79 Bay St
Double Bay NSW 2028
Australia

The best ILCA / Laser sailing club in the world, located in Double Bay on Sydney Harbour.

News

Youth Local Sporting Champions Grants Now Open

Kirk Marcolina

Round 2 of the 2020-21 Local Sporting Champions Grants are now open. 

The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12-18 years participating in state, national or international championships.

If successful, applicants will receive $500-$750 towards the cost of attending their championships.

To apply and for further information regarding eligibility criteria, please go HERE.

Applications are currently open until 11:59pm (AEDT) on 30 September 2020.

Calendar Change

Kirk Marcolina

VYC have scheduled the Vaucluse Regatta for 6 February.

As a result we have moved heats 9 and 10 of our Club Championships from 6 February 2021 to 30 January 2021.

60 Seconds With Mike Dunne…

Kirk Marcolina

1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?
33 years, was a sailing virgin when I arrived at DBSC

2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy? 
New Laser.

3. What is your sailing goal?
Top 3 in DBSC championship. State and Australian champion in my class (Note, both are easier than #1 in DBSC)

4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
Wee Baud II – Trying to bring a little Gealic (badly missing) to the club.  Having achieved that, am now looking for a new name for my next craft. Suggestions welcome.

5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
Hummus for the fresh sandwiches.  Love the food in the club. 

6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
Soccer, Badminton, Squash (am still active in these, but GAA Hurling & Football before I retired)

7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words? 
Full Time Carer.  Supply Chain Manager.

8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
Ireland, Family.

9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
The West Wing, Shawshank & Donut Economics (right now)

10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
DBSC is one of the big reasons I’m not living in Melbourne.

A very happy Mike Dunne (on right)

A very happy Mike Dunne (on right)


 

Check Out DBSC’s New Promo Video

Kirk Marcolina

We know that we’re the best laser club in the world and now we have a great promo video that proves it. Check it out on our home page HERE.  

A massive thank you to James Tudball and his company, The White Tree, for producing a video that captures the DBSC spirit perfectly. 

A frame grab of the new DBSC Promo video produced by The White Tree.

A frame grab of the new DBSC Promo video produced by The White Tree.

Winter Championship Race Report

Kirk Marcolina

In a pleasant change to recent Sunday mornings, there was a stable Westerly and rain-free skies for heats 13 – 15 of the Winter Championships. Over 25 boats (including several welcomed visitors from other clubs) raced in perfect hiking conditions.

The competition was very good with many closely contested races. The winners were: Standards: Campbell Patton (races 13 and 15), Rod Barnes (race 14); Radials: Mina Ferguson (races 13 and 15) and Daniel Costandi (race 14). Thanks to PRO Geoff Kirk, COTD Nick Pellow, and CCO David Airey for a great day of racing.

60 Seconds with Sara Brooks…

Kirk Marcolina

1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat? 
I remember my mum taking me out on her Laser as a passenger when I was around 10.  The boat was bright yellow and called "passing wind".  It only had one rig - Standard - so having extra "ballast" may have helped.  We've sailed with four people (my mum, brothers and me) as well as our Labrador on board!  I loved being out on the water as well as the atmosphere at Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club in Adelaide.  I must have taken the below photos when I was about 14.  

2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy? 
I plan to stick with a Laser as long as I can manage it physically.  I've never tried to sail any other class of dinghy.  I like its classic, elegant and simple design, and the fact that there are still so many people who sail it.

3. What is your sailing goal? 
My goals are to enjoy being out on the harbour, to gradually improve my boat handling and racing skills, and to avoid collisions...

 4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?  
My boat is pale blue in colour.  As a play on words, I named it after the French word "sacrebleu".  This is a mild profanity that I thought I might utter once or twice while learning to sail/ race.

5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
Sundried tomatoes.

6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
Appreciating art and hiking / mountaineering.

7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?  
Legal advisor/ solution-finder.

8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why? 
I'd love to explore South America, having never been there before.  It would be fascinating to learn more about the different cultures, and to see the stunning and varied scenery.

9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
Enjoying top quality cinema at the French Film Festival is one of my favourite experiences.  Most recently I've been watching foreign films at home using streaming services.  

10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
The game I like most is chess.  My primary schoolmate's grandfather was a Russian chess master.  He wrote a book called "Chess Made Easy", and was kind enough to teach our whole class the key openings, chess notation and how to replay the games of grand masters.  I played competitively during my high school years, but now only take time to play occasionally.

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Photo by Hadrien Bourely.

Photo by Hadrien Bourely.

Rain Free Winter Champs Shine

Kirk Marcolina

For the first time in weeks Mother Nature didn’t supply us with her Sunday morning wake up showers. Instead heats 10-12 of the Winter Championship were sailed with a decent, consistent westerly with the sun shining between broken clouds high above Sydney Harbour.

Congratulations to the winners: Standards: Mark Louis (race 10), Nick Alexander (race 11), Jules Hall (race 12); Radials: Evie Saunders (race 10) and Brooke Wilson (race 11 and 12). Thanks to the race officers: PRO Peter Collie, COTD Gavin Blake, and CCO Tim Heath. In addition to setting a fine course and keeping us COVID safe, Peter and Tim also captured the splendour of the day beautifully. Check out their photos below.

A sight worth waking up early for. Photo by Tim Heath.

A sight worth waking up early for. Photo by Tim Heath.

A picture perfect morning of sailing. Photo by Peter Collie.

A picture perfect morning of sailing. Photo by Peter Collie.

60 Seconds With Jules Hall…

Kirk Marcolina

Before we get to this week’s 60 seconds, we wanted to share a bit more about last week’s highlighted member. People got very excited about Candice Cushway’s brush with fame as a Gladiator, and with some impressive Googling our fanboys have unearthed the original Gladiator’s episode starring Candice which you can view HERE.

It’s hard to follow in a Galdiator’s footsteps, but someone has to do it, and although he might not have been on a TV show, Jules Hall is often a Gladiator on Sydney Harbour…  

1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat? 
I've been on and around boats my whole life. My earliest memories are down at the sea sailing with my folks. 

2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy? 
I did a lot of offshore racing in my twenties. And loved it. This year the Sydney-Hobart has a two handed division for the first time. I do find that quite tempting...

3. What is your sailing goal? 
To always enjoy it!

4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name? 
At uni I did some big offshore races. But despite being GenX I always had a few millennial tendencies and was generally convinced I should be skipper not crew. So when I left uni I saved up and bought an old boat. A 1962 carvel mahogany folkboat to be exact. About that time I read Rudyard Kiplin's 'Captains Courageous'.  It had a big impact on me. The lead character is 'Disko Troop'. Combining that with my early twenties penchants for parties and hawaiin shirts we called the boat 'Disko Trooper'. Every sailing boat I've owned since has carried that name.

5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
Wouldn't change them for the world. 

6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
Sailing, and um, sailing?

7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words? 
Run Australia's best advertising agency 

8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why? 
Naples, Italy - I've already paid for the yacht charter. Just need to be allowed to use it!

9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
Captains Courageous, Rudyard Kipling. Read it! 

10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
In 1989 I got one of the very first Laser 4.7s. It seemed rather big back then. Cold was normal for sailing in England. So much so we sometimes sailed in the snow...the below was taken just after the boat was packed up and put back on its mooring. I can still remember how much my hands hurt when they thawed out!

Snowy sailing.

Snowy sailing.

A young Jules.

A young Jules.

Jules today.

Jules today.