ESSSS

Easter Saturday Super Sprints Series (“ESSSS) at Double Bay

No formal racing is scheduled for Easter Saturday.  But following from the success of the club racing sprints last Easter, we are hosting another super sprint session on Easter Saturday.  Improve your boat handling while addressing your chocolate calorie overload in advance.

This Eastern tradition now rivals the Bells surfing contest, and will only be bettered by the eventual agreement by western and Orthodox christian churches on the date for Easter itself. 

Format will be very similar to last year.  6-8 races of 15-18 minutes each, 2 laps windward returns, with very quick turnarounds between races. Three (3) minute sequences.  Remember this is the last day of daylight savings, and parking is easy because there is no school sport.

Although stragglers are encouraged to cut corners on the last lap so they don't miss the next race (There's more to be learned in the first 200m of a race compared to the last 200m), we want perfect starts and compliance with the rules, and turns when required.

Large-footed Myotis

Working with Forest Science Unit of the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Dear Leader will be DBSC's representative in the Biodiversity Unit's, research into large-footed Myotis, also known as fishing bat.

During April there will be scientific instruments placed at the club to pick up the high-frequency calling of this threatened species.  Please be aware that sophisticated recording equipment left at the club, most likely the deck, should not be touched.

Speaking about DBSC's contribution, Dear Leader enthused:

"If there is one thing we learnt last Saturday, it is the importance of being green.  Malcolm and Lucy have encouraged me since leaving the mining industry to focus on the environment.  They reinforced the view at our dear friend's, LKY, funeral this week."

David Attenborough later said, 

"This is an important piece of research, and we will be monitoring the work done at DBSC.  Ideally, we have another species that needs investigation in the locality - visitors to The Island who on return to dry land tend to want to mate outside the roller door to the club.  Hopefully the noise from this introduced species will not affect the recordings of the fishing bats"

Dear Leader showing us the wingspan of the primary research target

Fees for 2015/16

Good news: no change to fees for next season!

A huge effort by our canteen volunteers this year, again, means we don't have to change the fees for the sixth year (or more)!  With the hosting of the 12 foot inter dominion champions and the Metropolitan Championships, the canteen has delivered the club over $10k this season!

As foreshadowed about twelve months ago, we would like the fees paid at the start of our financial year, i.e. 1 May 2015, rather than when the sailing season starts in August, to help make sure everything that the club needs to buy before the sailing season is bought.  Capex includes hydraulic steering for the Dene Bergman, which be a welcomed relief to volunteers who have to drive that RIB.

In a nutshell fees are:

• membership $200 - 50% discount applies for those with a NSW student travel concession.
• racing fee $200 -  50% discount applies for those with a NSW student travel concession.
• storage fee for a Laser $400 - no discounts.
• storage fee for  dinghy $200 - no discounts.
• membership and racings fees for a family are capped at $600 per family unit.
• if you store your Laser at the club, you need to pay a racing fee.

We take a fairly enlightened view of what constitutes a family unit.  In additional to traditional family units, we cater to LGBT household units, shared vegetarian household units, acquaintances who share a household because they don't own a television and only listen to Radio National, anyone who lives in a nursing home, etc

Given our insurance costs alone during the 2014/15 averaged $185 per member and the cost of maintaining the clubhouse and support boats, the fees are modest .

Invoices will be sent out in a couple of weeks.

Mission accomplished....

...The Rolex Vaucluse Challenge trophy remains at DBSC.  We won both the home and away legs in both fleets. 

Master-Commander of the French enclave, Monsieur Tinker-bell observed:

"The starts were not auspicious for Vaucluse with every one of our boats over the line in both the full and radial start, while every DBSC boat was behind the line.  We are as surprised as anyone that occurred."

Dene Bergman, Life Member and Emeritus Director of the Centre of Engineering Excellence,  presented the eponymous trophy for the standard rig inter-club champion to his great mate and wonderful sailor Mark B.  Speaking at the presentation, The Wise Master said:

"When he came second over the line, I was very disappointed until I found out Zoolander wasn't a member of either of our clubs.  Tears of joy then flowed."

The Graham Read/Reid/Reed trophy (radial inter club champion) was retained by Grasshopper 2.0.  Speaking at the presentation, Grasshopper 2.0 remarked,

"I was being pushed by the other DBSCers all the way.  It was a tougher competition than the nationals, particularly with the tide running out.)

All sailors enjoyed a great race up at VYC. And a marvellous BBQ at the DBSC clubhouse.  Once again Deb manned the BBQ and put in a strong claim to take over from PC. 

At the presentation, we enjoyed a wonderful speech from Graham Reed/Reid/Read.  He is a living legend. First joined VYC in October 1944 as  a twelve year old.  Won a Laser masters world title in 1999.  At a spritely 82 he still sails his Laser occasionally.  His recollection of sailing on the harbour during the war was fascinating. His name is on the VYC honour boards 62 times (there's an aspirational target for Dear Leader). And they still spelled his name wrong on his trophy!  

Yet again the VYC/DBSC challenge provided good racing and comradery. It's a great event on our calendar.

All racks should be vacated on Saturday....

....between 12.30pm and 4.00pm while the Rolex Vaucluse Challenge is being raced.

At this stage, there's a pleasant, albeit cool 15-18 knot S/E forecast, with a run out tide.  Flatish water, solid hiking, a few shifts to keep us on our toes. Great autumn conditions. 

As Dear Leader will point out in the briefing, numbers matter.  The more DBSC boats the better, particularly when requiring the French boats to adhere to the rules.  Nothing feels better than beating the French on their own track. Obviously, DBSC boats will politely waive through better performing DBSC boats when the full and radial fleets start to mix during the races.

Last year Yacht Club de Vaucluse won the battle in French territorial waters, but DBSC won the war when the 2nd leg was held in Australian waters and the totals were combined.  On Saturday, let's aim to remind our friends that you can lose home games: Waterloo!

Briefing with Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt at 1pm

Splash at 1.25pm.  We will hold back as we expect a quick run to the battlefield.

Starting signal at 2.00pm, sharp!

Full rigs go first, then radials.  ONE longer race only for each class.  

Retire to DBSC for BBQ and distribution of the spoils of war:

-  Club challenge shield

-  Graham Reed trophy for radial interclub champion

-  Dene Bergman trophy for standard interclub champion. 

Speaking on ESPN tonight, the People's Prince elaborated:

"The RVC is one of the biggest events on Sydney Harbour.  Not only is the sailing world class, but we are building international relations with an ethic group much maligned by US Republicans and Fox News: the French.  Fortunately our new world residents have rejected the rudeness that their old world compatriots so proudly retain. 

To reinforce the importance of the event, Malcolm is asking Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to present the trophies.  If she can't make it, hopefully Lucy will do it."

Welcome to our newest members

Our two newest members reflects in a microcosm the cultural diversity that is one of the strengths of our club.

Starting in reverse chronological order, Sam-Bo who is a native of the furthest western edge of the Sydney Metropolitan area is our latest Radial Laser sailor.

Commenting on her successful application to the club, she enthused:

"I used to sail Lasers many years ago and when I occasionally podiumed at regattas people asked me whether I was a DBSC member because they knew I was from Western Sydney.  I didn't have the confidence then to join what is one of the globe's strongest fleets.  With the opportunity to do Learn to Race and with competition at the back of the fleet to push myself, I decided to bite the bullet and apply to join."

Also, joining us from Monaco is Hadrien, who has a different reason for joining:

"I didn't feel comfortable at my old club in Monaco. It wasn't the lack of a competitive world class racing fleet as there are lots of 100 footers there that are professionally skippered (the owners can't sail), but the fact I couldn't speak Russian.  I'm really looking forward to getting into the DBSC scene, but need help in an appropriate boat name.  Princess Grace was one suggestion, any others?"    

Rear-Commodore, Ozzy, announcing the acceptance of the membership applications exclaimed:

"Bonza!"

Request For Proposal

Following Saturday's Full and Radial wins in a Club Championship round,  Team Alexander is seeking proposals from suitably qualified parties for the extension to their pool room.  

Volunteers for this Saturday - 14 March 2015

We require a CoCOTD for this Saturday to assist in conducting Club Championships Heats 13 and 14.

Would volunteers please email vice.commodore@dbsc.com.au or call on 0418 967 523.  Thanks.

Normal service recommences with Learn to Race

Hi All,
 
Learn to Race is on again this Saturday morning. This is to make up for last weekend as we couldn’t hold it due to DBSC hosting a regatta. 
 
We’ll discuss efficient ways to handle the mainsheet and tiller at the same time, hiking technique, boat set-up, boat handling and then some short course sailing. We’ll have two coach boats on the course.
 
Start time: meet at 9am at DBSC, on the water by 10.15am, return to club by 12 noon.
 
If you need to hire a boat please fill in the club form online if not already done.
 
Please let me know by email if you are attending.

Many thanks,

"Blackie"
DBSC volunteer coach
+61 410 627 743

.... AND CONTINUES WITH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

2pm Saturday 14th March SHARP.  Please behave on the line and let's have no general recalls. 

2 Club Championship Races

No post sailing BBQ.  We're holding eating off until next week when we (hopefully) win the VYC/DBSC Challenge.  Speaking of which, on 21st we must launch by 1.20pm to sail up to the waters of the French Enclave to race.