RIB and Canteen Volunteers Wanted

The 18 footers will be holding their world championship event, the JJ Giltinan, on 3-10 March.  DBSC commits each year to provide a response boat driver for each day of the event. We have the weekends sorted (thanks to John Vasey), but we need assistance each weekday from 2-4pm (Monday 5th to Friday 9th March).  Could you please let Mark Crowhurst (treasurer@dbsc.com.au) know if you are able to assist?

Paul Adam has also requested volunteers who are willing to assist in the canteen on Sundays during the 18 footers’ racing season (which ends on 18 March).  HE PARTICULARLY NEEDS HELP THIS COMING SUNDAY, 14 JANUARY, when all the other regular canteen volunteers will be away, and he will be holding the fort by himself.  The canteen makes a lot of money for the club (and the 18 footers are big contributors to this).  Any help you can provide to Paul would be greatly appreciated – if you can help, please email Paul directly at p.adam@unsw.edu.au.

World Championships in 2018

If you are interested in attending any of the ILCA Laser world championship events in 2018, please note the following details in relation to timing of applications:

- For the Radial Men's World Championship, the Under-21 World Championships and the 4.7 Youth World Championships, applications will be open from 9 January to 20 February.

- For the Radial Youth World Championships and the Laser Masters World Championships, applications will be open from 1 March to 12 April.

The details of all these events can be found found here and the Australian entry ranking criteria for each can be found here. 

Note that the Standard Men's World Championship and the Radial Women's World Championship will be organised by World Sailing not the ILCA.   Links to the details of these events can also be found here.

National Championships Results

Congratulations to all our sailors who competed in the Oceania & Australian Open Championships at RQYS last week.  We had a fleet of 13 boats from DBSC, representing an impressive 8% of the total national pool of entrants.  

It was tough competition in every fleet. Our top performers were Sylvie Stannage (8th in the 4.7s), Marlena Berzins (12th in the Radials) and Finn Alexander (5th in the Standards). Finn also brought home the Under-21’s first place trophy. Our highest finish positions were recorded by Brooke Wilson (2nd in Race 1 of the 4.7s), Zac West (5th in Race 2 of the Radials) and Finn Alexander (2nd in Race 2 of the Standards – ahead of Matt Wearn).

The full results are available here.

DBSC Pennant Spotted All Over the World

This one flying from the back of Adrian Bull's RIB at a regatta on the Firth of Forth in Scotland.  The iconic Forth Bridge, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of Scotland, is in the background.  Many of you will remember Adrian, one of Gerry Donohoe's mates, who came to our club each summer for a couple of years and drove the Paul Adam for us each week.

Saturday Sprints

Get ready to race in 2018… sprints are on this Saturday, 6 January, with a 2pm race start. Our formal sailing calendar picks up again on 13 January with Autumn Point Score 1 & 2. Hope to see you there. 

January Twilights

There’s no official twilight sailing Wednesday 3 January, but if you want to go for a sail tonight (or any other time) with others should, please post on The Top Mark. There will be informal twilights on 10 January and 17 January, with formal twilights recommencing 24 January.

It's Okay Not to Race

Written by Jonathan Stone

At some point, every Laser sailor has had the experience - the race is on but the wind is building to uncomfortable levels. Do I race?

Part of you wants take it on. The reaches would be a blast; if you could just complete the race, it would be a personal PB, an achievement.

But you also have the ‘skipper’s responsibility’ for your own safety. Maybe you are coming back from an injury that could go wrong and you would end up limping home, the injury made worse. If you needed a tow, it would take a RIB off the course, leaving the remaining fleet less protected.

What's the right decision?  It’s never clear, ahead of the race.

A couple of weekends ago, two Double Bay sailors saw the wind building over 20 knots. They opted out, manned the second RIB and, when a fierce squall hit the fleet, they were there, on course. As it turned out, our fleet managed fine. The race was cancelled; our sailors either went into ‘survival upright’ mode or laid their boat over, until the squall passed.

But other club’s fleets were in more strife - small keelboats and old-style skiffs. In wild conditions our RIBs provided reassurance to many crews, and rescued several.

They earned respect and appreciation for the Club, for themselves and - most important - they protected lives.

They contributed to racing in an important way.

So yes, it’s alright not to race.

Video of the Week

Mike and Jerry’s Irish cousins prefer cruising to racing:

Tyrell and Rousso Wrap-up

It was a sparkling clear, warm Sydney afternoon with a strengthening north easter and an outgoing tide – what a great day for our annual Christmas fixtures, the Tyrell and the Rousso. 

These are prestigious races, each with a perpetual trophy that includes some lofty names in sailing. And they are a fun format too. 

The Rousso is a scratch race with a massed start, comprising all boats in all classes starting at once.  By tradition, everyone wears a Santa hat for some great photos of the start. A yardstick is applied to the winner in each of the classes to determine the overall winner. 

Santas Sailing.

The Tyrell is a handicapped chase, with the slowest boat starting first and successive faster boats hunting each other down as they start over the next 5-10 minutes per their handicap, making for perhaps the most competitive and exciting race of the season. 

Dene Bergman presented a short biography on Dick Tyrell and Mano Rousso, which will be posted in the coming weeks in the history section of the website. He also presented the club with two new permanent trophies to replace the now-aging originals. 

In the Rousso, the winners were Rod Barnes in the Standards and Martin White in the Radials. The overall winner was Martin, who thrived in the bumpy conditions and strengthening breeze, beating many of the Standards across the line. 

Martin White wins the Rousso.

In the Tyrell, the handicap system was working well, with the top 10 boats finishing within less than a minute of each other. The leading Standards were not quite able to catch the leading Radials as the breeze picked up and kept the Radials in full power. There was a hot chase and closing gap as Matt Knight crossed the line a few boat lengths behind the winner, Richard George. 

Richard George wins the Tyrell.

Thanks to all our volunteers for a great day out: Mark Bethwaite (PRO), assisted by Clare, and Simon Stone (COTD), assisted by Jack Sywak and his mate, Toby, who, when he’s not visiting DBSC, is reading Economics at Oxford. Thanks also to Peter Speed, who assisted in the canteen.

Simon Stone chauffeuring Carolyn Bethwaite and Shirley Roach.

Have a Great Break and Enjoy the Holidays!

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and enjoy the rest of the festive season. We look forward to a great year of friendship and sailing in 2018.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be taking a brief break from “official” sailing. There is no racing on 30 December and no twilight sailing on 27 December or 3 January.  People who want to go for a sail with others should post on The Top Mark. If you are sailing over this period, please make sure you pull down the garage door and shut the adjacent front door when you are out sailing, and that you lock up when leaving. 

The next organised racing is sprints on 6 January and Autumn Point Score 1 & 2 on 13 January. There will be informal twilights on 10 January and 17 January, with formal twilights recommencing 24 January.