Laser Sailing Report

It was a perfect day for our season-opening Club Championship races.   Balmy sunshine and 10-13kts ENE/NE.  We had an excellent fleet of 44 boats turn out to race.
 
Jonathan Stone officiated, ably assisted by Clare Alexander on the Jazzman and Richard George and Glenn Crane on the RIBs.
 

A Full House for the Season Opener.

It was a tricky day, with pressure on the left then pressure on the right then pressure on the left then somewhere else again.  Those in the know were in the know.  And the rest of us were not.
 
In the 4.7s, Race 1 was won by Brooke Wilson and Race 2 by Ryan Littlechild.  In the Radials, Dennis Kuhlman, Jack Littlechild and Zac West fought it out at the front, with the winners ultimately being Dennis in Race 1 and Jack in Race 2.  In the Standards, Mike Dunne’s practice for the Worlds was clearly showing with a first in the Race 1, ahead of Mark Bethwaite, and a third in Race 2, behind Mark Bethwaite and Michael Osborne, whose Mark Bethwaite-supplied numbering system appears to be working for him.  These are unofficial results, with the official results still pending publication.
 
Thank you for an excellent post-race BBQ to the kitchen crew – Paul Adam, Shirley Roach, Andrea Bergman, Susan Yates (our new canteen volunteer – please introduce yourself to her) and Mark Crowhurst (our rostered canteen volunteer for the day) – and of course to Peter Collie and helpers on the BBQ.
 
This coming Saturday is Heats 1 and 2 of the Point Score.  Briefing at 1pm, first warning signal at 2pm.

A Great Start to the 2017-18 Season. 

Brett Beyer Saturday Sailing Program

We now have 18 people signed up for the Brett Beyer Saturday Sailing Program.  This program will commence on 14 October and will run for ten weeks.
 
Subscriptions to this program close on Sunday.  So, if you want to participate (and we expect you will get real benefits if you do), please email training@dbsc.com.au by 5pm Sunday.  
 
You need to include your name, your rig size, your price point and your bib size.  Payment via trybooking will follow in next week’s newsletter.

Amended Date – Season Opening Sailors’ Dinner

We realised during the week that the proposed date for the Season Opening Sailors’ Dinner is when several of our sailors are away at the Worlds and is also at the start of the school holidays.
 
So, we have CHANGED the date.  The new date is Friday, 27 October.  Same details otherwise – RPEYC, 7.00pm for 7.30pm.  Invitations and payment via trybooking will follow.

Emergency Contact Details

We have had 68 people provide their up to date details, including emergency contact details.  Can we please ask the other 36 members to provide theirs too?  Here is the link.  This is very important for the club.

A Grand Entrance

No more shoving boats up the 10cm step, over the makeshift conveyor-belt-rubber ramp.  We now have a level entrance to the clubhouse, which will match the height of the lawn once it is resurfaced commencing 25 September.  Thank you to Mark Bethwaite, Geoff Kirk and Rod Barnes who led the initiative, assisted enthusiastically by Jim Dounis, David Murphy, Craig Sheers and Shirley Roach.

Rod Barnes bossing the pour.

Mooloolaba National Masters Clinics

DBSC will be prioritising, promoting and coordinating attendance by a large contingent of our sailors to the National Masters at Mooloolaba in February.  The dates are 9-12 February, 2018.  So, put them in your calendars now!
 
In the meantime, two Brett Beyer Coaching Clinics are being promoted by the Queensland Laser Association and Australian Sailing.  These will be held offshore at Mooloolaba on 3-4 February 2018 and 6-7 February 2018 respectively.
 
The cost is $250 for the two-day clinic.  This does not include food, drinks or accommodation.
 
There is a maximum of 10 places for each clinic.  In the event of oversubscription, participants will be selected from the applicants at random.  Registration closes 30 September 2017.
 
If you are interested, you can apply through the following links:
       Click here for 3-4 February  
       Click here for 6-7 February

Boat Hire Wanted

We have had an enquiry from a 19yo female sailor from WA (who was previously part of the youth sailing team).  She wants to complete in the States at DBSC and is seeking a good boat to hire for the weekend.  Please let Clare Alexander know if you are interested in hiring out your boat – secretary@dbsc.com.au.
 

Survey Instalment 2 – Sailing

In the DBSC Laser Sailors’ Survey, we asked for your ideas and opinions.  And we got lots!
 
Thanks to everyone who contributed – we are listening to you and are taking all suggestions seriously.
 
The list is so long, that we are going to address them in the newsletter over a few weeks.  This week’s instalment covers the topic of sailing.  Next week’s instalment will cover the topics of training, rack positions and rigging.  There will be two more instalments after that. 
 
(a)    Saturday sailing

• Get more boats on water – marketing committee formed (headed by Justin Davey)
• Get more top quality sailors – invitations to Sunday racing clubs; closer liaison with youth coaches/parents
• Better race management (outside Club Championships) – second PRO appointment under consideration
• Race management training – informal training available (ask if you’re interested)
• Delay Standard start when Radials are approaching – PROs are aware of this issue (no perfect solution)
• Less downtime between races – PROs are aware of this issue (no perfect solution)
• Three races in Club Championships – no time for three, will remain as two
• More drops in Point Scores – six drops being considered vs current four (details to be confirmed)
• Competition divisions within each fleet – this is under consideration (no guarantees)
• Better rules understanding and adherence – rules night and “rule of the day” to be arranged
• Protest / collision review committees – “honour” system to remain
• Less rudeness / “shouty” sailors – rudeness is discouraged (follow up off the water)
• GPS tracking system for races – Brett Beyer Saturday Program offers this 

(b)   Twilight sailing 

• Better attendance – attendance breeds attendance, structure will help
• Structured racing – Brett Beyer Wednesday Program provides this (details to come)
• Coaching – Brett Beyer Wednesday Program provides this too
• Turn up if you say you will – Doodle continues, please use it and honour your commitment
• Change to a different day – demand seems to favour Wednesdays, no change proposed

(c)    Other sailing

• Structured winter racing – fortnightly race series under consideration (details to be confirmed)
• Start winter sailing later – it must be early before the wind dies
• Increased regatta attendance – Laser Rep will promote regattas and coordinate attendance
• Maintain A18s relationship – ongoing close relationship and open dialogue

Big Boat Sailing Report

Written by Jonathan Stone

Five boats presented on a sparkling afternoon. The harbour was largely empty, the day spring-warm. The unusual thing about it was a powerful northeasterly, running 18 knots and gusting to 25 knots. Somebody said there was a ‘blizzard in the mountains’ sucking air to the south. Anyway, it was very northerly and very steady, a good heavy sailing wind. But probably not a sea-breeze.

Our start line isn’t easy in a northerly; much of our manoeuvring area is in the lee of Clarke Island; it easy to be trapped. You sail in there to fix some rigging problem, and you can’t get out in time. As we planned our approaches, and Amelia prepared to sound the horn, Corinna was caught in the lee, and others took a cautious approach, staying in the wind further south. T&T made the best of it by sailing on the course side of the line 30 seconds before the start, ducking back along the line, which was windy, and tacking to cross - keeping clear of the lee.

Corinna was not far behind however and we rounded the first mark, at Point Piper, we were on even terms. Calypso Magic had however sailed over the top of us both; she is a fast boat and sailed away from us all. From Point Piper to Taylor’s Bay was a soldier’s work, on starboard; and from Taylor’s Bay to Sow’n Pigs a full work. Calypso Magic continued to move away, and Corinna edged away from T&T. Smitten and Chenonceau chased the smaller boats to the top mark, at Sow’n Pigs, which had to be judged by us all. With the luxury of a good lead, Corinna over stood the mark and made turn with ease. On T&T, trying to close that lead, we tacked earlier and for once got it right, rounding with a small margin to spare. Smitten ducked and weaved and had a conversation with the mark.

And then we all headed straight downwind, to Shark Island, with 20 knots of breeze behind us. Only Calypso Magic flew a kite; there were some minor dramas with her spinnaker, but her lead survived. The wind showed sufficient variation that even without spinnakers we had to manage carefully - to run by the lee (and risk an unintended gybe) or veer left and right, clear Steele Point and hope it added up to the direction you wanted.

In the event, we all managed the run, gybed at the Shark Island mark (or before) and had an easy reach to the finish.

It was heavy weather sailing, but fun.

Across the line:

Calypso Magic
Corinna
Time & Tide
Smitten
Chenonceau

Drinks in the Clubhouse after the race heard the usual chatter about the afternoon, and talk of the upcoming Laser Worlds, in Croatia. Smitten’s skipper, Simon, together with Martin, were packing for the trip.

We race next in October, on the 8th of October (not the 1st, to avoid the long weekend).

This Week's Snapshot

With the official start to the 2017-18 Season on Saturday, this week’s newsletter is chockers. So, we thought it would be helpful to provide a brief snapshot of everything that’s going on. Read the list below, then scroll down for more details on everything. Looking forward to seeing you out on the water this weekend!  

1. Working bee this Friday at 2pm. We need 6 people to help with concrete formwork in advance of rigging area re-turfing. Please email property@dbsc.com.au to volunteer. 

2. Save the date for the Season Opening Sailors Dinner at RPEYC at 7pm on Friday, 22 September. All club volunteers and non-sailing members welcome too!

3. Please indicate interest ASAP in the Brett Beyer Saturday Sailing Program by emailing name, rig size, price point and bib size to training@dbsc.com.au.

4. Club Championship this Saturday at 2pm (briefing 1pm) and Sunday Sprints splash at 8am.

5. New sailing instructions published with a few changes. The most important is this: one turn outside the zone, two turns inside the zone (hitting a mark remains one turn).

6. We need your details, especially sail numbers, so we can record your results!  Please fill in the form here before Saturday.

7. Survey results first instalment – the exciting details are below.

8. Successful dolly working bee last Saturday. Thanks to everyone who participated, and to Mark Bethwaite for the initiative and Pat Levy for organizing.

9. Big Boats set to sail this Sunday at 1pm. Let Jonathan Stone know if you can make it: jonathanston@gmail.com.