The best way to find out about the club is to visit us, and meet some members.
Apart from the week of Christmas, the clubhouse is open from at least noon every Saturday from 1 August to 30 April. Our telephone number is: +61 2 9363 5577.
We are run by volunteers, so if your query cannot answered by the frequently asked questions (FAQs) below or the rest of the website, we will get back to you by Wednesday, 10pm.
How do I subscribe to your Pulitzer Prize winning newsletter?
How to make a tax-deductible donation to the club (using the internet)?
How to make a tax-deductible donation to the club (using paper forms)?
Want to book a seat at the restaurant?
Want to become a social member?
Can I rent/hire your clubhouse?
How do I get to crew on a yacht?
Can you teach me to race a Laser?
What is the deal between your club and the 18 footers and Sydney High School?
Can I store my kayak (or similar) in the clubhouse?
Can you help me buy, or sell, a Laser?
How many times can a visitor race at DBSC?
79 Bay St
Double Bay NSW 2028
Australia
The best ILCA / Laser sailing club in the world, located in Double Bay on Sydney Harbour.
Mike Dunne, Geoff Boscoe, Josh Kirkton, and Diana Chen are representing DBSC in The Push-Up Challenge from 11-31 May to raise awareness for mental health and funds for Headspace. As a team, they will be attempting to complete 3,046 push-ups in 21 days. You can help either by donating, fundraising, or signing up and joining the team to complete the challenge HERE.
We’ve received quite a few responses in the last few weeks, so we’re publishing a ‘60 Seconds With’ twofer this week.
First off we have Mike Forbes…
1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?
8 - approx. 1974/75
2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
I'd buy several, sail & power
3. What is your sailing goal?
To keep doing it as long as I can!
4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
Yella Terra (its yellow & really old)
5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
Ham/salad Rolls
6. What are your second/third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
Snow Skiing/Boarding, Water Skiing/wakeboard/barefoot
7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Own Steel fabrication Business
8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
None, live in best country in the world stay here, won’t go anywhere until 1000% covid-19 (or similar) free.
9. What’s the maximum number of toilet rolls you’ve held in your household post 01 March 2020?
1 bulk pack
10. What’s your go to Covid-19 dish?
Gin/Tonic
11. What life skill are you committing to learning whilst in lock-down?
Stay sane
12. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
I'm a jack of all trades.
Now it’s time to spend 60 seconds with Tim Heath…
1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?
About 10 years old, onto my uncle's Trident 24 (picture). The second time was into a Laser 18 months ago.
2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
I don't think I could manage the commitment of owning my own yacht. I quite like the look of the RS Aero.
3. What is your sailing goal?
Finishing every race in a DBSC season
4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
It's my first boat (shared with my son Julian), so "Rough Draft"
5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
I agree with the Jalapenos idea
6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
I still like keeping up with new music and I have a thing about my music sounding good, so I have quite a collection of headphones, DACs etc. My family teases me about perpetually tuning the sound on our HiFi.
7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Hand and wrist surgery
8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
Hmm.. really not sure. We were going to take our daughter to Africa post HSC this year but that might be hard now.
9. What’s the maximum number of toilet rolls you’ve held in your household post 01 March 2020?
Well I have an Indian wife who has a semi-controlled phobia of running out of toilet paper. We rarely had less than 40 rolls in our house pre-COVID.
10. What’s your go to Covid-19 dish?
Curries
11. What life skill are you committing to learning whilst in lock down?
I've gone back to playing some piano. I learned classically but now I am trying to learn via Jazz chords.
12. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
Not interesting but ironic - before becoming a surgeon I was an Infectious Diseases specialist and epidemiologist, which might have been more useful right now!
A 10-year-old Tim on his uncle’s Trident 24
Luke Parker has been honing his skills with the anticipation of getting back to racing soon. He’s stumbled across this excellent explanation and video about mark room when a boat tacks in the zone. Might be worth all of us checking out as we prepare for the next championship race.
Australian Sailing is sponsoring a free Club Race Officer course exclusively for DBSC members this Saturday, May 9th, from 2 - 5pm. The course is aimed at educating members in the basics of conducting consistent, fair and safe club racing. To participate, and for more information, please register HERE. Spaces are limited; first in, best dressed.
This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will be having a virtual AGM on the evening of Friday, May 22. Here are some details:
Members will get a direct email with details of the election of office bearers and more information on the evening.
Members will be required to RSVP for the AGM.
The AGM will be run via a ZOOM Webinar.
Members will need to ensure they have Zoom setup on their phone/tablet/laptop before the meeting.
The meeting link will be emailed privately to them.
The meeting will not be recorded.
We are not able to provide tech support on the night of the AGM, so please come along to the ‘Dry Run’ this coming Saturday (see below).
To give everyone a chance to test their equipment and setup, we are going to be having an AGM Dry Run this Saturday, May 9th at 5pm; repurposing the very popular ‘Drinks on the Deck’ time slot.
We suggest you come along this Saturday, as we’ll then have plenty of time to work out any technical problems you might have before the actual AGM.
To get started, simply follow the instructions after clicking “AGM DRY RUN” on your favourite Internet device after 5pm, Saturday.
See you there, with your favourite post-race beverage!
Note: There will be a separate link for the AGM made available in the coming days to you via email. Please keep this link private.
1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?
About five or six. My family were living in North Queensland my dad’s colleague was a keen sailor. Our family went for lunch one day and one of the sailing kids hadn’t turned up. I got thrown in a sabot with the club champion and a loved it (winning helped)!
2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
I’m actually loving my little laser at the moment. If money were no limit, I’d have boat shed on the harbour where I could launch at any time of day without needing help. I’d probably have a kayak as well and I’d like to learn how to windsurf properly.
3. What is your sailing goal?
While I’m competitive by nature, at this stage of my life, the challenge (and goal) is to stay in the game - to keep my body and mind active for as long as I can.
4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
I used to think of sailing as my religion - it’s where I went on Sundays as a kid. Apparently other people went to church. Now it’s more like therapy. It’s a great way to separate from whatever else is going on in life. It’s a bad day when my troubles follow me onto the boat.
5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
Spice - Sriracha, jalapeños or Chiu Chow chill oil
6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
I love cooking, eating out and good wine and coffee. I’m not sure if “indulgence” is a hobby. I enjoy trail running, more so in winter. I’ve started drawing recently and I’m finding that very therapeutic as well.
7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Save the planet. I work in sustainability. A colleague of mine tells his kids that he can see the future. I think that’s a pretty cool way of describing it as well.
8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
Ash Deacon has convinced me the next masters worlds are going to be in Mexico. This sounds like a great trip, especially since Geelong was cancelled at the eleventh hour. Given money is no limit (question 2) I’ll probably visit Captain Steamy in Lake Garda on the way back!
9. What’s the maximum number of toilet rolls you’ve held in your household post 01 March 2020?
However many came in my Who Gives a Crap subscription (I was down to the last roll when it arrived).
10. What’s your go to Covid-19 dish?
Variety is the spice of life. I’ve been cooking a lot at home, but also supporting the hospitality industry through heat and eat packs and produce boxes. The Chat Thai crew have a farm at Tiagra (Boon Luck Farm Organics) and I have had a couple of boxes from them that has really stretched my repertoire!
11. What life skill are you committing to learning whilst in lock down?
Drawing. I’m finding it very therapeutic. I’m also loving the scrabble with some of our other members. It won’t be a surprise to you all, but Andrew Cox sure is competitive!
12. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
I am the only person in my family who sails.
Katie Then…
…And Now.
On May 5th, 2019 our Winter Series kicked off. Here’s what we wrote about the day of sailing:
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, 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.
DBSC Winter Series Opening Day - May 5, 2019
We’re looking forward to being out on the water together again soon! In the mean time we’ll have to suffice with our Saturday Zoom Drinks on the Deck.
A community member has enquired if anyone has a second hand mast and sail they are looking to sell. Here’s her message: I own an old laser which I only use a few times a year, but unfortunately the top section of the mast broke a few months ago. I am looking for a second hand alloy section and a second hand full rig sail. It doesn't need to be racing standard, just something to get the boat on the water again. Please email Susan HERE if you can help.
Australian Sailing is running a virtual National Championship for clubs, using a platform called Virtual Regatta Inshore (which is an app for IOS), and we have registered DBSC to participate. The first regatta, the Club Championships will take place between 8 May and 18 May (exact programme TBC), with the winner being selected to participate in the state / territory final (May 22 – 24) to find an overall national champion. More information HERE.
The Club Championship will comprise of 5 races with 2 drops. The platform can only host 20 boats, so there’s every chance we’ll run a round robin if there’s enough entries. Races only take a couple minutes each, and we’d look to schedule qualifying on a Saturday afternoon, with the final the next Sunday – depending on numbers.
For now, all we’re asking is who is interested. Click HERE if you are. To get ready for the big event, download the app HERE and practice.
For our second instalment of our getting to know you game, we’re featuring Mark Crowhurst.
1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?
Too young to remember - I spent my youth on the water in one way or another.
2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
The Laser just 1 number newer than Andrew Cox's
3. What is your sailing goal?
I have a vendetta to resolve after my last minute and dramatic loss in the Tyrell 2019.
4. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
Jalapeno
5. What are your second/third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
I didn't know I was meant to have other hobbies?
6. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Computer Programming Consultant
7. What’s the maximum number of toilet rolls you’ve held in your household post 01 March 2020?
I'm not sure what the maximum is, but I can tell you what the minimum was...
8. What’s your go to Covid-19 dish?
Pappardelle Lamb Ragu!
9. What life skill are you committing to learning whilst in lock-down?
At this stage, the main improvement looks to be my Scrabble skills. Hopefully someone else's answer to this question gives me some inspiration.
Mark’s been relaxing on boats since an early age.
We want to get to know you better too… so don’t forget to email your answers and old photos to newsletter@dbsc.com.au.
