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.
Last Tuesday, 4 August, the DBSC account received $900 funds-in from a CBA account with a description of "advertising". While it's likely a member subscription we cannot attribute it to anyone. If you made this payment on please let Treasurer Justin Davey know HERE.
1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?
I don't recall but it would have been on my father's beautiful in-board timber speed boat. He was a very water skier and the second man in Australia to barefoot ski. I was on the water from a very young age but I didn't get to sail until my mid-twenties when my boyfriend took me out on his Hobie Cat. I thought it was the best moment of my life (because of the sailing of course).
2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
Some sort of sportsboat for when I am not sailing my laser.
3. What is your sailing goal?
To get a placing in a Laser race.
4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
My laser is called TAC, an acronym for Take A Chance. Although I was introduced to sailing in my twenties I didn't get to race competitively until my children grew up and then only on keelboats. I had never sailed a dingy until Roger Hickman suggested I try a laser; "you'll love it KK". So, as with life, sometimes you just have to take a chance and give it a go, whatever your age. He was right.
5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
The toasties are perfect! Not a drop of Dijonaise in sight.
6. What are your second/third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
Snow skiing, wildlife (animal variety) and I am trying my hand at golf.
7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Living life
8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
Either Turkey for sailing or India to trek for snow leopards.
9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
MASH. It will always put a smile on your face.
10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
I have sailed 5 Sydney to Hobarts and we won in 2014 on Wild Rose.
Kim Ketelbey
DBSC’s August Sprint Series started off well with 25+ boats taking advantage of warm temps, sunny skies and a gentle north to north-easterly breeze. Thanks to the race management team of PRO Daryl Lawrence, COTD Wade McDonough, and CCO David Murphy for running a fun afternoon of sprints.
Sprints will continue this week (and every August Saturday afternoon). Please remember to follow our COVID Safe plan which was published in last week’s newletter and can be viewed on our website HERE. Importantly, the changerooms remain closed. The accessible toilet is open for emergency toilet needs only. There is to be no changing gear inside the clubhouse.
Radials and Standards will continue to rig and launch separately, with Radials launching no later than 12:25pm for a 1pm start. Standards will arrive to begin rigging at 12:25pm and join the racing when they arrive at the course. Radials will complete racing at 3pm and Standards will continue until 3:30pm. Standards must wait on the water until the Radials have finished de-rigging and have placed their boats in the clubhouse.
The fleets will continue to race together, but to avoid congestion on the race course, Standards will start after two minutes and Radials will start after three. This reverses last week’s starting order.
We look forward to seeing you this Saturday.
We are excited to announce a new Brett Beyer program that we hope to launch at DBSC this season – Brett Beyer Squads! This will be in addition to the usual BBSP and BBTP – more details on that to come.
The idea would be for groups of 3-6 sailors of similar ability to do regular squad training with Brett – it might be a weekday morning until it warms up, and then a weekday afternoon / evening after that. Or anytime during the day that suits the group and Brett. It might be a Saturday morning, or some time on a Sunday. Brett is flexible as to times, as long as he can fill his day efficiently.
At this stage, all we are asking for is expressions of interest. The idea will be a pre-booked series of 5 or 10 sessions of 2 hours each. The cost will be $110 per boat per 2hr session for squads of 3-4 boats and $100 per boat per 2hr session for squads of 5-6 boats.
So, if you are interested in this, please email the Commodore HERE. Feel free to express interest as an individual, and we will try to match you up with people of similar ability. Or, if you prefer, feel free to organise it offline with your mates first, and submit yourselves as a group.
This is an excellent way to improve your skills in a boat-on-boat environment with personalised attention and coaching, but without the much higher cost of private lessons.
1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?
About 9, a cedar ply sailing dinghy we bought from a neighbour in the country and took on Christmas holidays to Shoal Bay. It is still in my driveway if anybody wants it.
2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
I was transfixed again by some foiling moths on Saturday.
3. What is your sailing goal?
About 80 years old is my goal in a dinghy, then die in a keel boat somewhere scenic around the coast.
4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
“Question of Balance”, the name of a light-weight sharpie I used to sail, and a daily reminder for me of how to deal with my work.
5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
A glass of red.
6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
Kayaking, biking, canyoning; not necessarily in that order.
7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Help people out of trouble.
8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
Nepal, I worked there for a year in 1989 and loved it, to take my two sons to experience a wonderful culture and to trek, raft and bike.
9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
I’m a cultural void.
10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
Sorry, I should have saved something, I’ve already told you the interesting bits.
James Johnson
On Tuesday the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) was advised that two of their active members tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, CYCA has closed its clubhouse until further notice. The closure serves as a good reminder of why we need to strictly adhere to our COVIDSafe plan at DBSC.
We wish all of our friends at CYCA well and hope for a speedy recovery for the members and a quick reopening of their club.
If you have been at or sailed from CYCA, or interacted with people who have, within the relevant times on the 23rd, 24th or 26th of July, please notify our Commodore and refrain from coming to DBSC for 14 days.
We request that all members ensure that you stick to all relevant guidelines and procedures to remove the risk to our club and its members.
In a sign that spring is just around the corner, Saturday afternoon sailing is back this week with our August Sprints. The sprints are a perfect way to get back in shape for the upcoming season of sailing, and will be on every Saturday in August. Because of on-going restrictions due to COVID-19, the series will be a bit different this year, so please read the following carefully.
The key regulation we have to work around is that no more than 10 people can be in the clubhouse or 20 in the outdoor rigging area at one time. To avoid this, Radials and Standards will rig and launch separately (just as they did in the Winter Championship). Radials need to launch no later than 12:25pm for a 1pm start. Standards will arrive at 12:25pm for a 12:55pm splash and a 1:30pm start. It is important to avoid inter-mingling of the groups on land. Each week there will be a COVID Compliance Officer (CCO) to make sure everyone is complying with these restrictions.
Racing will take place in a combined fleet, with a three minute starting sequence and a signal on every minute. Radials will start after two minutes and Standards will start after three minutes. The first signal will be at 1pm and the Radials will begin racing at this time. The Standards will join the sprints upon their arrival at the course. To avoid too many members in the clubhouse and rigging area, Radials will complete racing at 3pm and Standards will continue until 3:30pm. Standards must wait on the water until the Radials have finished de-rigging and have placed their boats in the clubhouse.
There will be no race briefing. Please familiarise yourself with the SIs HERE, paying particular attention to ANNEXURE 2 which shows the Sprint Course.
Please look out for your fellow members by staying home if you feel the least bit unwell or if anyone in your immediate family or work colleagues has COVID-19 or has been in contact with a known COVID-19 patient.
Other things to keep in mind:
You are not permitted to attend the clubhouse or to sail from the clubhouse if:
You have been to Victoria in the last 14 days
You have attended any of the reported case locations on the NSW Health website HERE (Please note there now are several venues in Potts Point on this list)
Before entering the clubhouse, you must sign in with an active mobile number – as this will allow us to fulfil our requirement to maintain contact tracing records
Hand sanitizer will be provided at the club and must be used prior to entry and after touching any equipment
1.5m social distancing rules apply inside the club and in the park
No getting changed in the club (it takes up one of the 10-people spots needed to move boats in and out)
No use of toilets, showers, front deck, or canteen – it is get in, get out (if you absolutely need to use the toilet, the accessible bathroom will be available for toilet purposes only)
There will be no socialising post-sailing on the front deck
We encourage you to download the COVIDSafe App, and make sure it is active when you come to the club
We know the inconvenience caused by these restrictions has deterred some people from sailing. But take it from the many members who participated in the Winter Series, it’s not that bad and you quickly get used to the new procedures.
So come out and join us. We’d love to see a big fleet for some pre-season fun this Saturday!
We will be running our annual working bee on Saturday 29 August from 8am – 12pm. This is an important event that gets our club ready for the new season of sailing.
There is a lot to do, and we would appreciate participation from all members to make this a success. We are working on plans now to ensure that the day will be COVID Safe.
Could you please RSVP HERE to confirm your attendance?
Sunday dawned with a grey, windless morning. The clouds overnight caused warmer temperatures that prevented the typical winter westerly from blowing, and hopes of a gradient breeze didn’t eventuate. The lack of wind forced the race management team of PRO Rod Barnes, COTD David Huber, and CCO Candice Cushway to make the difficult decision to abandon racing for the day. It was a disappointing ending to a great Winter Championship Series.
Thanks to the many members who participated in the Series. Despite the chilly temps and COVID restrictions we had an impressive fleet of over 20+ boats every weekend (and over 30 on several occasions). There was some brilliant sailing on the Harbour this winter, with Luke Parker winning the Championship in the Standards, and Sylvie Stannage victorious in the Radials. A big congratulations to both our champions!
Thanks to all our race management teams, especially to our CCOs who took on this new role and made sure we stayed COVID Safe. Thanks also to Brett Beyer who ran another successful program that helped many in the fleet continue to improve their skills.
A glassy harbour prevented the final heats of the Winter Championship. Photo by Andrew Cox.
