Please pay your fees ASAP!

Subscription notices are out, we need the money in!

When you are next at the club, please pay attention to the lovely new piles we have had installed.  The 5 dodgiest piles have been replaced and the club isn’t going to fall down. Then have a good look underneath and admire the new headstock bolts that hold the club to the piles, and be happy that the club isn’t going to float away.  Finally stroll to the deck and be satisfied that the davits have been improved and won't collapse anytime soon.  The club is in tip top physical shape, but it has cost us a bomb.  We need your subs money to pay for it.

About 22% of you have paid, and we thank those.  As for the rest of you, its time to pay up, please.  EFT and add your name to the reference.  If you need time to rustle up the money, please let us know and we’ll make arrangements.

Don’t forget to make a tax deductible donation to the Australian Sports foundation… you’ll feel better knowing Malcolm and the ATO are subsidising your sailing club!

5th edition of ESSSS

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

There is no formal racing scheduled for Easter Saturday.  However, since 2013 we have conducted club racing sprints on Easter Saturday to improve boat handling skills while addressing the calorific chocolate overload in advance.

This Easter 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. (NB: the Easters coincide this year, as they do every four years) 

Format will be very similar to last year: very quick turnarounds between numerous races. Three (3) minute sequences.  Remember, 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.

AGM / 2017-18 Committees

The AGM and Presentation is scheduled for 26 May

Its always great night with minimal formality and maximum frivolity. Regarding formality, I will be standing down as Commodore at the AGM.  We have identified a fantastic replacement who will have far greater time and energy to throw at the job than I have recently, so I'm happy that the club will be in better hands than ever.

But, we DBSC could always do with more help.  If you're not sure how you can help out, simply ask myself, Clare, Michael, Andrew or Geoff.  Or anyone else.  We're not big on formalities and titles; we'll give you a role as big or as small as you want. 

Editor's Note:  Originally, known as Grasshopper (1.0) when he was Vice Commodore to Dear Leader, Luke later was given the honorary title of the People's Prince once he snatched the pebbles from Dear Leader and became Commodore, and because of his superb people skills (i.e. he wasn't an engineer).  A fine contributor to the club, and good example to all the kiddies and millennials who have recently joined the club!

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.