Christmas Party - 12 December

Please save the date and RSVP now for our annual Christmas Party on the evening of Saturday 12 December. It’s sure to be the holiday event of the season. The festivities cap off a day of unique sailing with our famous once-a-year Tyrell and Rousso races, which are super fun and competitive formats. 

Because of COVID capacity restrictions, this year the party will members only (sadly, no family / friends permitted) with a cap of 60. First in, best dressed.

Please check out the ‘official’ invite below and RSVP by 30 November HERE.

Watson's Bay Adventure Picnic Day - Save the Date

It’s the perfect antidote to our competitive Saturday racing: the inaugural DBSC Watson's Bay Adventure Picnic Day.

Please reserve Sunday 31 January in your diaries for this day of fun.  

What's entailed you ask...?! Precisely what it says on the tin.

A 12pm splash followed by an adventure sail down the harbour, maybe stopping via a bay on the way for a quick dip, before continuing on and beaching at Watson's Bay. We then propose enjoying a few refreshing drinks at Watson's Bay Hotel before a beautiful sunset sail back home.

Please RSVP HERE.

We look forward to having you join us!

Record Saturday Fleet

We set a new fleet record last weekend for our Saturday races, with 76 boats participating in heats 11 and 12 of the Spring Point Score. In addition to our members, DBSC welcomed elite sailors Mara Stransky (Australian Olympic Rep), Zoe Thompson (Australian Sailing Team Member), Emma Plasschaert (Belgian Olympic Rep). They along with our NSWIS members -- Daniel Costandi, Mina Ferguson, Evie Saunders, Brooke Wilson -- made for stiff competition in the radial fleet!

Saturday was also the inaugural edition of the Vaucluse Challenge Friendly with 20 VYC sailors racing with us for the day. It was great to see so many new and returning faces on the course!

Luckily Mother Nature didn’t let us down, with a decent 8-14 knot Southerly / South Easterly. The winners in this crowded fleet (after handicapping) were: Standards – Nick Pellow (heat 11) Murray Stone (heat 12); Radials – Kirk Marcolina (heat 11) and Martin White (heat 12). 

Thanks to the race management team for setting a big line and keeping us running on time: PRO Matt Wenke assisted by Peter Speed, COTD Kevin Gilroy, CSO/CoCOTD Pia Hattersley, and Canteen Assistants Richard George and Katie McHugh who took orders for the Canteen Crew of Paul, Shirley and Christine.

Crowded mark roundings were common on Saturday. Photo by Peter Collie.

60 Seconds With Emily Ball…

The Watson's Bay Adventure Picnic Day announced in this newsletter was the brainchild of Emily Bally. So, we thought it was a good time to find out more about what makes this fun-loving Brit tick.    

1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat? 
Aged 8 in a very tiny harbour on the Isle of Wight (off the south coast of the UK) with my dad in a Bembridge scow. I soon progressed into a topper called Topsy Turvey...... (some things never change). Sadly I stopped sailing when I left the Island to join Army school and then I never managed to get back into it. This was a big factor in moving to Sydney so I was very happy to stumble across DBSC via a random Facebook message from a UK pal's second cousin (Marty Trembath).

2. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?
An 18 Footer. And an incredibly hunky crew. 

3. What is your sailing goal?
Sydney to Hobart.... ever since reading Fatal Storm back in 2000 (I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with me!) I'd also love just to get a little bit faster at Laser sailing.

4. Tell us the back story to your laser's name?
Double Trouble, as we get each other into all sorts of trouble. (And it's more punny than Coxy's)

5. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be? 
Tricky as they are fantastic as they are. Probably Picante sauce. My folks enjoyed them so much they've introduced toasties at their croquet club!!

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

7. Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?
Design and build big things.

8. What’s the first international flight you are going to book post Covid-19? And why?
London - to see my mum and dad. The second flight will be to Japan to get some powder skiing in.

9. What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?
My favourite book is the Bronze Horseman, by Paullina Simons. Favourite TV show changes as a I complete each Netflix binge. Currently a toss-up between Rake and The Crown.

10. Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?
For anyone who has been within a 10m radius of me these last few months this isn't new news, however for those who haven't been ...... I got myself a COVID puppy* 

 *read hound.  He's a 8 month old, 30kg German Shepherd called Strider. 

Coming Up…

Wednesday, 25 November, 5pm Splash – Twilight Sprints

Saturday, 28 November, 9:30am – Mandatory Competency Training 

Saturday, 28 November, 2pm Start – Club Champs heats 7 & 8 and Spring Point Score heats 13 & 14

Wednesday, 2 December, 5pm Splash – Twilight Sprints

Saturday, 5 December, 9am – Learn to Race

Saturday, 5 December, 2pm – Sprint Racing (due to State Championship)

Race Report

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday for Spring Point Score heats 9 and 10. The 6 - 12 knot Easterly was a nice reprieve from the big winds of recent weekends. 

Congratulations to the competitors who came out on top after handicapping: Full Rigs: Murray Stone (heat 9), and Nick Pellow (heat 10); Radials/4.7s: Daryl Lawrence (heat 9), and Mac Finlayson (heat 10). Thanks to the race committee for putting on a well-run race day: PRO Peter Collie assisted by David Airey, COTD David Huber, CCO/CoCOTD Mark Gray, and Canteen Assistants Andrew Craker and Clare Alexander.

Sunny Saturday sailing. Photo by Diana Valia Chen.

Changeroom Changes

Based on feedback of members and the decreased numbers of COVID cases in NSW we are easing our restrictions on our changerooms / toilets, while still complying with current Health Orders.   

We are now allowing women to use their changeroom for showering, changing and toilet use, with a maximum of 3 women at a time in the changeroom. We are also allowing the men’s changeroom to be accessed for toilet use only. Men’s showering and changing may not take place in the men’s changeroom and only 9 men can be in the changeroom at once.  

Twilights Tonight

Okay we’re getting to sound like a broken record, but tonight looks like another cracker for twilight sailing. A 19-knot NEer is forecast under a sunny sky. Check out the photo below. Who wouldn’t want a mid-week break that looks like that? Splash at 5, Brett Beyer’s program at 5:30. Hope you can make it.  

Photo by Diana Valia Chen.

Influencers Invade DBSC

Jean Paul Gaultier is launching a new men's fragrance and wanted to create a fun experience for their influencers (beautiful young men and women with large social media followings) to showcase the new nautically themed offering. Who better to help them then the good looking DBSC crew? A team of 20 plus members volunteered their time on Monday morning. Dressed in spiffy Jean Paul Gaultier themed sailors’ rashies our team showed the influencers how to sail a laser and took them out for a 2-up sail and a short race near Clark Island. 

By all accounts the influencers had a blast.  As Clare Alexander put it, “It was so fun to see all these people, with pretty much no idea about our amazing sport, out on Sydney harbour Laser sailing, laughing and having a ball! It’s a huge effort, especially during this time, but incredible and shows what a little team of dedicated volunteers can achieve for the greater good of our club.”

Thanks to everyone who took a sickie on Monday to pull off such a great event. Big kudos to master planners Diana and Peter for their incredible dedication and organisation!

Look at these Influencers.

Influencers doing their thing.

Boat Licence Course On Offer

We’d like to move ahead with a special DBSC Boat License course for members who haven’t yet obtained one. However we need a few more participants to make it happen. The cost for the course will be split between the club and the member. If you’re interested please contact Mark Crowhurst HERE to let him know.