Major Club Repairs

As previously advised, soon you'll notice some repairs being undertaken underneath the clubhouse.

The structure is 60 years old and we've had a survey undertaken of the water level structures.  As you'd expect, some of the piling is beyond salvage, and we've opted for replacement of 5 piles as a matter of urgency.  This involves cutting the pile away between the club floor and seabed levels and inserting a new pile.  The old pile below sand level is retained and used.  It will cost close to $60,000 for establishment, replacement of 5 piles and replacing some  headstock bolts (so the club doesn't float away at high tide). There's no impact on our use of the club while the work is undertaken.

This is a massive hit on our reserves, but that's why we have reserves.  Without a clubhouse, our club is in strife.  Further, we need to budget that this program will continue every second year for about 10 years as all the piles are renewed. 

We have a few strategies to fund the work:

• We're going to have to increase annual subs.  We haven't increased fees for 6 or more years, but the golden streak is about to be over. Members with boats in the club will pay $100 extra per year.  Other sailors should budget $50, and non sailing members $50.  In addition we are hoping members will consider making a $100 tax deductible donation to the DBSC program developed in partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation.
• We're hoping some members might enjoy taking advantage of a bigger tax deduction. 

• in addition to paying higher subs, this year we're really going to need them paid promptly when the bill comes in April

Boat Insurance

REPEAT FROM LAST WEEK, BUT WITH LINK TO INSURANCE PAGE FIXED

Australian Sailing's insurance scheme with Nautilus is good value and pays a commission to DBSC.  

This week we received a pleasant surprise payment, as explained below. 

 Dear Member Club,
We have today made a deposit to your account in the amount of $ 201.16. Please note that this amount includes GST
This represents the total amount of Nautilus Insurance Commissions that members of you club have generated during the 2016 Calendar year.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thanks,
Brian Chalmers
brian.chalmers@sailing.org.au
On behalf of
Yachting NSW Inc

You can find the scheme HERE

RIB drivers needed for Sunday

We desperately require 2 RIB drivers for this Sunday @ the Metros.  

Can you help or know someone that will?  In return you'll get front row seats at Sydney Harbour's most prestigious sailing event, a few drinkies and I'll shout you a toastie. 

Will suit a young sailor's parent keen to watch the action.  C'mon...lend us a hand, please?

if so, please email vice.commodore@dbsc.com.au

Laser Metros @ DBSC this weekend

This weekend, DBSC is hosting the Laser Metros both Saturday & Sunday.

We encourage everyone to participate. We expect 100-130 boats and there will be sailors of all standards. If you can get around our usual course, you'll be fine. 

Enter on line through the nsw association website.

There will be a briefing 11.30 on Saturday. The racing starts early both days.   13.30. Saturday. 11.00 Sunday.

Each day will be 3 races, but as we will be running a different course with seperate start and finish lines, races will start before other fleets finish. So you can expect the 3 races won't take much longer than our usual 2 races. 

We have arranged car paring at Double Bay public school. $20 donation to the P&C buys two days of parking.

There will be an après sailing BBQ on Saturday and pre racing breakie on Sunday. 

As it's a NSW laser association event, you need to enter. More details and entry here 

Finally, we could do with help to make the event a success. If you can get to the club early on Saturday, you'll be useful.  

DBSC to host 17-18 Laser State titles

One for the diary. 

17-18 November 2017. NSW Open Laser championships.

Home track advantage. no excuses. 

Planning.

11th. Club Championships. No après sailing BBQ this week. 

18/19th. Laser Metros at DBSC. This is a NSWLA event, and we have to enter the event. You can do this on the day. Apres sailing snag sizzle both days. The canteen crew could do with some help this weekend, either in the canteen or on the tongs. Also we have arranged for weekend parking at DB Public school, in exchange for $20 donation to the P&C. 

DBSC victorious on and off water

DBSC has again retained the VYC Shield, awarded each year to the winner of the inter club challenge against our french friends from the eastern harbour. Sailed across two fleets on two days, we won every all 4 contests, so the win was comprehensive. 

After a shock defeat last year in the plate, a battle for the best après sailing hosting, DBSC bounced back courtesy of our spread and fancy beer served up in November. Thanks to Paul and his canteen crew for their classy vittles. 

The challenge is a great contest each year and we send a big shoutout to our friends from VYC for the hospitality and great sportsmanship. 

Australia Cleaned Up

Jonathan Stone, club Patron and chief DBSC Garbologist organiser reports....

Clean Up Australia Day (last Sunday 5 March) was a success again this year. A low tide at 8.30am meant that the cleaning was done mostly between 8.00 and 10.00am - before the rigging area was crowded for the 18 footers. Laser and big boat sailors from DBSC - and their partners and families - scoured our rigging area, the park beyond and the beaches east and west of the Clubhouse. A group of Cranbrook students touched base and spread through the park, and a small number of civic-minded members of the public contributed.

The haul was small, reflecting good public behaviour during the year (I saw little broken glass, no syringes, no half-burnt rags; even cigarette butts - the undegradable filter bits - seemed less prominent). The haul might have been bigger, but the last several days had seen southerly winds, blowing flotsam away from our beaches.

But we can only clear up what is there on the day; and that was done, and with a willing spirit.

My thanks to all who came by

Jonathan"

Many thanks to you Jonathan.  

As full as a fat kid's sock

Build it and they will come, they said.  So we built it and they have come in droves.

DBSC is a successful club and we are oversubscribed. We again have sailors wanting to join our racing and thus we're actively contacting and asking non sailors to vacate.  While it's not pleasant for the evicted, it's great for our club. if you are not a regular sailor, please consider vacating your rack to allow our club to prosper. 

For those with racking, newbies start in the penthouses.  Regular racers and contributors to club life get the best racks, newbies and less regular racers get the higher racks. Non sailors see above.

We regularly reallocate racks and did so last week.  Sometimes you'll see some boats in racks with tags on their stern. These boats need to be moved to their new position. If your boat is tagged to move lower, you might have to shift a few other TAGGED boats to make the move possible. Do it. It's worth it. 

Mike Leigh. Tonight. 1 March

The 3rd edition in an occasional series.  8pm, Wednesday 1 March at the clubhouse

 Mike Leigh will educate us on:

1. The science and black arts of downwind sailing. 
2. Self coaching

Cost is $20, which covers both your food, and Mike's wisdom.  

Previous sessions have been both widely attended and very, very educational.  Everyone (members and friends) are welcome to come.

Please use this link  to pay for the evening so that no cash has to be handed over and we can track the numbers so ordering pizza is relatively pain free.

Registrations close today at noon and NO walk ins (well, you can walk in but PLEASE book online)

 https://www.trybooking.com/260321