Payment Due Now for Brett Beyer Saturday Program

Thanks to everyone who signed up to the Brett Beyer Saturday Program this spring. The program commences this Saturday, and entries are now closed. If you have registered for the program you should have already received a link for payment. All payments must be received no later than Friday 21st September. If you haven’t paid yet, please do so now by clicking here. 

Sign Up for Brett Beyer Wednesday Program

Brett Beyer will again run his very successful Brett Beyer Wednesday Program this season.  We are now asking for registrations – the BBWP is capped at 10 people.  The first 10 people to email coaching@dbsc.com.au will be in the program, subject to payment on time when called for.

 The program will commence 31 October, with splash at 5pm for 5.30pm starts. It will run for seven sessions on the following dates:  31 Oct, 7 Nov, 14 Nov, 21 Nov, 28 Nov, 5 Dec, 12 Dec.  NOTE, we will commence twilight sailing from 10 October, but Brett’s program will not start until 31 October due to Brett’s travel.

The cost of the program is $210 (plus merchant fees).  The terms and conditions are as set out here.

Filled to the Rafters

DBSC is bursting at the seams, with almost every rack occupied.  We couldn’t be happier to welcome the latest batch of DBSC members:  Ashton Scott, Tom Green, Evie Saunders, Vic Whitby, Tim Heath, Oskar Hansen, Tom Beregi, Diana Chen, Richard Catto, David Ferguson, and Maxine Morrisey. If you see a new face around the club, please make them feel at home!

All new members can be matched with a buddy / mentor. If you’d like a ‘DBSC buddy’, but don’t have one yet, please contact Mike at buddies@dbsc.com.au. And if you’d just like to find out more about the ins and outs of the club, check out our new Welcome Flyer here. Thanks to Justin Davey and Jules Hall for putting this together.

As a reminder to our new (and old) members, we’d like everyone to display a DBSC burgee sticker on their boat’s transom. The stickers have kindly been produced for us at no cost by Chris at Boat Names Australia:  www.boatnames.com.au. If you have not already received a sticker, please see Andrew Cox next time you are at the club, and he will give you one. And if you want a boat name made, we highly recommend Chris’s service — several members have already used him for their names and he is excellent!

World Wrap

The Laser Masters World Championships have just wrapped up in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, and the DBSC crew was quite impressive. 

Brett Beyer finished 1st in the Master Class and is now a 13 times Laser World Champion, exceeding the record of any other Laser sailor. Well done indeed!

In the Radial Grand Master Class, Martin White finished 9th and Pat Levy was 25th. Competing against 58 boats, this placed them well into the top half of the fleet. And in the Great Grand Master Class, Mark Bethwaite finished in a solid 5th place. 

Big congratulations to all. We look forward to seeing you back at the club soon.  

13th Time for Brett on the World’s Winner’s Podium. Photograph: David Branigan/Oceansport

Big Boat Report

written by Jonathan Stone

Four boats committed to the race, on a breezy and cold spring afternoon. The wind was south-easterly gusting up to 25 knots. On Time & Tide we set up our #3 headsail - our smallest - knowing that when the breeze is heavy the secret of speed is boat management.

We were a bit late getting to the boat (Mat had run the 10km Bridge run earlier in the morning) but we did a quick rig, slipped our mooring - and were quickly in trouble. Long story short - my inattention - we ran over a tender on a mooring. its painter wrapped around our rudder; the little boat capsized, outboard and all and then clung to our stern.  It took a lot of help and time before the problem was sorted. 

So, T&T missed the start even though it was delayed; Lonny, G-Force and Smitten all raced. Smitten was leading at the first and second marks, with Lonny and the late-starting G-Force close to each other but being outpaced by Smitten in the big breeze.

Smitten mistakenly went to the wrong top mark at Sow’n Pigs, allowing G-Force to take the lead. They held it to the end, from Smitten and then Lonny.

Across the line I have:

• G-Force

• Smitten

• Lonny

A challenging, sunny, very breezy and cold afternoon. I do accept global warming but on some afternoons, it is more difficult to do so than on others.

A Sea of Pink

Sydney Harbour tuned into a sea of pink on Sunday, as 50 women donned life jackets covered with fuchsia bibs to take part in DBSC’s inaugural Women’s Laser Regatta. The Regatta was one of the first of its kind to promote women’s Laser sailing.  

Women sailors from all over Sydney and beyond attended the weekend-long event, with yoga on the deck, breakfast eggs benedict, organic juices, expert coaching, inspirational dinner speakers and competitive racing. 

The event was the brainchild of our club secretary, Clare Alexander, who said, “This is so important. We women are so busy being mothers and wives in between the demands of our work, that we forget what it means to have fun.”  

Participants included women who had not sailed for 20 years, women who had sailed other classes but never a Laser, women whose children are rising sailing stars, and a strong contingent of those young stars themselves, along with DBSC’s regular women sailors.

The weekend started early on Saturday morning, with yoga on the clubhouse deck. A calm start to the day, overlooking the gorgeous waters of Double Bay, with the gas heaters blazing.

Early Morning Yoga. Photo by Hadrien Bourely.

The focus then turned to technique and tactics with five of Australia’s best sailors providing coaching — Olympians Krystal Weir, Ashley Stoddart, Jaime Ryan and Karyn Gojnich, and our very own, twice Australian National Youth Champion, Marlena Berzins.

The coaches made sure that even the most inexperienced sailors got out on the water. Krystal even jumped into a Laser alongside one sailor, who later explained, “Krystal made me feel comfortable about trying, even though I was so so fearful!”  

On Saturday night, an elegant dinner catered by the amazing Bern was held in the clubhouse with Camperdown bubbles to help segue into the evening. A keynote address by Olympic head coach, Krystal Weir, and Olympic sailor, Lucinda Whitty, inspired the crowd alongside sailing newcomer, Kim Bandel, who shared her amazing sailing journey as an older beginner. 

The following morning, The Hon. Gabrielle Upton, Member for Vaucluse, opened the official racing portion of the event. She presented $17,000 of NSW Government funding for repairs to the National Trust Listed clubhouse, saying, “I’m proud to support DBSC and this event, which celebrates women. It’s wonderful to see you all here with these inspirational coaches, learning and having fun.”

The Hon. Gabrielle Upton Presents a Cheque for Repairs to Commodore Cox.

The racing at the Regatta was intense, with gusts up to 20-knots. While some revelled in the puffy conditions, lots of boats capsized, but the ladies righted them quickly and managed to carry on bravely. It was an incredible image to see 50 boats bunched together racing against the iconic backdrop of the Harbour Bridge, their sailors popping colour in their bright pink Musto vests.  

After a great day of racing, the winners of the Regatta were:

• Radial Under 21 and Overall Winner- Sylvie Stannage

• Radial Over 21 Winner – Candice Cushway

• 4.7 Under 16 and Overall winner – Brooke Wilson

• Green Fleet Radial winner – Kylie Symonds

• Green Fleet 4.7 winner – Hayley Messenger

Full results can be seen here.

Clare Alexander said, “The generosity of our numerous sponsors has been incredible. It shows people know there’s a big need. I’m so excited we’re doing something about it.”

Wollahra Municipal Council Mayor, Peter Cavanagh, who presented the prizes, said “It’s wonderful to see the sense of community this has created. Volunteering is such a rewarding thing and Council is proud to have provided a grant for this event.”

Everyone agreed the inaugural Women’s Laser Regatta was a huge success, with many sailors already asking about next year’s event.

Michelle Costandi exclaimed, “I haven’t been in a boat for 23 years because of children and ‘life’ and you made thinking about sailing again possible for me!”

The Pink Fleet Races.

Hard Work Pays Off

By all accounts the Inaugural Women’s Laser Regatta was a HUGE success. But it wouldn’t have come off so well if it hadn’t been for the days of planning and hard work put in by so many DBSC members – especially from the core Women’s Regatta Committee of Clare Alexander, Christine Linhart and Christine Patton. These three women worked tirelessly to create a word-class event. 

The Incredible Women’s Laser Regatta Committee.

DBSC’s Secretary, Clare Alexander, had been dreaming of a way to inspire more women and girls to become laser sailors for some time. Both to nurture those new to the class and hone the skills of more advanced sailors. It’s a theme echoed by Christine Patton, “I revel in sharing sailing with others and bringing this wonderful sport to a broader audience.”

Clare introduced the idea of a weekend-long women’s sailing event to the Management Committee last year and after receiving a thumbs up, planning started in earnest. The initial idea was to hold the event last autumn, but after speaking to many female sailors in the area, it was decided September would be a better date.  The two Christines got on bard soon thereafter, and since May it has been full-steam ahead. 

The incredible planning and hard work paid off, and the team couldn’t be happier with the result. Clare exclaims, “Every minute of the many hours and days of organising an event like this from the ground up, with a completely different format to what we are used to, was all worth it when I saw how happy the women and girls were from the moment they came to DBSC!” 

Christine Linhart is quick to point out that the weekend couldn’t have happened without all the support from the broader DBSC community. She says, “The most common feedback from the regatta entrants was how incredible the DBSC community is. It was a sea of smiles from all of the wonderful DBSC members who volunteered their time and their enthusiasm to make the weekend so fantastic.”

The Women’s Committee would like to extend a MASSIVE thank you to all who said YES to helping - everyone from boat lenders to toastie makers, from the website team to the treasury team, from on shore riggers to dolly helpers, from on water support to our coaches and from our generous sponsors to the supportive families. 

The DBSC Men Came Out in Force.

We can’t thank everyone by name, as the list would include almost every DBSC member, but a special word of thanks to the canteen crew of Paul Adam, Shirley Roach, Andrea Bergman and Tim Patton. Our female sailors devoured the delicious toasties on Saturday… and on Sunday the food standards were lifted again with introduction of the Benedict Buns! Thanks to the crew for providing the women and girls something delicious and wholesome.

Clare explains, “EVERYONE deserves to look back on this and know they contributed to something very special and unique and know that they made a difference this weekend. The Women’s Regatta Committee are so thankful for all the support.”

The Canteen Crew Shines.

Fabulous Feedback

Here’s just a taste of some of what the participants have been saying about The Women’s Laser Regatta:

• I'm bruised and battered but had an amazing time. Looking forward to more sailing at DBSC.

• How proud must you all be that you pulled off the most amazing event.  I am in total awe of the achievement you have made to all those girls, and yes we are all girls at heart. 

• Thank you so much for a FANTASTIC weekend!  I had a great time, met great people and learnt so much.

• As I ache in every muscle I have, and ones I didn't know about, I can only smile.  That was one amazing weekend.  From start to finish, it was the brilliant, from the administration to the champagne prize giving, the photography to the food.  What an atmosphere, both on and off the water!  I can just imagine the many many hours of work that it took from all of you and the DBSC community.  So, THANK YOU.

• My daughter had a great time. Heaps of her friends were there and she got a real kick out of hanging with them… as well as loved being able to mingle with the Olympians!

• Fantastic event. Loved every minute. Well done to all the team.

• Awesome job. So happy I was involved. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

And from our fabulous coach, Krystal Weir: This is the most amazing event I have ever coached! Wow. Go Double Bay Sailing Club!

A Sea of Pink

Masters Head to Ireland

While most of the club was focused on the Women’s Laser Regatta, a few of our members headed to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland for the 2018 Laser Masters World Championships taking place 7 – 15 September.

Here’s how our comrades are doing as at 11 September:

Standards - Masters

Brett Beyer with 4 bullets leads the way

Standards - Great Grand Masters

Mark Bethwaite-  1, 8, 4, 2 puts him in 2nd overall

Radials - Grand Masters

Martin White - 13,11, 9, 10 puts him in 9th overall

Pat Levy - 14, 23, 35, 23 puts him in 26th overall

You can check out the current results here.

The DBSC crew learn how the Irish prepare for sailing.

Coming Up Next

Saturday 15 September, 2pm start – Spring Point Score, Heats 1 & 2

Sunday 16 September, 1pm start – Big Boat Race (postponed from 2 Sept.)