Discounted Sails

We are pleased to announce a repeat of our popular annual discounted sails offer for a bulk order of at least 50 sails.

We are very grateful to Rob McMillan at NB Sailsports, as well as to PSA, for their continued support in making this offer to our members.

As in previous years, we are extending this offer to members of other sailing clubs.

The offer is priced more attractively than last year’s offer, and is as follows:

• 4.7 Hyde with no numbers = $709

• Radial Hyde with no numbers = $709

• Standard MkII North with no numbers = $910

• Standard MkII Pryde with no numbers = $910

• Sail numbers supplied and fitted = +$40 per sail

• Country letters supplied and fitted = +$22 per sail

• Delivery will occur in late September / early October

Note, there will be a separate offer next week for a 4.7 “starter kit”, comprising 4.7 sail AND mast bottom section.  If you are interested in this, please hold off on placing your 4.7 sail order until you have seen the offer next week.

Could you please place your orders here ASAP LINK.  No payment is required at this stage – instructions will be provided in due course.

NB Sailsports is very supportive of our activities at DBSC.  They are located just around the corner from us at Woollahra Sailing Club at Rose Bay.  You can contact them for all your Laser supplies by phone on (02) 9371 7475 or by email at nbsydney@gmail.com. You can visit their website at nbsailsports.com.au.  Please support them!

Spring Sprints – Now Starting an Hour Later

Normally the calendar flipping to September signifies the start to our main sailing season. But with COVID restrictions still in place, we will be continuing to run Sprint Racing on Saturdays through October 3rd. Because it is now spring, we will be starting an hour later, still using staggered class ringing times. That means the Radials will now rig and launch by 1:30pm with a 2pm start, with the Standards arriving at 1:30pm for a 2pm splash. Racing will continue for the Radials until 4pm and until 4:30pm for the Standards. 

All COVIDSafe regulations remain in place, including the regulation that only those members who are in the same region as DBSC may sail in the organised sprints. Please review our COVIDSafe Plan and maps that outline the DBSC region HERE. 

Those members who took part in last week’s Sprints, were greeted by a better than forecast 8-10 knot NE breeze and beautiful sunny, warm conditions. Congratulations to Jules Hall who managed to cross the line first in four out of the seven races run. Thanks to Simon Stone (COTD) and Tim Heath (CCO) for putting up with the author who was PRO. 

A stunning winter’s day of sailing.

The Women’s Regatta Cancelled

Late last week Commodore Andrew Cox announced the cancellation of The Women’s Regatta with this letter to participants:

It is with great regret that we have taken the decision to cancel The Women's Regatta for this year. 

Last week, the NSW Office of Sport published a recommendation that community sports organisations "cease activities that result in the mixing of participants and staff from different regions”, including participants from different regions within Greater Sydney. 

The Women's Regatta is intended to bring together sailors from all over Sydney and beyond, and we are pleased that this has been reflected again this year in the registrations received. However, we have come to the reluctant conclusion that, in order to comply with the new government recommendation, we have no choice but to cancel the regatta. 

This is disappointing on so many levels. It is disappointing for all the sailors who have registered to participate because we know this is an event you all enjoy so much. It is disappointing for our amazing volunteers who have put so much dedication and passion into organising the event. And it is disappointing for our club because we love the spirit that all of you bring to our club each year. 

In spite of all this, we are pleased to announce that The Women's Regatta will be back next year, scheduled to be held on 25-26 September 2021. We hope you will continue to be as excited about this as we are, and that this gives everyone something to look forward to. 

We thank you all for your understanding in these unfortunate circumstances, and we look forward to an even bigger and better event next year!

DBSC - Finalist for Club of the Year

Australian Sailing has just announced the announced the finalists of the 2020 New South Wales & ACT Sailing Awards.

We’re thrilled that DBSC was named a finalist for Club of the Year along with Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Hunters Hill Sailing Club.

The winners will be announced virtually this year on the Australian Sailing NSW/ACT Facebook page over the week starting the 21st September 2020. Fingers crossed!

60 Seconds With Jim Dounis…

Jim can be a quiet guy, but he certainly comes into his own in the Pointscore, where this champion is always a threat. Find out more about what makes him tick…

1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat? 
2013 when I bought my Laser, a few years before I was crewing as a foredeck on a 30ft Young 88.

2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
Any boat that could safely sail the Greek Islands.

3. What is your sailing goal?
Go the distance, keeping injuries to a minimum.

4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
To simply Go the Distance however my next boat will be called "Keep your Social Distance" ( and stay 1.5 metres behind this stern).

5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
A fried egg smothered in BBQ sauce.

6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
Surfing any waves under 8 foot high.

7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Computer hardware service on IBM products to ensure we get our bills from the likes of Telstra, Energy Australia and the ATO. 

8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
Central America, somewhere different and now a safer place due to the wall to keep the Yanks out.

9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
The footy but only when East are beating Souths and also when Swans are beating Hawthorne/Collingwood.

10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
I have almost mastered Argentine BBQ but I'm still an apprentice after 25 years. Like my sailing !

We know who’s manning the grill at our next BBQ!

Important - Changes to DBSC Sailing and Activities

Last week new advice regarding community sport was published by the Chief Health Officer of NSW. The new recommendations aim to help NSW meet the goal of achieving no community transmission of COVID-19. 

One of these recommendations is that community sport organisations “cease activities that result in the mixing of participants and staff from different regions”.  Last Friday Australian Sailing, working under request from NSW Health, split Greater Sydney into 4 regions, and has stated that “clubs should be ceasing the participation of people who normally reside in different regions to where the club is based”. These new recommendations are anticipated to be in place until the end of September. 

DBSC has always aimed to follow all government recommendations and guidance to help stop the spread of COVID-19, and we will continue to do so. To that end there are several changes, cancellations and postponements that we are announcing today:

• The start of our official sailing season is postponed until these recommendations are eased such that all members can participate

• Sprint racing will continue every Saturday until we are able to begin our official sailing season

• Only those members who reside in the same region as DBSC will be permitted to sail in the sprints (see more information below)

• Sprints will have a 12:30pm Radial Splash and a 1pm Standard Splash and continue to follow our COVIDSafe plan which you can view HERE

• The Working Bee scheduled for Saturday is postponed to later in the year

• BBSP is cancelled; an alternative Brett Beyer program is being considered for sprint racing – details to come

• The canteen remains closed

Because of the requirement that people from different regions not mix while participating in community sport, only people who live in the in DBSC’s region will be permitted to sail in our organised Saturday sprints. DBSC’s region includes most of the Eastern Suburbs, the CBD, and some of the Inner West. The area is roughly bounded by South Head on the north east, South Coogee on the south east, Enmore on the south west and the ANZAC Bridge on the north west. (See ‘Zone B’ on the map below.)

If you live outside this area, you are not permitted to come to the club from noon to 4pm on Saturdays, while organised sailing is taking place. People from outside the DBSC area are free to sail at other times, but should at all times avoid mixing with members from different zones. 

Members’ rack allocation will not be impacted if they choose to take their boats from the clubhouse and store them elsewhere during this period. Equitable treatment of member subscriptions will be monitored in the event the restrictions continue beyond current expectations. 

We understand that these changes, postponements and cancellations are disappointing and difficult, but this is one way we as a club can do our part to help stop community transmission of COVID-19. Thanks for your understanding and support as we implement these new measures. 

60 Seconds With Luke Parker…

We’re not talking about that Sydney Swan’s player, it’s the always smiling former DBSC Commodore we get to learn more about this week. 

1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat? 
When I was about 7, I was the “skipper” of a lime green sabot. I couldn’t sail, was scared and every Saturday I made sure everyone within earshot knew I hated it! While some members might say nothing has changed, the fact is the following season I started crewing on a boat with someone who knew what they were doing and I was hooked.

2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
An America’s Cup foiling monohull.

3. What is your sailing goal?
Two words: Beat Brett. I think he has peaked, but thanks to his fine coaching, I am getting closer. If I extrapolate my trajectory and assume he flat lines, he should be very nervous about the upcoming 2074 great, great, great, great, grandmaster worlds.

4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
When I was about 13, I got my first real boat, a Flying Ant, which I raced it against Rod Barnes on Botany Bay. “Nosey Parker” was a common saying in those days so “Nosey” was the name of that boat and every boat since.

5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?
I’m not qualified to advise our culinary maestros, but a little Habanero Mayo wouldn’t go astray.  That said, every toastie, and/or a cold beer on the deck is a joy.

6. What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)
All the ‘S’es; Surf, Snow Ski, Steel, Scrap metal, Sleep......

7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Keep James Johnson very busy 

8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
I’m not hopeful of going anywhere for 18 months. But when I can travel, I hope it will involve a family holiday, probably to either ski or surf.

9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
Sport (and only sport) on the TV. I am enjoying reading “A Bone of Fact” by David Walsh (owner of Mona). He is a national treasure. 

10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
I will not ride a horse.  I don’t like them and they don’t like me.

The original Nosey… Luke is hiding behind his crew.

Speedy Sprints

A warm, sparking day greeted sailors last Saturday for our third instalment of August Sprints. The winds were challenging – a shifty Westerly shot some 25+ knot bullets at the fleet of 30 boats. Thanks to to the race management team of PRO Jules Hall, COTD Justin Davey, and CCO Conor Roche for running an efficient and fun series of sprints. 

We sprint again this Saturday, with a COVID Safe 12:30pm splash for the Radials, and a 1pm splash for the Standards. Hope to see you on the water.

A beautiful winter’s afternoon on Sydney Harbour. Photo by Justin Davey.

Don’t Delay – Sign Up for Brett Beyer Programs

Time is running out to secure your spots in both the Brett Beyer Saturday Program (BBSP) and Brett Beyer Squads. Right now we have 7 members signed up for the BBSP, we need at least 8 more members to make this program viable. It will run in the spring for 10 weeks as follows: 5 Sep, 12 Sept, 19 Sept, 10 Oct, 17 Oct, 31 Oct, 7 Nov, 14 Nov, 21 Nov, 28 Nov.* There will be two categories of coaching:  B = $500, A = $100 (plus merchant fees).*  

The B subscribers will get a fleet-level report on each race, a video with commentary on the start, their GPS track and stats on each leg vs the rest of their fleet, comments on the performance of the fleet and correct tactics. The A subscribers will get all the above, as well as an individual report highlighting technical and/or tactical considerations for them specifically, based on Brett’s real time and GPS observations. 

Send an email ASAP to Andrew Cox HERE to express your interest in the BBSP indicating your name, rig type and A/B category preference.  

We’ve had an overwhelming 21 members show their interest in the Brett Beyer Squads. The Squads are formal coaching in groups of 4 to 6 people that will take place in 2-hour sessions. The commitment will be for 5 to 10 sessions and times will be agreed upon based on participants’ availability. For those who have signed up already, Andrew will be in touch with suggested times and groups for training. If you haven’t signed up yet and are interested, this is your last opportunity to get in on the action by emailing Andrew Cox HERE. 

* Click HERE to see the terms of the BBSP program.

Two Weeks Until the Working Bee

We’re up to 31 members who’ve RSVPed for our Annual Working Bee on the morning of Saturday 29 August from 8am – 12pm.

That’s a great number but we can use even more help. 

Please RSVP HERE if you haven’t already.