Get well (again) Peter.

Our mate Peter Redmond has recovered well from his previous illness and made a good recovery. So good that he was recently surfing when he was run over by a 130 kg kook.  Peter now has a badly broken arm requiring surgery. 

Get well Peter. And when you do get well, remember laser sailing is less dangerous.  

Race Planning for rest of season.

15 April. Super Easter Saturday Sprints.   

22 April. Final Pointscore of season. 2pm start. we have less daylight SO STAY BEHIND THE START LINE!!!!!

29 April. Final Club Championship races. Après racing end of season BBQ

Sail a Laser, see the world(s)

Dear Leader has forwarded information about the Master and Standard worlds.  For masters, the priority rule is pretty much first in, best dressed.  For youngsters, there is a qualification and ranking system that Finn can tell you about

From: International Laser Class [mailto:office@laserinternational.org].......
 
Dear ILCA District Officer,
 
Applications for entry for the following 2017 ILCA Laser World Championships will open Tuesday, 4 April:
 
   2017 ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship
   2017 ILCA Laser Masters World Championships
 
Information about the ILCA Laser World Championships can be found through our Events page: https://sailing.laserinternational.org/

We are requesting all National Laser Classes to notify any of their sailors who may be interested in attending either of these championship regattas to complete an application form when it becomes available.
 
Please ensure your sailors are aware that if they do not apply by the 16 May 2017 application deadline they may have little chance to receive an entry offer.

If possible, please publish the information below on your district website and send an email to any sailors from your country that meet the age criteria for these championships. For your convenience, you may cut and paste the information below the red line into an email for your members.

Thank you for your help in spreading the word about this event.

Best regards,
The ILCA Team
__________________________________________________
 
Dear District Members,
  
Applications for entry will open Tuesday, 4 April 2017 at 00:01 Central US time (about 4pm Wednesday 5th AST)  for the following ILCA World Championship regattas:
 
     2017 ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship
     2017 ILCA Laser Masters World Championship
 
For all events, The deadline for receiving paid applications for initial allocation of places is 16 May 2017 at 23:59 Central US Time. 
  
You are encouraged to complete an entry application as soon as possible after it becomes available. Please be aware that if you do not apply by 16 May 2017, you may have little chance of receiving an entry offer. 
  
The links below will take you to the event information sites with access to applications and additional information about each championship, including the Notice of Race and the district entry allocations.
  
2017 ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship
•  Dates: Tuesday, 12 September – Tuesday, 19 September 2017
•  Venue: Split, Croatia
•  Click HERE for Laser Standard Men World Championship Information & Application                  
2017 ILCA Laser Masters World Championships
•  Dates: Thursday, 21 September – Saturday, 30 September 2017
•  Venue: Split, Croatia
•  Click HERE for Laser Masters World Championship Information & Application                 
We look forward to seeing you on the water!
 
Best regards,
The ILCA Team
 

Big Boat Race Report

It was a cool, blowy, showery day; a very gusty southeaster, and lots of rain about.

In the event, 6 boats presented and had a fun race. We had the Harbour largely to ourselves, and loads of wind.

The gate start went wen well enough; as T&T sailed from the Darling Point wharf towards Clarke Island, all was very slow, as we were in the lee of the Point. Chenonceau was the first to cross behind us and took off like a startled rabbit; Corinna was uncharacteristically slow to start, but soon we were all out of the lee, steaming across Double Bay on a squarish reach. Chenonceau made the best of it, and gybed first at Point Piper, and headed for Taylor’s Bay on reach just ahead of square; G-Forcefollowed, with T&T the first of the smaller yachts, then Smitten, Umbakumba, with Corinna last

Smitten on the hunt.... 

Chenonceau led all the way to the bottom mark at Sow’n Pigs; behind her Smitten pushed past Time & Tide to challenge G-Force for second pace. Throughout all this, only Corinna had flown a spinnaker, seeking to make ground from a slow start. Make ground she did, but getting the kite down cost time and she was still well back at the bottom mark.

The windward leg, from Sown’n Pigs to Shark Island, was decisive. Chenonceau andTime & Tide both lost places, unable to maintain height in the very gusty (15-25 knot) breeze. G-Force took the lead, Smitten moved into second and Corinna into third, sailing an impressive unwind leg along the left side of the course.

 Big boat race 2 April 2017: Smitten challenging G-Force for second place, at the bottom mark (at Sow ’n Pigs). The challenge was successful, but by the finish G-Force had come back to win line honours. Photo courtesy of of G-Force’s skipper (Edward Strike)

The last leg was gusty but uneventful, a reach just forward of square; except for Smitten, which suffered a mechanical hitch, and lost a couple of places.

The rain stayed away until we had all unrigged and were ashore; except perhaps for Gerry in Umbakumba, who had an hour’s run to his mooring in Balmain.

Over the line:

G-Force

Chenonceau

Corinna

Smitten

Umbakumba

Time & Tide

Crews from all the other yachts enjoyed a drink, with a rain squall thumping the Clubhouse roof.

We are glad enough to have escaped the rain; the wind had dominated the afternoon, we had all coped and the race had been enjoyable

We sail again the first Sunday in May

Jonathan

CYC Youth Scholarships

Each year our friends at the CYC offer part scholarships for youth sailors for over winter.  If you know someone who is interested, please let us know.  

Details here

I wouldn't be flying through Seoul.

Dear Comrades,

Applications for entry will open Tuesday, 4 April 2017 at 00:01 Central US time for the following ILCA World Championship regattas:

     2017 ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship 

     2017 ILCA Laser Masters World Championship

For all events, The deadline for receiving paid applications for initial allocation of places is 16 May 2017 at 23:59 Central US Time. 

You are encouraged to complete an entry application as soon as possible after it becomes available. Please be aware that if you do not apply by 16 May 2017, you may have little chance of receiving an entry offer. 

The links below will take you to the event information sites with access to applications and additional information about each championship, including the Notice of Race and the district entry allocations.

2017 ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship 

·  Dates: Tuesday, 12 September – Tuesday, 19 September 2017

·  Venue: Split, Croatia

·  Click HERE for Laser Standard Men World Championship Information & Application                  

2017 ILCA Laser Masters World Championships 

·  Dates: Thursday, 21 September – Saturday, 30 September 2017

·  Venue: Split, Croatia

·  Click HERE for Laser Masters World Championship Information & Application                 

We look forward to seeing you bringing glorious benefit to the worker-sailors of DBSC!

PS: We understand that Trumpistan might want to try some diplomacy on North Korea before telling South Korea.

61st People's Congress

...also known as the annual general meeting (Friday, 26 May 2017, 7pm)

The United Nations have done a survey and found that DBSC is the only organisation in the world with: (1) free and fair elections; (2) high growth prospects; (3) a happy and contented populace; and, most importantly, (4) managed seamless regime change over decades.  A number of our international friends, Ki-Moon, Kofi and Gareth-Gareth, have requested permission to send observers to our 61st People’s Congress.  We think they are also after the free drinks and food that are served to all attendees.

The people are happy here, possibly as a result of our "No dickhead" membership policy, but also because everyone is encouraged to get involved. Anyone who wants to get on our politburo (previously known by the sexist moniker, Management Committee, or ManCo) can put up their hand up in May and ask the people, and the people rarely turn down a volunteer.  Everyone who wants to contribute is given an opportunity throughout the year.

So please give it consideration. Fresh ideas and enthusiasm are the lifeblood of DBSC.

Big Boat Racing 2 April

Dear fellow sailors,

We race again on Sunday. A few points:

• Seabreeze promises af 10-15knot sou-easter. Should be great sailing!
• Daylight sailing will have ended; if I have it right, that morning. So the start will be at 1.00pm (editors note...big boaters adjust start time for daylight savings, Lasers do not)
• Could skippers please let me know whom to expect - thank you
• I will let you know about the start - I need to contact John Vasey
• Let me know if you want me to organise a hull clean

See you on the water
Jonathan

Resumption of normal transmissions.

Pointscore this weekend. 2pm start

Hopefully dry weather, some wind

Metro Wrap Up

DBSC hosted a wonderful Metropolitian Championships last weekend. 3 races for each fleet were held on each day.

Results are here. Marlena shone in the radials, Jack did well in the 4.7's and we did alright in the main event (Standards) too. 

The sailors that only raced on Saturday really missed out on a great day's racing on Sunday. In fact, the full rigs enjoyed it so much they snuck in a bonus lap between the 2nd and 3rd races. 

But the real stars of the weekend were the DBSC  volunteers. From Parking officials, park hosts, canteen crew, RIB drivers and a host of tasks in between, everyone chipped in and the event went off without a hitch from the DBSC side. Thank you one and all. 

We're all set to repeat the weekend when we host the State Titkes in November. It's going to be a cracker. 

Finally, your correspondent accidentally picked up a start watch in the men's shower room on Sunday afternoon. I'll leave it in canteen if it's yours.