Race Report

It was an action-packed day of racing on the harbour at the annual Vaucluse Yacht Club Regatta with over 100 entries including Lasers, OK Dinghies, and Yachts. A fresh north easterly breeze meant a 45-minute slog to the start line for those that sailed from Double Bay, but thankfully eased slightly for our muscles to recover for racing. DBSC dominated the Laser fleet in the 3 short races with the overall results as follows: Standard - 1st Jules Hall (DBSC), 2nd Hadrien Bourley (DBSC), 3rd Chris Rodowicz (VYC) / Radial - 1st Daniel Costandi (DBSC), 2nd Mina Ferguson (DBSC), 3rd Sylvie Stannage (DBSC).

The friendly rivalry between DBSC and VYC was also decided in the Vaucluse Challenge, with the Dene Bergman Trophy awarded to Matt Faddy (VYC) for Standard, and the Graham Read Trophy awarded to Mina Ferguson (DBSC) for Radial.

Thanks to all the volunteers involved including DBSC’s Clare Alexander, David Devlin, Steven London, Clare London, and John Vasey on the water; Candice Cushway, Christine Linhart, and Shirley Roach in the canteen, with Oscar supervising from his pram.

NSW/ACT ILCA Laser Masters Championship

Thanks to the superb organising skills of Rod Barnes, a record contingent of 35 DBSC boats will be taking over Jervis Bay this weekend to compete in the NSW/ACT ILCA Laser Masters Championship.

If you are attending and have not registered yet then please do so [HERE]. Sailing Instructions, Notice of Race, venue information, and COVID-19 safety information can all be downloaded from the NSW/ACT Laser Association website [HERE]. Please read these important documents thoroughly. In order to run the event safely, Jervis Bay Sailing Club has certain restrictions in place. Your co-operation in observing the restrictions and following the directions of the COVID marshals will be much appreciated.

The event will be using electronic sign-on and sign-off and you can access the online form [HERE] or by using a computer at the Race Office on the day.

There will be no official Laser Association dinner on Saturday night, so we have booked tables at Club Callala for 6.30pm. Partners and families are welcome to join us. 

Ever wondered what it’s like to race in a Laser Masters Championship? Long-standing DBSC members and regatta regulars give us a glimpse into the Laser Masters Championships in Australia and abroad so that newbies know what to expect when attending their first regatta. Read our blog [HERE].

Learn To Race

The DBSC Learn To Race (LTR) program has been popular again this season, attracting 8-12 sailors at every session, with varied levels of sailing competency. Half of the participants are prospective members and the other half being club members keen to learn and be more competitive in racing.

Those who do come along all have interesting stories. Last Saturday’s sailors included Caleb Jarvis, a good mate of Luke Parker; Annabella Scott, a young eastern suburbs veterinarian who runs 50km trail runs for relaxation; and Darren Abound, a returnee to sailing who hadn’t sailed since he was a kid with Manly Juniors in the 80s. It takes all kinds to make a village. Do reach out and say hello to the LTR attendees as we would love to welcome them to DBSC as regular Laser sailors.

Social Sailing

On a glorious summer’s day with favourable winds, the inaugural DBSC Fun Sail & Picnic started with non-competitive sailing in shorts and colourful shirts, followed by lunch, beers, a giant puppy, and quality time with DBSC members at Kutti Beach (Vaucluse). Thanks to all those that came along and Emily Ball for organising.

First Aid Training

As part of DBSC’s commitment to safety, we have once again organised first aid training (including CPR) for our members, to be held on Sunday 18 April. There will be a morning and afternoon session for a duration of 3.5 hours, with some self-paced online study prior to the practical. Fees will be covered by DBSC, however places are limited. Please register your interest [HERE].

Volunteer RIB Driver for 18 Footers

The annual JJ Giltinan Championship will run from Friday 5th to Sunday 14th March and we’re looking for volunteers to drive a RIB and support the on-water team with rescues etc. If you can commit to all or any of the following days from approx. 1pm - 5pm, then please email Paul Adam and Jess at 18 Footers [HERE]. It’s a great way to be a part of the action!

Fri 05/03, Sat 06/03, Sun 07/03, Tue 09/03, Wed 10/03, Thu 11/03, Sat 13/03, Sun 14/03.

DBSC sailors please be aware of reduced space in the park and the possibility of A18s parts in the clubhouse over these days, and remember to always give way when they are launching or retrieving.

Clean Up Australia Day

DBSC has been involved with Clean Up Australia Day for over 10 years and we plan to continue this tradition as part of the club’s commitment to sustainability. We hope you can come along and help either on Saturday 6th or Sunday 7th March, even if you only have an hour to spare. Please email Kate [HERE] and let her know if you are able to attend.

History Corner

To keep the spirit of DBSC’s past alive we’ll be running a History Corner feature each week in the newsletter. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into yesteryear. Please email any history titbits to our club’s historian Richard George [HERE].

The original clubhouse for the Double Bay Sailing Club was in the boatshed property of Mrs E Hopwood. Early members also report using a change room in the toilet block on the southern side of the park on William Street before the opening of the clubhouse on the current site in April 1959.

Coming Up

Wednesday 10 Feb - Twilight Sprints & Brett Beyer Twilight Program 3/10

Saturday 13 Feb - Sprints at DBSC

Saturday 13 Feb & Sunday 14 Feb - NSW/ACT ILCA Laser Masters Championship at Jervis Bay

Wednesday 17 Feb - Twilight Sprints & Brett Beyer Twilight Program 4/10

Saturday 20 Feb - Learn To Race and Autumn Point Score 7 & 8

Vaucluse Regatta This Saturday – Early Start

Instead of our usual club racing, this Saturday we’ll be participating in The Vaucluse Regatta. It’s the 89th running of this grand regatta, and is a great opportunity for racing in a big fleet. VYC intends to run three races for the Laser fleets and around 100 entries are expected. 

The racing is scheduled to start at Vaucluse at 12:45pm which means the day will start earlier than normal for us. We’ll have a briefing at DBSC at 11:30am and a splash at 12 noon.  At the briefing, we will review the format of the racing. There are a few key points to keep in mind: 

• Start order may vary for different classes – and there are other / non Laser boat fleets participating

• Watch for red or green flag that indicates port or starboard roundings

• Marks will be red and white with a pink fluro cover

• Course will be triangle, sausage, downwind finish (through separate finish line)

• Penalty turns: one turn except two turns in the zone (except for hitting mark is one turn)

• Watch out for ferries and commercial shipping and keep well clear

• Watch out for participating larger boat fleets (e.g. yachts) – keep out of the way at the start

• Very important that everyone signs on – it’s the second leg of the Vaucluse Challenge friendly

• Read all of the SIs HERE

It should be a good day on the water with Laser sailors from around the harbour. There is no cost to participate and all are encouraged to attend (as there will be no sailing at DBSC this weekend) – think of it as a normal Saturday on the water for us, just at the other end of the harbour!