Race Report - Saturday 13 September 2025

Photo by Stephen Reid

Spring POINT Score, Races 1 & 2

Mother nature pulled out a cracking day for the start of the 2025 Spring Pointscore Series on Saturday with blue skies, sunshine and a hint of a sea breeze on the cards. A magnificent spectacle on the world's most picturesque ILCA racetrack. With a forecast breeze from the east, the race crew set a course around 1240pm with the top mark about halfway between Shark Island and "Point Bethwaite", set nicely for what was (at the time) a true easterly.

However, on returning to the water after the briefing, the breeze had continued to shift to the northeast. A bit of quick thinking saw the marks reset, although the Etchell start line and gate was bang in the middle of where the wing mark should have otherwise been. Nonetheless, racing was underway at 2pm - a super effort from Stephen Reid and Wendall Wait on the RIB to move the marks and lay a pretty decent start line under time pressure!

In the Radials, Sylvie and Sara jumped out to a good lead, picking a couple of big shifts up the second work. After some neck-and-neck racing, Sara came out the victor. In the Standards, Healy similarly managed to open up a lead on the fleet, and took line honours.

The second race was underway after some problems with the sound signals - the Jazzman hooter wasn't working, and the air horn ran out of air with a minute to go before the start, leading to a general recall.  Daryl Lawrence's "unplug it and plug it back in and jiggle it around a bit" advice for fixing the hooter on the Jazzman was amazingly effective. 

For the Radials, Sara and Sylvie fought it out again with another big lead, this time with the honours going to Sylvie. In the Standards, Zander held the lead for a good part of the race, taking line honours in the end.

On adjusted time, Brendan Pollard took out the honours in both races in the Radial fleet, while Healy Ryan took the handicap honours in the Standards in the first race, and Peter D'Arcy King was victorious in the second.

Many thanks to the race team of Murray Stone, Richard Holstein, Stephen Reid and Wendall Wall. 

Photos by Stephen Reid and Murray Stone

DBSC Grand Masters & GGMs Training - Campione sul Garda

Smiles all round: Rod Barnes, Martin White, Kerryn Smith and Pat Levy

Last week, four of our Double Bay GM and GGM Masters joined with their Italian friends, Roberto Bini and Beppe Cavalli and others from around the world for a Pre-ILCA World Masters Training week.

Organised by Mark Bethwaite and Roberto, the guys spent some time soaking up the Italian hospitality and the magnificent scenery in the iconic location at Campione sul Garda. Thank you Mark and Roberto for being excellent hosts!

This week they make their way through Southern Italy to the ILCA World Masters in Formia.

The Double Bay Regatta - Saturday 11 October 2025

REgister Now

This year DBSC will be hosting the inaugural Double Bay Regatta. A day to celebrate Laser racing in Double Bay, it is open to all Laser ILCA sailors.

Three races will be held on this single day event on Saturday, 11th October 2025 in the waters off Double Bay in Sydney Harbour.
Cash Prizes will be awarded to winners in ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 divisions, and the winner of each class will get their name engraved on the Mark Bethwaite Trophy, named after our club legend.

The Notice of Race and Registration are now available

Sailing Instructions will be issued shortly.

Thursday Twilight Racing Returns 9 October 2025

On Thursday 9 October we will kick off our Thursday Twilight Racing with on-water coaching support for the 2025/26 season. The coaching and race management will be undertaken by one of our Reach coaches.

• We will aim for our usual splash of 5PM. The coach and course will be ready for racing by 5:30PM

• The course will be typically windward - leeward (like our sprint racing), however the coach may communicate variations out on the water...to keep us on our toes.

• Racing will run until sundown (approx 7:30PM).

• Regular Thursday night dinner and drinks at The Oak following sailing, for anyone who fancies a social outing.

The Cost is $150 per sailor for the 10 week program (plus merchant fees). This covers the overhead of paying the coach each week to set the course and provide the coaching (dinner not included).

Proposed Dates: October 9, 16, 23, 30 November 6, 13, 20, 27 December 4, 11

We hope that Members who plan to race regularly on Thursdays will support the program by signing up.
(Members who sail occasionally are still very welcome to join us for Thursday Racing free of charge.)

Members wishing to sign-up for the Thursday on water coaching please click the button bleow:

What's Going On

Club Look-ahead Schedule

• Saturday 20 September: Club Championship Races 3 & 4

  • 1pm Briefing, 2:00pm First warning

  • BBQ on the deck after racing

• Sunday 21 September: Reach Youth Training: 8:30am

• Saturday 27 September:

  • Learn To Race: 9am (Non Members: Please register with a free Temporary SailPass)

  • Then: Spring Point Score Races 3 & 4

    • 1pm Briefing, 2:00pm First warning

• Sunday 28 September: Reach Youth Training: 8:30am

• Saturday 11 October - The Double Bay Regatta

  • NOR is here

  • Registration is now open

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Thank you to the members who are sending through information for the newsletter. If you have content for the newsletter, please email it to newsletter@dbsc.com.au by Monday evening.

View all racing results here.
The club’s calendar can be viewed and subscribed to here.
Make a tax deductible donation to DBSC here.

Race Report - Saturday 6 September 2025

Sylvie showing everyone the way. All photos by John Chesterman.

Club Championships, Races 1 & 2

Finally, a sunny day, a nor’easter and predicted moderate wind.

It was also the first of the new Race Officer team, Dr Martin Gill and Gaye Rosen which includes a course laying app, live wind information and a few more innovations. Overall only a few tweaks were required to the course we had set earlier as the wind direction had gone slightly more easterly and we were ready for an on time start, getting both fleets off with clear starts.

We could see that those skilled at catching waves were really enjoying the downwind legs making significant gains as they carved their way down the course. As the afternoon progressed the wind strength increased stretching out the back of the fleet with many capsizes.

By the time we started the second race the wind was hovering just under 20 knots. The ILCA 4’s and 6’s got off to a clear start but the 7’s were overly enthusiastic and needed a black flag to settle down and get under way. With each lap we noticed signs of fatigue in many of the passing sailors, some opting to retire, while another shortened the course by giving the wing mark a miss.

On returning to the club we found that Shirley and Paul had prepared a very welcome feast including the roast potatoes that slowly evaporated while the sausages were cooked. In the end the BBQ and the tables were brought in out of the wind, which was not abating and only getting colder, and we sat down for a great feast. Many thanks to our youth team on the tongs.

- Peter Collie, LTRAR

The frontrunners were:

Race 1

ILCA 4:

1st Zac Howell
(Zac was first and last as the only competitor, proving it pays to turn up)

ILCA 6:

1st Sylvie Stannage
2st Roberto Blum
3rd Sara Bruce

ILCA 7:

1st Campbell Patton
2nd Rod Barnes
3rd Zander Bijkerk

Race 2

ILCA 4:

1st Zac Howell 

ILCA 6:

1st Sylvie Stannage
2nd Andrew Cox
3rd Sara Bruce

ILCA 7:

1st Zander Bijkerk
2nd Healy Ryan
3rd Rod Barnes

What's Going On

Club Look-ahead Schedule

• Saturday 13 September: Spring Point Score Races 1 & 2

• Sunday 14 September: Reach Youth Training: 8:30am

• Saturday 20 September: Club Championship Races 3 & 4

  • 1pm Briefing, 2:00pm First warning

  • BBQ on the Deck after racing

• Sunday 21 September: Reach Youth Training: 8:30am

• Saturday 27 September:

  • Learn To Race: 9am (Non Members: Please register with a free Temporary SailPass)

  • Then: Spring Point Score Races 3 & 4

    • 1pm Briefing, 2:00pm First warning

• Sunday 28 September: Reach Youth Training: 8:30am

• Saturday 11 October - The Double Bay Regatta

  • NOR is here

  • Registration is now open

---

Thank you to the members who are sending through information for the newsletter. If you have content for the newsletter, please email it to newsletter@dbsc.com.au by Monday evening.

View all racing results here.
The club’s calendar can be viewed and subscribed to here.
Make a tax deductible donation to DBSC here.

T-errific Sailors and Volunteers Dressed to T-hrill at Season Opening Dinner

A motley crew of Double Bay Sailors and Volunteers came together this year at the Forrester’s Hotel in Surry Hills. Dressed for the occasion as their favorite “T” character, there was no shortage of laugher and fun, with some exceptional costumes this year. Thankyou to Diana Chen (Tina) and Peter Collie (Trainer) for organizing and running the Quiz and paper airplane competition.

Gangster Telly Tuddy and Thing Two put on excellent impromptu performances, and the Top Guns were out-gunned by Tiger (Pia) who won the plane competition - with Andrew Cox’s “plane” winning the most imaginative design award.

Racing Cancelled - Saturday 30 August 2025

24 knot Westerly
gusting 39 Knots

Todays wind was considered unsafe for club racing.

A BIG Thankyou to the Race Team: Tim Heath PRO, John Vasey LtRaR, Conor Roche COTD, Michael Morris CoCOTD and Quin Sloan in the Canteen - for getting out early and setting the course and testing the wind waves and waters for us.

Eight keen sailors (mixed Standards and Radials) set out for a heavy-wind training session lead by Healy Ryan. Thanks Healy for putting us through our paces and guiding us safely back to the Bay! (…with speeds reaching over 13Knots!)

The Double Bay Regatta - Saturday 11 October 2025

REgister Now - And Tell yoUr Friends

This year DBSC will be hosting the inaugural Double Bay Regatta. A day to celebrate Laser racing in Double Bay, it is open to all Laser ILCA sailors.

Three races will be held on this single day event on Saturday, 11th October 2025 in the waters off Double Bay in Sydney Harbour.
Cash Prizes will be awarded to winners in ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 divisions, and the winner of each class will get their name on the Mark Bethwaite Trophy, named after our club legend.

The Notice of Race and Registration are now available

Sailing Instructions will be issued shortly.