Season Set to Open

Spring has finally sprung and the turning of the calendar brings the start of a great new season of racing at DBSC.  The competition begins this Saturday with heats 1 and 2 of the Club Championship – there will be a briefing at 1pm and a 2pm race start, and to cap off the day there will be a post-race BBQ on the patio. It’s set to be a great day. (Please note there will be NO Learn to Race on Saturday due to the Masters Worlds.)

This season there will be more competition than ever with several new members joining our ranks. Please welcome all the new faces when you see them down at the club.  

Here’s to a great season of racing and camaraderie!

Coming Up…

Saturday, 7 September, 9am – Boat Repair Day.  

Saturday, 7 September, 2pm Start – Season Opening and Club Championships Heats 1 & 2. BBQ on the Deck following racing. 

Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 September - DBSC Women’s Laser Regatta.

Season Set to Start

We have an exciting few weeks ahead as the 2019/20 season gets underway. Check out the highlights of the next month below. 

Friday, 30 August, 7pm – Sailors and Volunteers Season Opening Dinner. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone dressed as their favourite Gilligan’s Island character at the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club in Point Piper. After the main event, the brave are headed to Bedouin in Double Bay. It’s sure to be an evening to remember.

Saturday 31 August, 1pm Start – Winter Sprint Series. 

Sunday, 1 September, 9am– Boat Repair Day.  Come on down to the club Sunday morning to work with some handy member volunteers to fix minor issues with you Laser.

Sunday, 1 September, 1pm Start– Big Boat Race.

Saturday, 7 September, 2pm Start – Season Opening and Club Championships Heats 1 & 2.

Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 September - DBSC Women’s Laser Regatta. 

Find out who’s the best Captain at our Season Opening Dinner on Friday.

Order Your Sail Now

To ensure we reach the minimum number for our discounted bulk sail offer with NB Sailsports and PSA to go ahead, we need everyone who wants a new sail to place their order now. Here are the offer details: 

• 4.7 = $759 (15% discount off RRP)

• Radial Hyde = $759 (15% discount off RRP)

• Standard MkII North = $979 (13% discount off RRP)

• Standard MkII Pryde = $979 (13% discount of RRP)

• Includes sail numbers supplied and fitted ($40 discount if you DON’T want sail numbers)

• Country letters will be fitted upon request for an additional $30

• Delivery will occur in late September

If you are interested, please make payment to DBSC’s bank account – 062000 16143109.  Please put your name and mobile number in the EFT details. Also, you MUST FILL OUT THE SAIL INFORMATION FORM HERE. Thanks for placing your order today.

CPR Trainer Needed

We’re looking for someone who is qualified and willing to lead a training session on first aid and CPR / AED for our competency training course on 26 Oct.  A manikin and training AED will be available.Please email Andrew Cox HERE if you or someone you know can volunteer for this job. 

Get Coached by Brett

Looking to sail faster this season? Sign up to be part of Brett Beyer’s Spring Program. We already have we have 14 members set to be coached by Brett and we’d like 6 more members to join. Find out more and reserve your space HERE.  Dates are 21 Sep, 19 Oct, 26 Oct, 2 Nov, 16 Nov, 30 Nov, 7 Dec.; cost is $630 for “A” and $315 for “B” (plus merchant fees).

Working Bee a Buzzing Success

It was a perfect Saturday for a working bee – balmy temperatures, sunny skies and no wind.

Thanks to the 46 people who showed up to lend a hand.

Pat ran a tight ship, setting up a dolly production line that would be the envy of Tesla – new axle rivets, new foam protection, new plastic protection, new spliced ropes, sequential numbering and private dolly registration. Pat and Geoff coordinated a huge range of other tasks that ensured the clubhouse, club boats and club dollies have never been in better shape.  A brim full skip bin on the lawn gave testament to the productivity. Thanks to the canteen team of Paul, Shirley, Andrew Craker and John Verco, who turned out toasties by the thousands!

The working bee was followed by racing in light and variable westerlies – thanks to Diana Chen and Mark Bethwaite for great racing, assisted by new members, Anthea Michael and Mike Forbes. 

Dollies, Dollies, Dollies

Written by Mark Gray aka the Dolly Auditor

A key focus of Saturday’s Working Bee was on the humble Dolly –  more the Patton kind, not the Parton kind.  The newly appointed ‘Vice President, Risk Assurance - Onshore Dinghy Transport’, the “Dolly Auditor” (Mark Gray), ordered a full stocktake, risk assessment and remediation of all forms of onshore dinghy transport in the Clubhouse.

All Club Dollies were counted, repaired and restored on a make-shift production line in Steyne Park throughout the morning. And when rolled off the line, each Club Dolly was serially numbered and recorded in the Club’s books like a delivery of refurbished laptop computers to a newly created Government department. 

All privately owned dollies were mustered at the Western end of Steyne Park to be measured, weighed and photographed with tyre prints and DNA extracted from the wheels to ensure enduring traceability to their rightful owners. Private dollies of all shapes and sizes were closely assessed by qualified risk assurance professionals (and their children) and any identifying marks recorded in the DBSC Private Dolly Register which you can see HERE.  Where possible, due to identifying marks or pure uniqueness, a Dolly’s registered owner’s details have been noted in the Register already.

A unique dolly indeed.

And like the Torrens system of land title in Australia, once completed the DBSC Private Dolly Register will be conclusive evidence of private Dolly titles (not Ms Parton’s 9 to 5) and admissible as indefeasible evidence in any Dolly disputes.  

In an upcoming newsletter, we will publish our official Dolly Policy, in the meantime, please confirm/claim your private Dolly by emailing the relevant Registered Dolly Number from the Register to the Dolly Auditor HERE. Any unclaimed Dollies will be deemed to have been donated to the Club after this time.

The Dolly shown below is unable to be stored at the club because it is of an incompatible configuration and is too heavy, and therefore represents a safety risk.  Could the owner of that Dolly please identify themselves to the Dolly Auditor and arrange for its removal ASAP.  If it is not removed, it will be scrapped.

Fundraiser for Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Club

Our friends at Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Club are hosting a fundraiser to help rebuild their club house. On September 16, 2018 fire destroyed part of their Club. Forty-seven Sabots, Flying 11's, Cherubs and Lasers sailed by over sixty children and teens were lost in the fire. Nothing remains of the storage shed and part of the adjoining slipway was damaged. They estimate the rebuild will be at least $500,000 and are fundraising to rebuild the club's storage and launching facilities for current and future generations of sailors. 

The FUNdraiser is being held at Hunters Hill Sailing Club on Saturday September 7th and The Enormous Horns are playing. It will be a fun night – they need help and support – the more the merrier! You can find out all the details HERE.

Class Rule Change Okayed

80% of sailors voted “Yes” in the recent class ILCA rule change ballot to modify the definition of a builder. A 2/3rd vote for the change was required for it to be carried. The turn out was particularly high in all the Australian Districts with 2/3rds of our members casting a vote – so thanks to everyone who took the trouble to vote. 



Information on the ballot outcome is on the ILCA web site HERE. 



As was predicted the Laser builders and trade mark holders, due to their divergent commercial interests, did not reach any agreement to World Sailing’s new FRAND supply arrangements by the WS deadline of 1 August. Thus the change to the class rules (ILCA’s Plan B) and the “Yes” vote have saved the day for Laser Olympic retention.



ILCA still has a mountain of work before it to deliver on the new WS Olympic agreement and the new FRAND equipment supply arrangements, however barring any last minute hiccups our Olympic status should be retained.