working bee will be held on Saturday 24 August. All members are expected to attend and help get the club ship shape for season start in September.

• 30 August - By popular demand, the Sailors and Volunteers Season Opening Dinner is on again. More details and invites will follow, however this is a PSA (Public Service Announcement) for one of the top club social events of the year and is not to be missed! Lock it in your social calendars now.

The DBSC Women's Laser Regatta is back 28 & 29 September 2019

After a resounding success on all measures, the DBSC’s Women’s Laser Regatta is back again in 2019.

Much of the feedback from participants at the event last year was how great it was to have club members onsite for the 2 days helping out.

This is an awesome opportunity for our club to really shine. Volunteering for this event is a very rewarding experience for members, is a great showcase of our club and also ensures the sailors have another great regatta set on gorgeous Sydney Harbour. Triple WIN!

This is also a shout out to any female sailors who have not yet done so to please express your interest to the event today! Slots are filling up fast so don’t miss out!

Winter Champs Continue Sunday

Sunday 30 June, 8:30am start – The Winter Championship Series is back. Looks like the rain will end before then, so come out to celebrate the last day of June.

Boat Names and Numbers

We reported last week about the importance of having your sail number and boat name on the back of your boat. We suggested getting quality boat names from Boat Names Australia. For anyone wanting a cheaper option, you can a basic name and number done for $3.50 HERE. With such a bargain available, there really is no excuse!

Slow Sunday Sailing

Despite the cold, rainy weather, 22 boats turned out for Sunday’s Winter Championship heats, including visitors from MHASC and VYC. As Tim Heath reported on The Top Mark, it was a “morning of collective madness.”

It was indeed an unusual winter morning, with the normal westerly wind overridden by a rain affected breeze that came from all directions, seeing the fleet sailing in great pressure at times, and parked at others. You can check out some of the riveting high speed action captured by Diana Chen on The Top Mark here. 

The on-water team of Daryl Lawrence (PRO Instructor), John Vasey and David Murphy (Learn to Run a Race) and Hadrien Bourely and Diana Chen (COTD / Co-COTD) did a great job setting fair courses and getting starts away in the difficult conditions.   

The course was adjusted and shortened after the first race, but with the rain killing the breeze, the second race still required an S-flag finish at the bottom mark after only two beats, and the third race had to be abandoned.

Can you call this a “beat”? GPS tracks from Race 2, Beat 2. Courtesy Brett Beyer.

In the first race, Andrew Cox and James Tudball, arrived at the start almost four minutes late (Andrew having just landed from China, James having not yet landed from his “worst ever” hangover). They exchanged banter with Daryl on the start boat as to whether there was any point even attempting to race from so far behind.  Daryl quipped that all it would take was a big shift and you never know. So, off they went, starting to race with the whole fleet almost at the top mark.  Luckily they went right, just as the left breeze shut down and parked the entire fleet early on the first reach.  James and Andrew found themselves out in the new right pressure, and ended up a few minutes later very much back in the game!  Daryl has agreed to accept the mantle of club prophet.

The winners of the heats were: Standards – Geoff Kirk and Jules Hall; Radials – Mina Ferguson and Sylvie Stannage. We look forward to the next instalment of the Winter Championships on Sunday, June 30.    

Numbers Please

As you are performing you winter boat maintenance, former Commodore Luke Parker wants to remind all members that good manners, along with Class and club rules, require every boat to have its name and sail number on the stern.  Please make sure you have this info along with the DBSC burgee on the back of your boat. If you don’t have one of our cool club flags, please see Andrew Cox and he will give you one. 

And if you’re looking for a quality place to get your boat name and numbers printed, the club encourages you to support Chris Lloyd-Parker at Boat Names Australia, who makes our DBSC boat stickers for free.

Email chris@boatnames.com.au and quote “passiton” for a 10% discount.

A VYC Goodbye

Open letter to D.B.S.C.

Hello Dene – 

We at Vaucluse Yacht Club, will miss you, and wish you and Andrea all the best for a safe, healthy and long retirement.It has been a wonderful relationship between the DBSC and VYC over the years, assisted in many ways by your good self.

I especially remember your generous offer in building for us, our own base station at VYC. We only asked you about it once and the next time we met you had it all built and operational. 

We also remember your input, when we were having the occasional 'scrap' on and off the water. 

Please feel free to drop in on us at anytime and we'll make you feel very much at home.

Best Regards,

Neil, Tink, Micheal, Stacky, Avi, Tony, Olly, Et.al.

Vaucluse Laser Fleet