Virtual Drinks

Last Saturday Nick Pellow organized a DBSC virtual drinks get together via Zoom. Posting an invite on our Top Mark Facebook Group, Nick explained that the rules were: 1. Can only be drinking from the usual DBSC drinks list 2. Must be wearing some sort of sailing gear! Over a dozen of us showed up for drinks – even some not in the country. It was almost as fun as being on the back deck with everyone. Rumour has it that there may be another virtual get together this Saturday. Keep your eyes on The Top Mark to see all the details.  

DBSC Zoom Drinks.

A Year Ago

As we all huddle away from each other in isolation, it’s nice to think back to one year ago when DBSC hosted a huge Community Day celebration. Well over 500 people came to enjoy the sparkling day. Steyne Park was at its festive best, with a massive jumping castle, an array of favourite carnival games, flapping sails advertising laser sailboat rides on the lawn, remote controlled sailboats in the harbour, fairy floss and sausages to enjoy, and power boat rides from the front deck of the club. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can all start enjoying these types of good times again. 

DBSC Community Day - April 7, 2019. What a difference a year makes.

Clubhouse Closed Due to COVID-19

As you no doubt know, in the last 48 hours the federal and NSW governments have put in place very restrictive guidelines to stop the spread of coronavirus. On Monday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had this message, “If you can do everything from home, you should. It is only in the exceptional circumstances that you should leave home." A strict Public Health Order was enacted late on Monday night, which, in part, states, Community Organisations must not be open to members of the public.

The interpretation on what this Order means for a club like DBSC is up for debate, but the spirit of the new legislation is clear – people should stay home unless it’s essential to go out. In light of this new Order and to aid in preventing unnecessary activities outside of the home, we are immediately restricting access to the clubhouse. The clubhouse is now closed to all members until further notice other than to remove your boat (so you can sail individually from your own premises). No sailing is to occur from the club until further notice.

There may be additional clarification forthcoming about how the new Public Health Order pertains to sporting clubs like DBSC, if so all members will receive an email with any changes to this policy. 

We understand not having access to your boat is difficult, but this is one small step we can take as a club to help “flatten the curve” and encourage the wider community to take the message to stay at home seriously.      

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

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).