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.
A jumping castle, family Laser sprint races, and a kiddie friendly BBQ will round out DBSC’s Inaugural Family Day at 4:30 pm on 17 March. It’s the chance to show the kids and your partner what you get up to every Saturday. To help us cater for the day we’d love to know if you can come and who you’ll be bringing with you. So, please click here to RSVP now.
We made a request on the weekend for two new volunteers – one as Club Historian and one as Safety Officer. Thanks to Richard George for volunteering to be Club Historian. We still need someone to volunteer as Safety Officer. The initial role of the Safety Officer will be to coordinate preparation of a curriculum and the conduct of four identical PRO/COTD training sessions on different days and at different times in the lead up to and during next sailing season. All club members will be encouraged to attend one of the sessions. The sessions will be conducted by various club members with expertise in the relevant areas. Initial thoughts around curriculum include:
The purpose of the training is to ensure our members understand all aspects of the PRO/COTD roles and are best placed to conduct the high quality racing to which we aspire in a safe manner. Please let Andrew Cox (ar.cox@bigpond.com) know if you are willing to take on the Safety Officer role
Every year for the last - I am not sure how many - years now, DBSC has been a Clean-Up Australia day site. We clean up our own site and the parks and beaches nearby.
It’s a contribution to the community; and it is part of looking after ourselves. So - I write for you help - again. The day is Sunday March 4. And on that morning there will be two clean-up periods:
A dawn patrol - at 0630-0700h. Low tide that day will be at 0443h. But you can’t clean up if you can’t see anything. Sunrise will be at 0644h; there will be sufficient light at 0630h to start to clean up the parts of the beach bared at low tide. Obviously, the tide will have come in some but this is the best we can do.
So - I need half-a-dozen volunteers, or a few more, to focus on the beaches to the east and west of us, clearing the low-tide areas. It’s about half an hour’s work for a team, no more. It will get your Sunday off to a great start; half and hour and you are done by 7.00am.
A morning patrol - at 9.00am - 12 noon. More civilised hours - to be successful the project need as many of you as can come to spend even 15 minutes clearing the upper parts of the beaches, the rigging area and the park beyond.
Clashes:
It happens every year - the 18-footer worlds (the JJ GIltinan Championship) will be on that day. There will be 18-footers in the rigging area. We will clean around them.
DBSC big boat sailors: our March race is on that day. It is still daylight saving, so our start will be at 2.00pm. So not really a clash. Come a bit earlier and help with the clean-up! Put it in your diary.
Please come and help - it is an important community service by the Club.
Thank you,
Jonathan Stone
We now have a yellow recycling bin in addition to our red general waste bin. And we also have two smaller bins near the kitchen – one for recycling and one for general waste. Please lend a hand in helping reduce landfill waste and separate your rubbish accordingly.
Instead of our usual club racing, this Saturday we’ll be participating in The Vaucluse Regatta. It’s a grand regatta, over 80 years young and is a great opportunity for racing in a big fleet, and practice for the away leg of the VYC/DBSC challenge which will happen in March.
Racing starts at Vaucluse at 1.45pm which means they day will start earlier than normal for us. We’ll have a briefing at DBSC at 12 noon where we will review the format of the racing (it is still being finalised). It should be a good day on the water with Laser sailors from around the harbour.
Wednesday 14 February, 5pm – Twilight Sailing. Brett Beyer will be coaching tonight – this is the first instalment of his new Wednesday coaching program (BBWP). The program is fully subscribed with 10 participants. It will run for 7 consecutive weeks (subject to the terms). Everyone is welcome to join for organised racing each week, and everyone will hear important tips on start technique which, as several of our Nationals sailors reminded themselves painfully on the weekend, is probably the most important ingredient for success. If you are attending, please complete the Doodle Poll. And a reminder for those in the BBWP, payments are due today before twilight sailing please.
Saturday 17 February, 12pm Briefing – Vaucluse Regatta. See important details above.
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.
Our contingent of nine sailors and their entourages gathered for a four-day weekend of sunny skies, balmy temperatures and crystal clear water for the National Masters Championship at Mooloolaba. On Day 1, the wind was a little lighter than some had hoped, making for some challenging racing where the course had been set in the confines of the bay. Things were looking up on Day 2, with a good 10-12 knots, increasing swell and a course well out into open water, and it just got better on Days 3 and 4, as the wind increased and wave catching became the norm. Finally, Pat was able to say one of his favourite phrases, "Got some good rides".
The competition was stiff, with a field bristling with former Olympians and Olympic campaigners, and current and former World Champions, attending from all round Australia, New Zealand and even England. Our top performers were Martin White, 12th in the 35-65yo Radials (9th GM), and Rod Barnes, 15th in the Standards (7th Master), which were both excellent performances in such a competitive fleet. Congratulations to our good friend, Robert Lowndes who was 1st in the 65+ Radials, racing in a separate fleet.
Club Coach, Brett Beyer made it an exciting contest, scraping out a 3, 4, 2, 2, 1 in the first two days, putting him in 3rd place. But as the wind and waves came into play, his signature downwind technique proved dominant with a 1, 1, 1 on Day 3 ("moving day", as they say in golf), giving him a clear three-point lead. Job done? Apparently not. A 4th and a BFD on Day 4 put him at serious risk in what ended up a nail-biting draw, finally winning the event on countback! Well done, Brett.
Clare quickly found herself in the centre of it all, with official duties including full time countdown. It is well documented that counting for more than four hours a day for more than five days in a row will send you mad. Luckily the regatta was only four days long. Numerous grateful sailors congregated at the boat before each start to hear the clear countdown and set their watches from it. Thanks Clare for a perfectly conducted critical role.
To get a taste of what it was like at the Nationals check out Adventures of a Sailor Girl and The Australian Laser National Titles pages on Facebook. There are heaps of excellent photos and videos to peruse. And a final word – what is "gunwale bum"? Feel free to ask any of the returning sailors.
The DBSC Contingent (minus David Huber) post racing. Photo by Clare Alexander
Whilst some of our comrades were sweating it out up in the Queensland humidity an impressive fleet of nearly 30 boats presented at DBSC for some sprint racing. Three minute starts, and a short triangle, sausage course allowed seven races to be held. A light ESE breeze started at 8 knots and grew slightly as the day progressed. The large fleet and short course made for some mighty crowded marks and close finishes. Thanks to the team of Jason Wilkins, Richard Lees, and Stuart Littlechild for running a very fun day of racing.
A variable south to southeast wind tested the 45 boats who competed in Autumn Pointscore Heats 5 & 6. The breeze was shifty and fluctuated between 10 and 25 knots; adding to the challenge was a rare Double Bay Southerly course. All the elements combined to make it quite a fun and challenging day of racing. The winners were: Standards: Rod Barnes (heat 5) and Gerry Donohoe (heat 6); Radials: Jack Littlechild (heat 5) and Otto Henry (heat 6). Thanks to this week’s race volunteers — Daryl Lawrence (PRO) and Clare Alexander on the Jazzman, James Tudball and Niko Churkoski on the RIBs, and Jim Dounis in the canteen. For some excellent shots and videos from the day, check out Clare Alexander's collection on The Top Mark.
David Muphy hiking hard in a big gust. Photo by Clare Alexander
