Big Boat Report

Written by Jonathan Stone

6 boats presented on a blowy summer-like afternoon - warm, a robust north-easterly.

Peter Collie served as PRO - thank you.

Corinna won the start; we were all a bit late but Corinna did it best but was quickly challenged by Umbakumba and G-Force and these three boats fought for the lead throughout the race. Umbakumba and Corinna arrived at the top mark - at Sow’n Pigs reef - locked together; and it was Umbakumba that had the slightly better run home. Corinna tried to fly a kite - the only one of us to try - but something went wrong; and this let the competitive G-Force through into second. 

Chenonceau started late, but adjusted to the blowy conditions, the fleets of OK dinghies, flying ants, B49s, large yachts, and more - to push through into fourth place. Time & Tide started securely and pointed well but suffered several races worth of mishaps. We ended up 5th, with Smitten 6th

Gerry sailed back to his Balmain mooring with a wide grin - his re-furbished hull, and the team he formed with Max, had won the day.

Over the line:

• Umbakumba

• G-Force

• Corinna

• Chenonceau

• Time & Tide

• Smitten

As always, drinks on the deck; and - with the 18s sailing - the spectacle of their return to base. We race next on December 2.

A close first leg. Photo by Peter Collie

Coast Championship Recap

A strong fleet of 31 DBSC members made the journey up the harbour to compete in the NB Sailsports Laser Coast Championship last weekend. Our sailors made up over 1/3 of the 83 boats that competed – a great turnout.  The two-day regatta was a filled with stiff breezes and even stiffer competition.  The three races Saturday were sailed under a building NEer, which peaked in race three with gusts over 20 knots. A cool change overnight brought a strong Southerly for Sunday’s racing. 

The large fleet and challenging winds were no match for our sailors who came out on top. Standout performances and victories were celebrated by: Brooke Wilson (Winner, 4.7s), Zac West (Winner, Radials), Finn Alexander (Winner, Standards, 1st Overall, 1st U21), Maddie O’Shea (1st Woman, Radials), James Tudball (1st Open, Radials), Brett Beyer (1st Master, Standards), Ashley Deacon (1st GGM, Standards), Hadrien Bourely (1st Apprentice, Standards). 

Supporting our large contingent of DBSC sailors in the Jazzman and RIBs were Clare Alexander, Max Dzhura, Dene Bergman, Gerry Donohue and Josh Kirton. And of course, Paul and Shirley were there to feed the troops before they headed off on Saturday. Thanks to the support crew and well done to all the competitors. 

The large fleet on Saturday. Photo by Max Dzhura.

Some of the DBSC Winners.

Brooke Wilson — Winner, 4.7s

The Week Ahead

Wednesday 31 October, 5pm – Twilight Sailing. BBTP Begins. (See details below).

Saturday 3 November, 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 November, 2pm Start – Club Championship heats 5&6.  

Saturday 3 November, 5pm – BBQ on the Deck.  

Sunday 4 November, 2pm Start – Big Boat Race, 2pm start. The Double Bay Street Festival is happening on Sunday, so parking will be very tricky. 

BBTP Starts Today

Wednesday Twilight Sailing is set to get even better with the start of the Brett Beyer Twilight Program tonight. Ten sailors have signed up for this program, so come along and let’s see if we can hit our target of 20 boats. Splash at 5pm (or whenever you can get there)!

“Sailing Stories” Inaugural Event

DBSC and RPEYC are pleased to host the first in a series of “Sailing Stories” at 7pm on 22 November 2018 at Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, 160 Wolseley Road, Point Piper.  

Guest speaker, Rob Greenhalgh, (partner to our very own Christine Linhart) will share insights into his experiences as a professional round-the-world Volvo Ocean Racer and competitive Moth sailor.  The talk will include exciting video footage and real-life stories.  This is an event not to be missed!

Food will be served before the talk from 7.00-7.30pm, and this is included in the ticket price of $30.  The bar will be open for drinks on a cash-pay basis.

To book your tickets, please use this LINK.  Book soon because numbers are limited.

Rob Greenhalgh

RIB Help Needed on 11 November

John Vasey graciously helps DBSC fulfil our affiliation agreement with the A18s by supplying support to their fleet in the Paul Adam. John is unavailable to so on 11 November and we need a volunteer to fill in. If you are interested, please let Andrew Cox know ASAP. Thanks!

The Top Mark Needs You

Want to see some great videos, more photos and some cheeky talk about this week’s sailing? Then check out our Members Only Facebook Group: Double Bay Sailing Club - The Top Mark.  It’s a great way to stay connected with your fellow members, see rare footage of Brett Beyer underlaying the top mark, check out boats and gear for sale, coordinate sailing times with your mates, and see heaps of good-natured sledging. Come join the 77 members who are already part of this exclusive group!

The Top Mark — The Place to Post Crock Sightings at DBSC

No Sailing at DBSC this Weekend

Instead of racing at DBSC this weekend, we’ll be headed up the harbour to VYC to sail in the NB Sailsports Laser Coast Championship. It’s a two-day regatta with racing on both Saturday and Sunday. This is a great opportunity for anyone who has not participated in a regatta to sail with us over to Vaucluse and get a taste of what it is like to sail in a big regatta fleet. You don’t have to be good — you just have to be fun! 

Here are the details:

• Both Online entry and NSE/ACT Laser Association Membership is required. (Details below on how to do this)

• There will be a sign on/off via SMS for sailors who enter online so that DBSC sailors can conveniently deploy from our club

• Briefing at DBSC at 1200 hours on Saturday

• Splash from DBSC at 1230 hours on Saturday / 1000 hours on Sunday

• First Warning Signal at 1330 hours on Saturday / 1100 hours on Sunday

You can enter online HERE. The Notice of Race with all the details is HERE. The Sailing Instructions are HERE. 

Please note to be able to compete in the regatta you must also be a current member of the NSW/ACT Laser Association. Membership entitles you to compete in any State, Australian or International event and runs from 1st October to 30th September. You can sign up to become a member HERE.

We look forward to a huge fleet of DBSC Lasers competing this weekend.  

This is what the marks will look like at the regatta.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday 24 October, 5pm – Twilight Sailing. Come on down for our mid-week sail… 5pm splash (or whenever you can get there) for a 5.30pm start. 

Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 October – Laser Coast Championship (see details above).

Pointscore 9 – 10 Recap

We had nearly 50 boats turn up last Saturday for heats 9 and 10 of the Spring Pointscore. Another overcast day of racing started with a stiff 18-knot NE breeze that eased a bit for heat 10. Luckily the fleet was well back to shore before the major thunderstorms rolled in around 5:30pm. The winners (after handicapping) were: Full Rigs: Hadrien Bourely (race 9), and Steve London (race 10); Radials / 4.7s: Finn Kirk – congrats to one of our newest members! (race 9), and James Tudball (race 10). Thanks to last week’s volunteers for putting on a great day of racing: PRO Mark Lewkowitz, assisted by Clare Alexander, COTD Pat Levy, CoCOTD Justin Davey, and Canteen Assistant Rod Barnes.