State Titles at George's River 26-27 Nov.

The Laser State Championship will be held on 26th and 27th November at Georges River Sailing Club.  To encourage sailors to attend, there will be informal racing at DBSC on Saturday. 

Kevin Phillips writes....

This will be a great event leading up to Sail Sydney15-18 December and the Nationals in Adelaide over Christmas New Year.

Georges River SC is a great venue and with sailing out on the waters of Botany Bay we will enjoy the best of Sydney's summer breezes (promise).

The event Notice of Race isHERE. The Sailing Instructions areHERE.

You can enter onlineHERE. Entries will also be taken up to 11.30am on Saturday 26th November at the GRSC but you can save yourself something else to worry about on the day by entering online. You can see who has entered to dateHERE.

The Annual General Meeting of the NSW & ACT Laser Association will be held at the States at 9.00am on Sunday 27th November. Come along and have your say about how we manage and support Laser sailors and sailing. The Agenda for the AGM isHERE.

Cheers

Help needed this afternoon

Paul Adam, the RIB, not the club legend, had a rough outing last Sunday and needs repairs. We need to load it on the trailer this afternoon and get it inside for tube repairs.  We ask that everyone who joins for a twilight sail lend a hand. 

Mike Lee on Tactics and Stategy. 30 November

Wednesday 30 November 8pm-9.30pm, so late enough time for a twilight prior. Schools will be in wind down so juniors might also want to come along. Friends and family also welcome. 

$20 a head including fresh pizza, but there'll only be enough food if you book in advance via trybooking. 

Last Mike Lee night was a roaring success. Everyone picked up a few tips. The recently improved blokes beating you around the racecourse on Saturday were probably there.

Join the knowledge arms race and come along on 30 November. 

Boat Licence Course

PipNOTpia reports,

"It was a really fun beneficial course.  We were greeted with perfect conditions for power boating - limited wind, flat water and two rather fast boats.  A prompt start got us out on the water gaining a general appreciation of the responsibilities of a skipper (everything) and practicing low speed manoeuvring. Then onto the high speed manoeuvring and feeling like you were on a jet-boat experience, aptly followed by man overboard drills.

On the land we covered the theory in depth which moved at a pace that remained interesting and memorable, before some focused revision and the test.

So a fresh batch of DBSCers ready to take safety cover on the RIB’s."

Editor's note:  based on written test, if you need a rescue, you're best to look for Pippa, the dux of the class. 

RVC + WTF

For the first time in recorded history, a windward/leeward course was set with a starboard rounding. Your Commodore was flabbergasted, especially after he explicitly briefed the team that the course was set with a traditional port rounding 

Commenting on global dislocations, Dear Leader, elaborated:

"First, we have the leader-elect of the free world being a UPenn alumni.  Now, we are doing starboard rounding on simple up and back courses.  No wonder so many kiddies are giving up and getting tattoos and watching reality television four hours a day."

Our award winning film-maker, Kirk Scorsese, clarified Dear Leader's comments,

"He isn't a proper UPenn alum, as he transferred from Fordham in his junior year after his dad made a donation.....he probably thinks PBK is a strip club."

In any event, a starboard course and premature start meaning several DBSC guns were not even at the line were not enough to deter our Sailors. We did good. Scores DBSC 32, VYC 64.  Low score is better.  Return leg is on in March. 

Another highlight was the après sailing feast turned on by Paul and his delegate kitchen General, Andrea and the kitchen crew. BBQ salmon, steak, mushrooms and veggies, salads, breads and bottled beer made for a great meal. Our effort to win the celebrated plate could not be faulted.  Thanks to all.

RVC: Rolex Vaucluse Challenge starting in 5 minutes.

Just logged the call from the French enclave....no waiting.

Class action litigation

Unreasonable product failure.

DBSCers, like all LASERers, are used to paying high prices for LASER component, but it is time to take a stand.

Last week, a near-new bottom section purchased on 24 April 2005 failed in moderate 33 knot gusts.    This just shouldn't happen to premium products.  It was particularly annoying as Sydney Harbour was mostly empty of yachts due to an abundance of caution amongst yacht owners (who recognise that their boat handling ability is inversely proportional to the size of the boat they own so didn't race).  High prices should mean premium products, not catastrophic metal failures.

Fortunately, our world class volunteers on the water and in the clubhouse coordinated the rescue effort.  A special call-out to Deb, who not only makes toasties in the canteen but also helps exhausted sailors drag their boats out the water.  (Another special call-out to the Wise Master, who not only excels in keeping the technology ship-shape but has shared his baking results with the DBSCers.)

I call on all DBSCers who have experienced unreasonable product failures to join a class action to demand justice.

Club Championship and BBQ

We've got heats 5&6 of the club championship series this weekend, followed by a deckside BBQ and beverage opportunity. Sailors, family and special friends all welcome.  

New Member of the Year Award

DBSC New Member of the Year trophy based on a popular design.

Two early contenders for the New Member of the Year award: Amelia and Wade.

Amelia's claim to fame was to accept the wisdom of Ozzy's improptu course summary, which was incorrect (left the second sausage off).  The deep and unquestioning respect for the wisdom of older DBSC members is raucussly applauded: none of the usual Millennial rubbish.

Wade's claim to fame is that after racing he demonstrated that he had read the dollie rant by removing the dollie he had just unloaded from the clubhouse because no column of racks was fully occupied.

Only DBSCers who have been members for more than three years can place a single vote for the New Member of the Year award, so if you see someone new, introduce yourself so you can put a name to the those new members bringing glorious benefits to DBSC. 

Further nominees can be sent to newsletter@dbsc.com.au

PS:Life Members currently volunteering their time to the club get 10 votes each.

PPS: Any new member, or their parent, who makes 100 toasties on Sundays when the 18s race automatically wins the award (obviously toastie training will be provided by the #1 toastie producer, Mrs. Wise Master, so standards will be maintained)

Missing - but in action

Tableware specially designed for DBSC and enjoying our famous toasties, and now available to DBSC members to buy.

We haven't seen fellow DBSC member Dennis K on the water much lately.  In case you wondered why, and don't accept the official reason of 'recovering from injury', check out this site to see what he did with the time not spent on chasing Grasshopper 2.0, Smiley and Blackey: Felt & Co
 
If you thought about giving your home interior a fancy and colourful update than look no further. You will find beautiful tableware and decoration as well as nice little accessories for your favourite mobile device.  All items are made of 100% Merino wool felt sourced from Australia and New Zealand and hand finished in Germany.
 
The store is in its early stages and will be extended continuously.  To be kept in the loop about new arrivals and in particular the highly anticipated Xmas collection please sign up to the site's newsletter here.
 
Happy browsing!