Sailing in the Backyard

So maybe we can’t sail on the Harbour this weekend… but no one is stopping us from practicing in the backyard, like these ingenuous 49er sailors.

Check out the video HERE. Thanks again to Katie McHugh for sharing the video on The Top Mark.

Club Lockdown

Due to the increasing spread of the coronavirus and official guidance to limit all non-essential gatherings, all official DBSC activities are cancelled until further notice.  This includes all racing (and associated BBQs) and all Learn to Race for the remainder of the summer season. It also includes Family Day. At present, it is unlikely that the AGP will be able to occur and, if this is the case, alternative arrangements will be made (to be advised).  It is also unlikely that the winter championship will occur, but we will confirm that in due course.

For now, members are still permitted to sail individually. This could change in the future if government advice changes. If you do choose to sail individually, please maintain social-distancing if there are others present and ensure your wash your hands thoroughly before and after touching any surfaces at the club. We also ask all members to continue to practise good hygiene to protect against infections.

You may NOT enter the club at all if:

• you or anyone in your immediate family and work colleagues has COVID-19

• you or anyone in your immediate family and work colleagues has been in contact with a known COVID-19 patient

• you or anyone in your immediate family and work colleagues is in voluntary isolation, say as a recent overseas returnee

• you have a cold or cold-like symptoms.

We look forward to sailing together again once the virus threat has passed. In the meantime, please be safe and stay healthy. 

Missing Chain

Has anyone seen the chain and padlock that go around the club dollies on the southern deck?  All dollies have now returned from Melbourne, but the chain and padlock are nowhere to be found!  Please let Andrew Cox know HERE if you know where they are.

Bid For the Paul Adam RIB

A quick reminder that bids to purchase the old Paul Adam RIB are due by 3 April. After that point we offer it to other clubs around the harbour and/or list it on Gumtree. If you’re interested in the RIB please contact Justin Davey HERE.

Stay Sailing Sharp

Looking for a good way to practice your moves on the water and the coronavirus is stopping you from hitting the water? No worries. Check out the video posted HERE to see what some sailors in Italy are doing to pass the time in quarantine. (Thanks to Katie McHugh for sharing the video.)

Italian sailors get creative during lockdown.

COVID-19 Forces Cancellation of Racing

Our active members would have received an email yesterday morning advising that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the management committee has made the decision to cancel racing at DBSC this week. As such there will be no organized racing on either Wednesday the 18th of March or Saturday the 21st of March. There will also be no Learn to Race.

Members are permitted to sail on an individual basis, and use the club’s facilities when doing so. We ask you to maintain social-distancing if there are others present and ensure your wash your hands thoroughly before and after touching any surfaces at the club.

We ask all Members to continue to practise good hygiene to protect against infections and require that you not attend the club at all if:

• you or anyone in your immediate family and work colleagues has COVID-19

• you or anyone in your immediate family and work colleagues has been in contact with a known COVID-19 patient

• you or anyone in your immediate family and work colleagues is in voluntary isolation, say as a recent overseas returnee

• anyone has a cold or cold-like symptoms.

This decision has been taken to support the recommended policy of social distancing that we are seeing implemented on a voluntary basis by numerous organisations, with a view to flattening the viral infection curve.  

As a community organisation, we feel it is important to continue to be leaders and as such we feel it is warranted to implement a policy that has been shown to be an important tool in flattening the viral infection curve to enable health systems to better deal with the influx of cases.

We are proud that our diverse membership base represents so many different communities and as such feel that as a central periodic place of gathering, we owe it to our sailors, their families and those other communities to undertake best practice in this area.

This is clearly disappointing. Sailing is important to all of us, and we are sorry to have to make this call. We hope you will understand and respect this decision. 

We will monitor the situation and guidance provided by the relevant authorities including Australian Government Department of Health, and advise in due course as to the status of racing in future weeks. We will keep you posted as the situation develops and together, as a community, we will get through this.

Paul Adam Christens the Paul Adam

Each week organised racing at DBSC is taking a pause due to Coronavirus, we’ll share a video, photo or story that highlights good times on the water.  We’re starting with a brilliant moment that happened just a few weeks ago -- Paul Adam taking his first ride on the new RIB which is named after him. Martin White, who snapped the shots, reflects, “It was wonderful to see Paul being very proud of the new RIB.” We all look forward to many seasons to come cruising around the harbour on the new Paul Adam (and of course eating the toasties made by the man himself).

Paul Adam For Sale (the boat not the man)

After many years of faithful service the Paul Adam RIB is set to leave DBSC. (Thankfully, the man after whom the boat was named will be staying – hopefully for many more years.) 

We’re offering the boat for sale to members, with expressions of interest due by 3 April.  The boat will be sold to the highest bidder, subject to meeting a reserve. (Note, we are not specifying what the reserve is). We will disclose in subsequent newsletters the amounts that are bid, so bidders are informed of progress.  

The boat will not be sold with a trailer, so interested parties will need to source their own if needed (these are readily available online).

Here are the relevant details for the Paul Adam: 

• South Pacific ‘Cormorant’ 4.3m

• Aluminium RIB

• Registration 58162

• Yamaha Model F40FET6GBL

• 4 Stroke Outboard 40HP

• Serial No 1000819G

If you’re interested in the RIB please contact Justin Davey HERE.

The Paul Adam in action.

Race Report

It was a big day of racing last Saturday, with Club Champs and Autumn Pointscore on tap. Nearly 40 sailors competed in a shifty Double Bay Southerly, which moved progressively left throughout the afternoon.  The on-water team did a great job juggling course set up to keep us racing on fair courses as the wind shifted. 

Volunteers on the weekend were Mike Forbes (PRO) with Dave Newman, Isabelle Wilkins and Isabelle's grandfather's partner, Linda World, on the Jazzman. And Sara Brooks, Tim Heath and Campbell Patton's friend, Alex, on one RIB and Craig Sheers and Clare Alexander on another RIB.  A big shout out to Clare who has been much missed on the water at DBSC recently! It was a pleasure to have her back. It was also great to see Craig Sheers, also not seen much these days due to injury.

Heading up the canteen were Paul and Shirley, assisted by Matt Knight, Hugo Knight, Ian Alexander and Clare Alexander. So many people that the toasties have never tasted better!

We were delighted to have two visitors sail with us on Saturday.

Emily Keg, an Australian who has been living in Hong Kong and has recently moved to attend Sydney University.  She has had a lot of experience in both laser and 470, including strong finishes at several youth world championships.

Keith Wilkins, father of Jason Wilkins and grandfather of Isabelle Wilkins, who is an equal all-time record-holding 13-times laser world champion (currently tied in that position with Brett Beyer).  He is here for the Nationals and the Worlds, and sailed with us on the weekend.  Unfortunately, his mast broke just after the start in the first race, putting him out of action.

The results were: Championship – Standards: Campbell Patton (Championship Heat 11) and Luke Parker (Championship Heat 12); Radials: Matt Wenke (Championship Heat 11) and James Tudball (Championship Heat 12).  Pointscore (after handicap): Standards: Rod Barnes (Pointscore Heat 7) and Andrew Simpson (Pointscore Heat 8); Radial / 4.7s: Nathan Deng (Pointscore Heat 7) and Andrew Cox (Pointscore Heat 8). In the first race, there was a photo finish between three radials, which after much debate and several viewings in slow motion replay of the finish video taken by Isabelle Wilkins, resulted in the third umpire declaring the finishing order to be Matt Wenke, Gavin Blake and Andrew Cox. Exciting stuff!

Iconic Racing on Sydney Harbour. Photo by Sara Brooks

Missing Mast

John Chesterman’s radial mast bottom section (with attached Vang) has gone missing. It is labelled 199109. If you know the location of the mast, please let John know HERE. Thanks!