Huge Turnout Continues for Winter Champs

The third instalment of the Winter Championships was held last Sunday. Despite a cold and wet morning, 30 sailors braved the conditions to compete. A storm swept through while rigging to wake up the fleet. In a repeat of last week, a course was set for a light S/SW breeze, then wind shifted to W/NW so racing was delayed and the course had to be moved. By the second race, the breeze swung to the North. 

Despite the difficult, shifty conditions there was very efficient race management and course setting by our race team. A big thanks to PRO Luke Parker, COTD Alistair Sutherland, and CCO James Johnson. Congratulations to the winners: Standards: Mark Louis (races 7 and 9), Rod Barnes (race 8); Radials: Daniel Costandi (race 7 and 9), and Mina Ferguson (race 8). A symmetry of 1sts!

Here’s hoping there’s no rain and a steady breeze this Sunday for heats 10-12 of the Winter Championships. 

PRO and COTD ready for action on a wet Sunday morning. Photo by Diana Chen.

South Pacific Laser Masters

There is a great regatta season coming up and the first event for the year is the South Pacific Laser Masters (SPLM) which will be held at RQYS from August 7-10. 

DBSC has had representation at the regatta for several years and by all accounts it is a well organised event at a great location.

There is a Laser Forum running before the event on Thursday evening 6th August and an event dinner on the Saturday night.

Note that the Queensland Border is still closed but indications are this may change in the coming weeks.  Updates on the border closure can be viewed HERE.

Those interested in attending should contact Rod Barnes HERE.

Check the RQYS web site HERE for NoR, entry and SI’s.

For those interested, a list of all regatta’s for the 2020-2021 season is published on the DBSC website HERE.

60 Seconds With Candice Cushway…

We have a beach-cleaning Gladiator in our midst. Read on to find out more…

1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?
7 years old on my dad’s Timpenny 670 Trailer Sailer called CYREN.

2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
Super Yacht!

3. What is your sailing goal?
Win a race. Get my Yacht Master Certificate.

4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
Sea Cubed. Captain Candice Cushway = C3. That was my nickname whilst an Army Captain.

5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
Salt and Pepper, but they are already perfect. Thanks Shirley and your helpers!

6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
Run/walk to various parks and beaches and assist with the debris clean-up. I like gardening too.

7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Army Major – Capability Sustainment.

8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
Japan. Ski trip

9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
The X-Files, Shawshank Redemption

10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
In the mid 90’s I was on Gladiators Army v Navy. I have the trophy!

Candice and her mum on CYREN.

Smooth sailing on Gun Runner – Jarkan 30.

DBSC In the News

DBSC was featured in Gabrielle Upton’s June Newsletter. Check out the great photo of our local MP visiting the club during the Women’s Laser Regatta. We appreciate Ms Upton’s ongoing support.

DBSC in MP Gabrielle Upton’s Newsletter.

She’s Back – THE WOMEN'S REGATTA - First Australian Laser Regatta of the 2020-21 Season

The Women’s Regatta hosted by Double Bay Sailing Club will be held on 26 and 27 September 2020.

Tell your friends, girlfriends, mothers, partners, wives, sisters, daughters and friends of sailors - that she's back and this year is going to be a cracker of an event for women and girls on Sydney Harbour. 

This year’s committee - Clare Alexander, Christine Patton and Diana Chen have been busy working through the COVID-19 lockdown to present the not-to-be-missed annual event for women Laser sailors of all ages and abilities.

Sailing training and competition in all classes have been affected by the COVID-19 restrictions, so the first Laser regatta in Australian waters will certainly generate excitement in the community and start the season on a high. 

The event format will be adapted to the Public Health advice at the time and will include two days of competitive racing on Sydney Harbour as well as some of the other unique features that make this event extra special. 

As always, this event is 100% volunteer-run with the incredible support and dedication of the DBSC community, pivotal to the success of the whole weekend and validated in the post regatta feedback survey:  

''It was fantastic for women and girls to be given the space to be centre stage at DBSC for the weekend. A unique sense of belonging was created by explicitly welcoming and celebrating women and girls at the Club.'' 

''... have honestly never felt so welcomed in a Laser regatta!''' 

The volunteers of DBSC make this regatta - and every little bit of help and support goes a long way - everything from a smiling welcome, to help with rigging and boat set up, launching the Laser, on-water support, coaching, camaraderie, toastie magic, and more! 

If you want to stay up to date with all the latest regatta news - sign up here for The Women's Regatta newsletter so you don't miss a thing!

Sailors wishing to be part of this year’s regatta can register their EOI (expression of interest) here.

Stay tuned for more updates and ways to get involved coming soon!

DBSC's Newest Member Has Arrived!

We are thrilled to announce that Christine Linhart and Rob Greenhalgh’s son has arrived! Oscar William Greenhalgh was born on 21st May at 8am, after 28 hours of labour. 

Christine reports the following:

“His 4ks chubby cheeks took a little while to come out, but finally with a little assistance, he found his way. Oscar has thankfully inherited his father’s skill of being able to sleep anywhere, including in my hospital bed! 

I have been lost in a newborn bubble, but am slowly emerging, with a good sleep and feeding routine…for now anyway. Sorry I missed the AGM, if I wasn’t in labour (or perhaps  I had just delivered) I was planning to be there to say hi to everyone.

When the club opens up a bit more in due course I look forward to coming down for the reopening of the post-sailing deck hang-outs.”

Big congratulations to Christine and Rob… with those two as parents little Oscar is sure to be winning races at DBSC in no time. 

DBSC’s newest edition.

Christine and Oscar.

A Waiting Game for Winter Champs

With the showers passing and a decent NNE breeze, a fleet of 26 boats prepared for heats 4-6 of the Winter Championships last Sunday. However, soon after the radial start, the wind began to shift 90 degrees to the west, and then abruptly faded.  The race was abandoned and the fleet waited for the new westerly to build. After a 45-minute delay, the racing began again with a decent breeze and good competition. Congratulations to the winners: Standards: Luke Parker (races 4 and 6), Jules Hall (race 5); Radials:  Daniel Costandi (race 4), Mark Louis (race 5), Sylvie Stannage (race 6).

A special thanks to the race officers who were forced to reset the course many times. PRO Michael Osborne, and COTD Christine and Tim Patton were aided by Bret Beyer, Ian Saunders, and Tristan Brown in moving the marks as the fickle breeze continued to swing. Thanks also to our cheery COVID Compliance Officer, Hadrien Bourely, who carried out his duties with proficiency and good humour. 

We look forward to seeing everyone back for more racing this Sunday. 

A sunny winter’s day. Photo by Christine Patton.

Tweaks to SIs and COVID Compliance Rules

As regulations change and we experience more racing under COVID restrictions, we will continue to tweak our Sailing Instructions (SIs) and clubhouse / rigging regulations. To that end we have several changes to announce: 

Additions to SIs:

New Sub-Paragraph: 10.4  No warning signal for a particular event will be made more than 3hrs after the published time for the first warning signal for that event (and, if separate times are published for individual fleets, the word “event” as used in this sub-paragraph 10.4 shall be read instead as “fleet”. 

This clause is intended to ensure people can make afternoon plans on Sundays in winter and Saturday evenings in summer with confidence.

Also, as announced previously: Paragraph 31.2 has changed for this season only as a result of COVID-19 to provide for two separate five minute count-down starts for Radials/4.7s and Standards, with each fleet starting at 0 minutes, rather than the Radials/4.7s starting at 1 minute as set out in the published SIs.  Also Paragraph 31.4 has changed for this season only to provide that Racing Rule 41 is reinstated and no on course coaching will occur during races.

New COVID Regulations:

In addition to the changes to the SIs, The NSW Government has now permitted outdoor gatherings of up to 20 people.  There is no material change to our COVID rules, other than now segregation in the park can be up to groups of 20, not groups of 10. All the other rules still apply, including only 10 people inside the clubhouse, 1.5m social distancing at all times, keeping of attendance records, and “get in, get out policy” (i.e. no use of showers etc).

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to endeavour to improve everyone’s racing experience. 

DBSC Welcomes Return to Racing

After ten long weeks of COVID-19 restrictions that prevented us from racing, members were ecstatic at last Sunday’s start to the Winter Championship. Despite the frigid morning, 23 keen sailors arrived at the crack of dawn for the first three races of the series. 

There was a nice moderate westerly breeze of 6-12kts and good close racing. The lead changed multiple times during races, and the wins were shared around too. The winners were: Standards: David Newman (race 1), Jules Hall (race 2), Luke Parker (race 3); Radials:  Brooke Wilson (race 1), Otto Henry (race 2), Sylvie Stannage (race 3).

We appreciate the efforts of all sailors in observing the COVID requirements.

Thanks to PRO Andrew Cox, COTD Christine and Tim Patton, CCO David Murphy, and to Brett Beyer for running the BBWP.

We look forward to seeing everyone back at the club on Sunday morning for heats 4-6 of the Winter Champs. 

DBSC racing is back. Photo by Christine Patton.

Changes to the Winter Championship SIs

Due to COVID-19 restrictions we have slightly altered the Sailing Instructions for the Winter Championship. Please note the following:

The radials/4.7s (first warning at 8.00am) will have a separate start from the standards (first warning at 8.30am) in all races.  The start sequence for all starts will be a normal five minute sequence as used for the Club Championship, not the modified sequence as set out in the SIs for the Winter Championship.