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?
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Want to book a seat at the restaurant?
Want to become a social member?
Can I rent/hire your clubhouse?
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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.
A massive congratulations to our DBSC sailors (and youth coaches!) Dan Costandi and Brooke Wilson, who have just finished a highly successful campaign in Stavanger, Norway, at the U21 European Championships.
Dan qualified for the gold fleet and then went on to finish 8th overall (from 150 competitors).
Brooke finished 25th overall (from 72 competitors).
A fantastic effort, guys!!
Join us for a BBQ on the deck on Saturday 2 September for the official opening of the 2023/24 sailing season. Family & friends are welcome! Please RSVP by Wednesday 30 August so we know how many hungry sailors (and guests) to feed: dbsc.com.au/club-events/2023-season-opening.
Club Championship racing also commences on the 2nd.
Our annual working bee is on Saturday 19 August from 8am to 11:30am. Please do not forget! There is quite a bit to do to keep the club in shape for the summer season, so all members are expected to attend.
Photo: Nikos Zagas
By Craig Ryan
Our DBSC sailors were all boys this year and really did us all proud and we hope to see some of our talented DBSC ILCA4 girls heading to the worlds next year. Jack Restuccia, Cormac Johnston and Healy Ryan all performed well in the Hellenic Nationals during the preceding week whilst Charlie Byford attended a European ILCA training camp! These boys kept getting better as they gained experience and knowledge on the race course as well as coming to terms with the extraordinary heat and wildfire emergencies around them. As only teenagers can, they took it all in their stride and just got on with the job of sailing.
Conditions were mostly lighter sea breeze’s than are common in Australia but develop bigger waves than on the east coast sailing locations because of the increased fetch. Many of the larger European sailors showed a different technique to Australian sailors and were able to use their body much more successfully to move the boat over the waves and take advantage of their strength…. So many things to learn.
The DBSC boys took it all in from the pomp and ceremony to the hard fought mark roundings. The Australian team had no boys in the top 100 last year but 5 this year so things are looking up for this relatively inexperienced group of hard working and motivated sailors.
Results for our DBSC sailors were:
Healy Ryan 31st U16, 15th in silver fleet and 87th overall (U18).
Charlie Byford 70th U16, 27th in bronze fleet and 171st overall.
Jack Restuccia 27th in bronze fleet and 205th overall.
Cormac Johnston 90th U16, 8th in emerald fleet and 231st overall.
A huge thanks to Ben Byford for organising the highly sought-after team uniforms and coach boat.
Healy, Charlie and Jack have also given their insights into some of the highs and lows from the regatta…
Craig: What was your best race, and why?
Healy: In the second last race I put everything into practice that I had learnt throughout the regatta. I made minimal mistakes and came away with a second place in the silver fleet.
Jack: My best race was the first race of the final series. I generated a plan and made the decision to go right. I ended up executing it well and rounded mark 1 in the top 15. After the bottom mark I slipped back a bit, but it felt great to be at the pointy end of such a competitive fleet.
Charlie: My best race was race two on the first day of the finals. This was a windy race and my fitness and heavy wind technique (which I have focussed on) made me very competitive. I had great boat speed and had the freedom to go in a low mode when fully hiking. I ended up with an 8th in that race which I was really happy with.
Craig: What were some of the most challenging things (onshore and/or on-water) that you encountered at the regatta and how did you try to manage that?
Healy: I think that trying to stay cool was a real challenge, even jumping into the water didn’t cool you down because it was 28 degrees. Especially with the light breezes in the morning being held onshore in 35-40 degree weather was hot! Drinking pure ice-cold water whilst staying in the shade was definitely compulsory for anyone who wanted to do succeed at the regatta!
Jack: The most challenging aspect of sailing in Volos was the large chop with little wind. The most difficult onshore aspect was the heat; staying hydrated and not getting sunburnt.
Charlie: A big challenge was drinking and eating enough. An onwater challenge was remaining consistent in the oscillating breeze.
Craig: What was an onshore highlight from the regatta?
Healy: The opening ceremony was definitely the onshore highlight, starting off with the parade. The Aussies stole the show and had a lot of fun. There were speeches, dances and meals. We did have to leave early with racing the next day but it was definitely a great experience.
Jack: My favourite onshore moments were the opening ceremony and the cancelled Day 6. The opening ceremony because I got to meet the rest of the team, and Day 6 because I got to meet a lot of people from all over the world.
Charlie: The onshore highlight of the regatta was either blasting “What a bloody great day to go sailing” —The Wolverines, or the trading on the last day.
Craig: What did you learn most from the regatta?
Healy: I learnt how much you need to move your body around. Sailing against the best ILCA 4 sailors in the world shows you what you need to do, and the few times I was near the front of the fleet it was extremely noticeable how much everyone was moving around and how aggressive it was, with or against the waves and it was certainly a game changer as I learnt how to do it too.
Jack: The importance of a decent start.
Charlie: I learnt that consistency is key and good starts and sticking to a plan will lead to good races.
Craig: What was your favourite Greek food?!
Healy: It would have to be chicken souvlaki, almost every second night was a good souvlaki of any kind but whenever you ordered a chicken souvlaki it was never disappointing
Jack: Souvlaki
Charlie: My favourite Greek food was a pork gyros.
Thanks to Craig and the boys for the entertaining report… and for doing DBSC so proud. It was clearly a great regatta and a fantastic experience for you and your families.
Don't forget to book your place in the Brett Beyer Saturday Program HERE. Please consult previous News releases for details. The cost of the program is $560 (plus merchant fees) per person for 8 sessions (9 Sep, 16 Sep, 23 Sep, 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 28 Oct, 4 Nov, and 11 Nov). Places are still available.
Thank you to the members who are sending through information for the newsletter. If you have content for the newsletter, please email it to newsletter@dbsc.com.au by Monday evening.
View all racing results here.
The club’s calendar can be viewed and subscribed to here.
Make a tax deductible donation to DBSC here.
Another day of light winds, as the morning breeze died off. Undeterred, the race committee set up a course just outside Double Bay and got off a quite a few short windward-leeward races. After moving the marks around to try to match the breeze direction, the RIB crew eventually gave up and just let the racecourse be what it was, and this did not at all dampen the enthusiasm of the sailors.
Julian Taylor provided a clinic on how to get a Laser around a racecourse in zero wind using kinetics alone!
Thanks to the on-water team of Mike Dunne (PRO), John Vasey (RO), Chris Tattersall & Grant Lovelady (COTD’s).
Please make time to attend this important club event. The annual working bee will be conducted on Saturday 19 August from 8am to 11:30am. This annual event takes considerable planning and is necessary in order to ensure our club is ready to run smoothly for the summer season.
All members are expected to attend – there is a significant amount of work to be done, with jobs "big" & "small" to suit all members. If you are unable to attend on the day, please contact the Commodore, Steven London, and arrange for a job to be undertaken at a time convenient to you.
Don't forget to book your place in the Brett Beyer Saturday Program HERE
The program comprises individualised on-water tips before and after racing and between races, as well as a video of the start, and a GPS animation and accompanying analysis that shows your tracks and stats vs the other participants in the fleet on a leg-by-leg basis, with commentary on fleet and/or selected individual performances on each leg. It also includes the opportunity to ask Brett questions during the week, between BBSP sessions.
The initial program for the 23/24 season will run for 8 sessions on 9 Sep, 16 Sep, 23 Sep, 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 28 Oct, 4 Nov, and 11 Nov. The cost of the program is $560 (plus merchant fees) per person, and this pricing is dependent on 20 participants.
Click HERE to register for the program. The terms and conditions can be found on the registration form.
Wharf reconstruction works are in full swing, with completion set for late December (hopefully before the holidays). The contractor has cordoned off the worksite with buoy strings, and the corners are anchored to concrete blocks. Please be aware that the anchor for the southwest corner is close to where we sail:
Thank you to the members who are sending through information for the newsletter. If you have content for the newsletter, please email it to newsletter@dbsc.com.au by Monday evening.
View all racing results here.
The club’s calendar can be viewed and subscribed to here.
Make a tax deductible donation to DBSC here.
