Laser Racing

We had 35 boats for our Club Championship racing last Saturday.  It was another gusty shifty southerly, averaging around 15 knots, and this time we raced up into the entrance of Rose Bay.

The winners were as follows: in the Standards, Mark Bethwaite and Rod Barnes, in the Radials, Campbell Patton and Marlena Berzins, and in the 4.7s, Otto Henry (our newest member – see below) and Daniel Costandi.

Marlena Crossing the Finish Line

Thank you to our PRO, Jonathan Stone, assisted by Clare Alexander, and our COTD, Julian van Aalst, assisted by James Leaver and Charlotte Alexander.  And thanks to our rostered canteen volunteer, Nick Pellow, who assisted our dedicated regular team of Paul, Andrea and Shirley.

This week was significant; it was the inaugural session of the Brett Beyer Saturday program (which be referred to from now on as the BBSP).  It was a huge success, with 22 subscribers receiving on-water tips, a post-racing briefing in the clubhouse, and individual reports to come.  If you’re not in the program and you passed someone wearing a coloured bib, savour that moment because Brett has promised it won’t be occurring in 10 weeks’ time!

Coast Championships

This coming weekend is the Coast Championships at Gosford Sailing Club.  Could you please let Ian Alexander know if you plan to attend (email ianalexander1@optusnet.com.au).  The notice of race is here and you can sign up here.

For those who choose to sail at home on Saturday, it will be sprint racing.  As usual, the briefing will be at 1pm, with the first warning signal at 2pm. 

NSW State Championships

As widely flagged, Double Bay Sailing is hosting the NSW State Championships on 18/19 November. This is an honour for the club, and a very exciting event, with 150+ boats expected to attend.  

We want to make an impressive showing, with DBSC boats featuring prominently in the fleet – so we encourage every sailor at the club to sign up and sail in this event – even if you are not that experienced.  Sailing in a big fleet is a memorable experience, and this is a rare chance to do it at home.  It would be amazing if we could get a record fleet size from our club of 60 boats!

Please sign up for the event here.  

Volunteers Needed for States

While the State Championships is an exciting event for the club, it is also a challenge.  We need to be very organised to make sure that the club is presented well, and to ensure we do everything possible to help the Laser Class Association make the event a success.

So, we need a host of volunteers on the day (and for working bees in the lead-up).  Here are the “positions vacant” – we need people to volunteer for each of these please:

(a)    Parking – we need someone to operate the gate to Double Bay Primary School and collect the parking fee, all of which will be donated to the school.  This will run from 9.00am until about 11.30am on the Saturday and from 8.00am to about 9.30am on the Sunday.  People who are intending to sail can volunteer for this.  If you can do this for an hour or more, please email Pippa: phillippa_batchelor@hotmail.com

(b)   Support vessels – we need two experienced volunteers for the finish boat to assist Leanne Narborough and Ros Read record the finish for both days. We also need one experienced volunteer for the start boat (the Jazzman) for both days to help Col Chidgey (PRO for the regatta) and Clare (driver and assistant PRO).  Col has asked for people who are “smart and don’t get seasick”.   If you think you fit that description, please contact Michael: mosborne@osborneslawyers.com.au

(c)    Rigging area management – we need people from 9.00am onwards on the Saturday and about 8.30am onwards on the Sunday to assist Martin White and Pat Levy direct traffic through Steyne Park.  Sunday is particularly important because we must share the park with the 18s.  Again, people who are sailing can volunteer for this.  If you can help with this, please contact Martin: mwhite@universalmagazines.com.au

(d)   Canteen – Paul needs help running the canteen for the weekend.  We need help on Saturday from 9.00am until 11.00am and after racing for the post-race BBQ, and we need help on Sunday from about 8.30am until 10.00am and again after racing for the post-race BBQ.  People who are sailing can also volunteer for this.  If you can help with this, please contact Paul: p.adam@unsw.edu.au

(e)   Beach clean up – there will be a beach clean-up two-weeks prior, on 4 November after racing finishes, as low tide is around 3.15pm. All we need is a small amount of time when people come back ashore prior to de-rigging.  We will have supplies of gloves and some bags.  If you can help with this, please contact Justin:  JDavey@ozspan.com

(f)     Club preparation working bee – there will be a working bee one-week prior on 11 November at 11.00am to prepare the club for the event.  All it will mean is getting to the club a little bit earlier than normal so we hope many members can help and show their pride in one of the premier Laser racing clubs in Australia. Details of the work to be done will be set out in next week’s newsletter.  If you can help with this, please contact Justin:  JDavey@ozspan.com

Brett Beyer Lecture Series

Because we know you can’t get enough of our club super-coach, Brett Beyer, we are going to run a lecture series on selected Wednesday nights during the season, starting at 8pm.

The first of these will be on 1 November – on the topic of sail shape and trim.  

The cost is $21 per head, which includes Brett’s lecture, as well as pizza on arrival.  Drinks are available for the usual canteen prices under our usual “honesty system”.  Here is a Try Booking link for those interested – you must get a ticket in advance to attend.

Boat Repair Clinic

One of the suggestions in the DBSC Laser Sailors Survey was that we host a boat repair clinic for members.  

Our master-tinkerers, Craig Sheers and Ian Alexander, have kindly offered to host this event.  The plan is to do it in two parts – a boat inspection day on 28 October and a boat repair day on 11 November.

So, if there is anything wrong with your boat, be at the clubhouse at 9am on 28 October, problems in hand, so our experienced appraisers can take stock of what is needed.  You will be provided with a shopping list and will need to purchase the supplies prior to the boat repair day.  Beware, some of you might be told simply to purchase a new boat!

The boat repair day will start at 8am on 11 November.  Could we ask everyone who is handy with Laser repairs to volunteer to assist Craig and Ian with this task – email Ian at ianalexander1@optusnet.com.au.

Brett Beyer Wednesday Program

The Brett Beyer Wednesday program (now called the BBWP) is going ahead!  We are fully subscribed with ten participants!

Racing will start on water at 5.30pm this Wednesday, 18 October.  All are welcome to attend and sail in the races, whether a subscriber to the program or not.

We are committed to making twilight sailing a success again this year.  One of the important ingredients in this is certainty for all participants – if you are going to come (whether a subscriber to the program or not), please respond to Peter Collie’s Doodle Poll, which he sends to all members every Wednesday (let him know if you don’t receive it – social@dbsc.com.au).  And if you do respond yes, then please turn up!

Season Opening Sailors’ Dinner

This week is the last week to get your tickets to the Season Opening Sailors’ Dinner to be held on 27 October.  RSVPs will close this Saturday, so don’t procrastinate any longer.  Do it now while you remember – get your ticket here.  This is going to be a very fun night with an amazing group of people at an equally amazing venue.  Please join us.

Another Champion Joins

We welcome our newest member, Otto Henry, who will be sailing over from RSYS in a 4.7.  Otto is a former twice national Opti champion and current national 420 champion, now sailing in a laser.  And BTW, that means he has some skills, as he showed with a telling first place in his first ever race at DBSC!  Please look out for Otto and introduce yourself to him on the course.  He has also joined the Brett Beyer Wednesday program, so please say hello to him there too.

Otto in his Opti

Boat Needed for States

We have been approached by an interstate sailor who needs a Laser for the States. If you’d like to charter your boat out to a very competitive women's sailor, who’s part of the Australian Laser Radial Women's Squad, please contact Clare Alexander at secretary@dbsc.com.au.