Upcoming Events

Sunday 19 May, 7:45 briefing / 8:30am start – Winter Series Heats 4-6 — See details below

Friday 24 May, 7pm –DBSC’s Annual General PARTY (and meeting)  

Sunday Winter Series

Heats 4-6 of the Winter Championship take place this Sunday. It looks like the weather will cooperate with a decent breeze and warmish temps. There will be a briefing at 7:45am for an 8am (at the latest) splash. Racing starts promptly at 8:30am. The Brett Beyer Winter Program also will be happening for those who’ve signed up for it.  

Winter Champs off to a Great Start

Last Sunday dawned with a beautiful, crispy, sunny winter morning, with the usual 8-12kt westerly. But looming storm clouds to the south heralded a predicted southerly change.  A healthy fleet of 19 boats managed to get two races in with the westerly breeze, albeit with a progressive left shift. Before race 3 began, the southerly hit (fortunately between races) with heavy rain and up to 25kts.  But this only lasted about 10min, while the on-water team reset the course for the third race in a steady 8-12kt SSW breeze.  All in all it was a nice day on the water with great advice from Brett Beyer for those in the BBWP.  

Thanks to the on-water team of Andrew Cox (PRO Instructor), Yves Stening and Brent Smith (our rostered learn to run a race candidates, who ran the races after a training that started at 6.30am!), and Jules Hall and Christine Linhart (COTD/Co-COTD).  Thanks also to Paul Adam for the delicious and very welcome soup he had pre-prepared, and to Peter Collie for looking after the long defrosting process!

The winners were: Standards – Michael Osborne, Geoff Kirk, and Ashley Deacon; Radials – James Tudball, Sylvie Stannage, and Sylvie Stannage. We look forward to heats 4-6 of the Winter Championship on Sunday, May 19.

Last Chance to RSVP for AGP

RSVPs close this Friday, 10 May for the Annual General Party (and Meeting). So far we have 84 attendees for the dinner and party that’s scheduled for 7pm on Friday, 24 May. Don’t miss out on what’s sure to be an evening to remember; RSVP now HERE. 

Club Champs Date Change

The NSW / ACT Laser Association has changed the date of the 2019 Coast Championships to the weekend of October 12th. Due to this change, we have amended the Spring racing calendar, October 12th will now be Sprints (previously Club Champs) and October 19th will now be Club Champs and Point Score (previously Point Score only).

Thanks for your understanding, and remember, the online calendar for the club always remains the best source of truth for upcoming events.

Big Boat Bash Honours Jonathan Stone

Written by Jonathan Stone

The weather dawned clear and sunny with a fresh, cold westerly breeze. It looked fair for a cold, end of season race, to end the season.

But, the BOM and websites like Seabreeze were predicting a southerly squall at start time. The PRO had promised a go/no-go decision - but on the day, close to race time. In the event, the weather predictions did not shift; reports from the south coast showed winds of up to 35knots on their way; radar showed that heavy showers were part of the front. 

Sunday’s Wild Winds.

So - the race was cancelled by email, at 10.00am. The wind built from 10.00 am and the front arrived just after start time (1.00pm), with gusts >30 knots and heavy rain. 

Instead we had a great barbecue - hot soup and baked trout, a range of salads, wines, roast potato. Earlycomers sat on the deck, in the afternoon sun, as Gerry baked the fish. But the sun didn’t last and tables were set inside the Clubhouse - eventually seating 25 of us in a long row.

The occasion was the PRO’s last race - the one that didn’t happen. There was a toast (to time on the water), speeches from skippers (Chris and Stephen and Jim) and a speech-in-reply from JS, who recalled how he and and Don (Roach) had worked to begin the ‘ big boat fleet’ a decade ago. And a presentation, of a great photograph of Time & Tide. And speeches of thanks for Paul and Shirley and Gerry and all who had helped set up the event. Then Paul produced two hot puddings, Christine produced home-made chocolate and Emily brought a cake with ’34’ on it (for the PRO’s 34 seasons of sailing).

We talked until late afternoon; then cleaned up the Clubhouse.

 And then it was all over.

Across the (alphabetical) line: Skippers and crew were there from:

• Chenonceau 

• Corinna

• G-Force

• Liaison

• Sanity

• Simitten

• Time & Tide

• Umbakumba

also

• Awanui (Kathy is a Club member, her Northshore 27 is a mooring-neighbour of T&T)

(I think that’s all the big boats -did I miss any?; there were several Laser sailors present but I know only the skippers’ names.)  

The Club’s Commodore (Andrew) and Secretary (Clare) represented the Club - thank you for being there; along with Julian van Aalst, the last of the Laser sailors still sailing from JS’ early days in dinghies, in the 1980s. We reminisced about those days - when the Club was smaller, building its Laser fleet, and the stories were somehow funnier. Dene and Andrea - recently retired from the Club - sent their greetings from …. wherever.

It was a wonderful moment in the life of the Club. I am happy, and sad.

And really grateful - THANK YOU!

Jonathan

😊😕

Big Boat Sailors Honour Johnathan Stone’s Decades of Club Leadership.

Coming Up

Sunday 19 May, 8:30am start – Winter Series Heats 4-6.

Friday 24 May, 7pm –DBSC’s Annual General Meeting and end of season dinner at the clubhouse. 

Winter Championship, BBWP and LTRaR starts this Sunday, 5 May

Get your winter woollies ready. Our Winter Championship starts this Sunday. For all sailors, briefing is at 7.45am for splash at 8.  First warning signal is at 8.30.

For all Brett Beyer Winter Program (BBWP) participants -- a payment link has been sent directly to you (other than one visiting participant for whom we do not have contact details) -- if you have not received it, please contact Mark Crowhurst.  All BBWP participants will be rostered on duty for one of the BBWP sessions -- making it fair and time-neutral for everyone (i.e. you are not missing out because you get proportionally more individual time on average each of the other weeks, assuming you attend).

For the PRO Instructor and the Learn to Run a Race (LTRaR) participants, please be at the clubhouse at 6.30am each week -- we know it is early!!  There will be a 45min theory and on-land practical session (which is really critical to make this work!) before heading out to set the course at 7.15am

For the COTD and Co-COTD, please be at the clubhouse at 7am to prepare the buoys, anchors and tackle, and to load and launch the RIBs.  We need the RIBs in the water ready to go for the LTRaR participants to head out at 7.15am.

Timing for LTRaR and COTD/Co-COTD is quite tight, so please be on time.

The roster for the Winter Championship and LTRaR is set out below -- please note the dates in your diaries and RVSP to Mark Crowhurst.

Fees Now Overdue

Thanks to the 77% of members who have paid their dues. For the 32 of you who haven’t paid yet, your yearly fees are now overdue. We appreciate your prompt payment.

AGP RSVPs

We have 80 people who’ve already confirmed they are coming to our Annual General Party (and meeting) on Friday 24 May. If you haven’t RSVPed yet, please do so HERE today. You don’t want to miss out on what’s sure to be a big night of fun and surprises.