The best way to find out about the club is to visit us, and meet some members.
Apart from the week of Christmas, the clubhouse is open from at least noon every Saturday from 1 August to 30 April. Our telephone number is: +61 2 9363 5577.
We are run by volunteers, so if your query cannot answered by the frequently asked questions (FAQs) below or the rest of the website, we will get back to you by Wednesday, 10pm.
How do I subscribe to your Pulitzer Prize winning newsletter?
How to make a tax-deductible donation to the club (using the internet)?
How to make a tax-deductible donation to the club (using paper forms)?
Want to book a seat at the restaurant?
Want to become a social member?
Can I rent/hire your clubhouse?
How do I get to crew on a yacht?
Can you teach me to race a Laser?
What is the deal between your club and the 18 footers and Sydney High School?
Can I store my kayak (or similar) in the clubhouse?
Can you help me buy, or sell, a Laser?
How many times can a visitor race at DBSC?
79 Bay St
Double Bay NSW 2028
Australia
The best ILCA / Laser sailing club in the world, located in Double Bay on Sydney Harbour.
Brett Beyer is presenting the next instalment of his Lecture Series at 8pm on Wednesday, 21 Feburary. The topic is “Tactics and Strategy” -- something we all could use more of.
For DBSC members the cost is $21 for the lecture and pizza, with drinks available for cash at the usual prices. Separate non-member tickets are available for $31. Attendance is limited so book here to avoid missing out.
Save the date – Saturday March 17 at 4:30pm. Following that day’s Sprint Racing, DBSC will be hosting a family day. So, get your kids and partners prepped for some family laser racing (if the winds permit) and a family BBQ on the clubhouse deck. More details to follow!
The afternoon was cool and sunny with a light-to-fresh southeasterly breeze of 10-15 knots. Ideal conditions. Six boats presented for the race.
John Vasey on the RIB Paul Adam gave us a timed start and we headed out to a club mark at Point Piper. The wind veered easterly on this leg and T&T - after a well-timed start from the middle of the line - was forced out into the Harbour, and then to tack back to clear the mark. With her characteristic height upwind, Corinna reached the mark without a tack and was the first to round; then T&T and Chenonceau all close together, crossing each other’s transoms in short last-minute tracks.
The reach to Taylors Bay was broad, with the usual choices. Corinna chose to go low, to the left near Bradley’s Head, while T&T went high, keeping her headsail full but then needing to goose-wing and sail by the lee to come down to the mark. A not-entirely-planned gybe and back kept our speed going and we enjoyed better wind out to the right. This took us to the front of the fleet and we rounded the Taylors Bay YA maybe 50 metres ahead of Corinna, with the heavier boats working hard, and successfully, to stay in touch. Lonny was the only boat to fly a spinnaker - it wasn’t easy in the light conditions, with the Harbour surface disturbed by power craft.
The leg to Sow’n Pigs was a one-tack work, arguable a close reach. We all rounded up onto the wind quickly in Taylors Bay and headed across the Harbour - the wind allowed us to head to somewhere between Vaucluse and and the mark. On T&T we sailed as high as we could until a few hundred metres from the reef, when we felt free to bear away, still in the lead.
As always in a south-easterly we approached the top mark on port tack. We then harden up and more or less immediately tack onto port for the long windward leg to Shark Island. Strictly the first half was a close reach, and we each had to choose how close we went to Steel Point. Closer was shorter, but the risk of poor wind off the point led us all to give it a wide berth. So, even with some easterly shifts in the north part of Rose Bay we all at some point closed on Shark Island and had to tack away and then back for the mark. These short tacks give chasing boats a chance to do it all better, but the lead was still T&T’s as we eased around the mark. Still, the field was close, all 6 boats within a couple of hundred metres.
The final leg goes east to our finish at Clarke Island; in a sou-easter this leg also invited a spinnaker, and Lonny again obliged; it was a variable but approximately square reach, so it was worth the initiative. The wind fell away as passed Point Piper and the chasing boats closed up on T&T; then it freshened as we crossed Double Bay and the leading boats could stretch out a little. Smitten, newly cleaned, showed speed to get past Chenonceau, into third place - a reward for the care taken and some good sailing. But all hulls were clean - they have to be for good racing - and G-Force and Lonnywere close behind. After an hour and a half only a few minutes separated first from last.
Across the line:
This was one of the best racing days of the summer - a good fleet, good competition, improved speeds, a competitive start, a close finish.
And, as always, we sat on the Club deck afterwards and chatted, as the 18s flapped home from their race.
We race next on March 4.
A gradient Noretheast 6 – 15 knot breeze dominated on Saturday for Club Championship Heats 9 and 10. The breeze was patchy at times, and for the second race, the right shoreline proved to be a winner. Thirty-seven sailors competed on this cracker of a day. The winners were: Standards: Mark Bethwaite (heat 9) and Richard Bott (heat 10); Radials: Jack Littlechild (heats 9 and 10). Thanks to this week’s race volunteers — Jonathan Stone (PRO) and Clare Alexander on the Jazzman, Matthew Knight, Simon Stone and Bene Bergman on the RIBs, and Campbell Patton in the canteen. The day ended with a scrumptious BBQ on the deck and a debrief with our coach Brett Beyer who proclaimed that Saturday was the best quality racing from the fleet since he started coaching! To keep it up make sure you sign up for Brett’s next series of coaching (see article below).
Full rigs start a competitive heat. Photo by Clare Alexander.
Wednesday 31 January, 5pm – Twilight Sailing. Sign up here if you’re coming. Brett Beyer will be coaching tonight – this is the final instalment of the first BBWP (see below on how to sign up for the next series.)
Saturday 3 February, 9am – Learn to Race. Come along if you want to learn more about Laser boat handling, balance, boat posture, trim, starts, tacks, gybes, boat set-up and any other race management fundamentals. Please email Martin White at mwhite@universalmagazines.com.au if you are planning on attending.
Saturday 3 February, 2pm Start – Autumn Point Score Heats 5 & 6.
Sunday 4 February, 2pm Start – Big Boat Racing. Right now, Time & Tide, Corinna, Smitten, G-Force and Lonny are scheduled to compete. Please let Jonathan Stone know if you want to join the fleet.
The current Brett Beyer Coaching Programs are coming to an end. The Saturday Program’s last session is 17 February and The Wednesday Twilight Program ends today. After that, there will be a second program for both Saturday and Wednesday. Here are the details:
Saturday Program – 5 weeks, commencing 24 February. Excluded dates for the new series are 17 Mar (Metros), 31 Mar (Easter). The series will end on 7 April as Brett is away after that. There will be two program options: "A" = $450, "B" = $225 (plus Try Booking fees) for the 5-week series. "A" and "B" both get a video of the start and the fleet's GPS tracks, plus fleet race commentary on a leg-by-leg basis. "A" also gets an individual report on their race.
Wednesday Program – 7 weeks, commencing 14 February, with the last date being 28 March (end of daylight saving). The cost will be $210 (plus try booking fees). Limited to 10 participants, first in best dressed.
Email training@dbsc.com.au ASAP to secure your place in either or both of the programs.
Thanks to everyone who has already volunteered drive a RIB at the JJ Giltinans in March. The championship, which has been the world’s major 18 Footer championship since it was first sailed on Sydney Harbour in 1938, will begin with Race 1 on Saturday, 3rd March. We have two days of racing we still need assistance with -- Friday 2nd March and Thursday 8th March. If you can volunteer to drive a RIB on either or both of these days please let Mark Crowhurst know by emailing treasurer@dbsc.com.au.
On his never-ending quest to find new and exciting courses for DBSC sailors Peter Collie has travelled to Antarctica. He reports good potential for starting a new laser regatta there and has planted the DBSC burgee to stake our claim. Thanks Peter for extending our reach to yet another continent!
What a difference a week makes. Sunny skies and a perfect NE breeze greeted the fleet of 30+ for Autumn Pointsocre Heats 3 and 4. First over the line after handicap were: Standards: Murray Stone (heat 3) and Richard Lees (heat 4); Radials / 4.7s: Daryl Lawrence (heat 3) and David Huber (heat 4). Thanks to all of last week’s volunteers for putting on a great day of racing.
Wednesday 24 January, 5pm – Twilight Sailing. Brett Beyer is back to coach those who are part of BBWP. Sign up here if you’re coming.
Saturday 27 January, 2pm Start – Club Championship Heats 9 & 10 followed by a BBQ on the deck after racing.
