Race Report - Saturday 27 September 2025

Spring Point Score, Races 3 & 4

All photos by Craig Sheers

Saturday’s racing kicked off in a light (building to moderate) north-north-westerly. This being one of the least common wind directions on Sydney Harbour, the race management team had to get creative with a leeward mark a stones throw off a point piper palace and weather mark to the north of Clark island, flirting with the busy channel. 

Race 3 of the Spring Point Score series was underway with clean starts for both fleets. Scott Hunter led the ILCA6’s most of the race until Sara Bruce overtook him in the last lap to win line honours. Healy Ryan and Julian Taylor tussled for the lead in the 7’s the whole race, with Healy coming out on top at the end. On the jazzman, we had plenty entertainment, providing AFL Grand Final score updates to finishers, whilst parrying the ever-present opinions on how the racecourse should be changed. 

Change the course we did. The now moderate breeze had shifted to the North, demanding a course shuffle that had the weather mark further right, just South and East of Bradley’s Head. The 4’s and 6’s were keen, too keen, to get on with it. Assisted by an ebbing current pushing them over the line, general recall! Straight to black flag. That showed them. They got away clean this time, as did the 7’s. After close racing in shifty conditions, the same young guns from the previous race took line honours. The back of the fleet saw close racing too, with position changes even on the final beat to the finish. It seems everyone was keen to get in for what would be a crazy second half of a grand final game… except Tim Heath who enjoyed an extra hour of training after racing- an example to us all.

Thanks to our race team Craig Sheers PRO assisted by yours truly, and Ryan Aldrich with Conor Kellett on the RIB. Thanks also to Van Allen for organizing the canteen in Paul’s absence, with Shirley and Massa Kume.

- Campbell Patton, LtRaR

The Double Bay Regatta - Register NOW

Less than Two Weeks - REgister Now

This year DBSC will be hosting the inaugural Double Bay Regatta. A day to celebrate Laser racing in Double Bay, it is open to all Laser ILCA sailors.

Three races will be held on this single day event on Saturday, 11th October 2025 in the waters off Double Bay in Sydney Harbour.
Cash Prizes will be awarded to winners in ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 divisions, and the winner of each class will get their name engraved on the Mark Bethwaite Trophy, named after our club legend.

The Notice of Race and Registration are now available

What's Going On

Club Look-ahead Schedule

• Saturday 4 October (October Long Weekend): Sprint Races

  • 1pm Briefing, 2:00pm First warning

• Thursday 9 October: Twilight Racing (5pm splash)

• Saturday 11 October - The Double Bay Regatta

  • NOR is HERE

  • Register NOW! HERE

  • Regatta Web page HERE

• Thursday 16 October: Twilight Racing (5pm splash)

• Saturday & Sunday 18-19 October: 2025 NSW & ACT Coast Champs, Gosford SC

  • NOR

  • Entry

• Saturday 18 October: Sprint Races

  • 1pm Briefing, 2:00pm First warning

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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.

Race Report - Saturday 20 September 2025

Busy afternoon off Point Piper. Photo by Chris Tattersall.

Club Championships, Races 3 & 4

Saturday’s racing took place under sunny skies and with a strong, unsteady westerly. The weather mark was set just east of the Navy Buoy (off Clark Island), the leeward mark close to Shark Island. Gybe mark was set close to Point Piper, maximising the course length within our established racing area. While the Bergman was doing the initial mark-setting, the wind was gusting to 28 kts, so the Paul Adam was launched to provide additional rescue capacity and support to the race committee.

Race 3 got off on time, with clean starts for both fleets. The wind had abated somewhat with gust strength down to about 22 kts, and significant lulls to contend with. Par for the course with westerlies. The racing was close and exciting to watch. Before we could retrieve it, the finish line mark managed to drift and fetch up off Shark Island just north of the leeward mark (the lead pack of Radial sailors assumed it was some sort of leeward offset mark and rounded it to port). It was quickly returned to its proper station and secured with an additional length of anchor line.

By Race 4 the wind had shifted south by about 20-degrees, but was still “within the margin”, and so the RC elected not to fiddle with mark locations. Breeze strength was still up-and-down. The Radials (and our lone 4.7) got off cleanly. The Standards had two boats over early, but both returned and correctly restarted. The first tack was complicated by a couple of cruising yachts trying (not very successfully) get away from the wall of starboard tack Lasers, but then again that’s standard fare for Saturday afternoon racing.

DBSC sailors welcomed a small number of Australian Sailing Squad members to the day’s racing. Although they courteously did not cross the finish line (which would have confused yours truly), they showed they belonged on the squad and provided welcome competition in the leading pack.

Race 3 winners were Charles Byford (Radials) and Campbell Patton (Standards)

Race 4 winners were Scott hunter (Radials), Healy Ryan (Standards) and Isabelle Wilkins (4.7)

Thanks to the Race Committee (Martin Gill, PRO, assisted by Gaye Gill and Chris Tattersall, LTRAR) and the support crews (Rob Bruce & Ian Tudball in the Bergman, Ben Byford and Daryl Lawrence in the Paul Adam). Also, a special shout out to Kate McHugh who tracked retiring boats as they came ashore and radioed back to the RC to ensure we didn’t lose anyone (we didn’t). Pre-race toasties provided by Shirley and Andrew Cox.

There was a BBQ on the deck following the racing for which we need to thank Michelle Powers for making the salads, Kate McHugh for assisting with the preparation, and Daryl Lawrence and Jim Dounis for manning the grill and cleaning up.

-Chris Tattersall, LTRAR

Photos by Chris Tattersall & Ian Tudball

Vale Jim Ley - Friend and Life Member of DBSC

It is with deep sadness that we farewell James Ley who passed away on Wednesday 17 September 2025, surrounded by family.

Please see the information below on his celebration of life which will be held at Cronulla Surf Club
Today 24 September 2025 at 11am.

Jim Ley was one of the earliest of our sailors in 1954, and at age 11 joined the “Pioneer Boating Club” even before the clubhouse was built, which later became Double Bay Sailing Club. Jim and his sister Lyn went on to win the first two consecutive Club Championships in his VJ dinghy named “Star”. His parents Patricia and Dr. Charles Ley were among the Club’s founders. Jim went on to be win many trophies in many classes in many other clubs over the years. Our thoughts are with Jim’s family and friends in this sad time.  He will be remembered and he will be missed.
Our Club Historian has put together more detailed recollections HERE

Volly of the Week!

Double Bay Sailing Club is managed and run entirely by volunteers. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work”. There is always work to be done in the upkeep of our shed and the ongoing running of Laser racing each week.

This week we’d like to thank Ian Tudball who has been busy de-sliming our ramps. Keeping the ramps free of algae and moss is an ongoing task - but by the look on Ian’s face - a happy one!

The club is full of people making wonderful contributions around the place, and sometimes behind the scenes. Let us know who deserves a mention!

What's Going On

Club Look-ahead Schedule

• Saturday 27 September:

  • Learn To Race: 9am (Non Members: Please register with a free Temporary SailPass)

  • Then: Spring Point Score Races 3 & 4

    • 1pm Briefing, 2:00pm First warning

• Sunday 28 September: Reach Youth Training: 8:30am

• Saturday 4 October (October Long Weekend): Sprint Races

  • 1pm Briefing, 2:00pm First warning

• Saturday 11 October - The Double Bay Regatta

  • NOR is HERE

  • Registration is now OPEN

  • Regatta Web page HERE

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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.

Race Report - Saturday 13 September 2025

Photo by Stephen Reid

Spring POINT Score, Races 1 & 2

Mother nature pulled out a cracking day for the start of the 2025 Spring Pointscore Series on Saturday with blue skies, sunshine and a hint of a sea breeze on the cards. A magnificent spectacle on the world's most picturesque ILCA racetrack. With a forecast breeze from the east, the race crew set a course around 1240pm with the top mark about halfway between Shark Island and "Point Bethwaite", set nicely for what was (at the time) a true easterly.

However, on returning to the water after the briefing, the breeze had continued to shift to the northeast. A bit of quick thinking saw the marks reset, although the Etchell start line and gate was bang in the middle of where the wing mark should have otherwise been. Nonetheless, racing was underway at 2pm - a super effort from Stephen Reid and Wendall Wait on the RIB to move the marks and lay a pretty decent start line under time pressure!

In the Radials, Sylvie and Sara jumped out to a good lead, picking a couple of big shifts up the second work. After some neck-and-neck racing, Sara came out the victor. In the Standards, Healy similarly managed to open up a lead on the fleet, and took line honours.

The second race was underway after some problems with the sound signals - the Jazzman hooter wasn't working, and the air horn ran out of air with a minute to go before the start, leading to a general recall.  Daryl Lawrence's "unplug it and plug it back in and jiggle it around a bit" advice for fixing the hooter on the Jazzman was amazingly effective. 

For the Radials, Sara and Sylvie fought it out again with another big lead, this time with the honours going to Sylvie. In the Standards, Zander held the lead for a good part of the race, taking line honours in the end.

On adjusted time, Brendan Pollard took out the honours in both races in the Radial fleet, while Healy Ryan took the handicap honours in the Standards in the first race, and Peter D'Arcy King was victorious in the second.

Many thanks to the race team of Murray Stone, Richard Holstein, Stephen Reid and Wendall Wall. 

Photos by Stephen Reid and Murray Stone

DBSC Grand Masters & GGMs Training - Campione sul Garda

Smiles all round: Rod Barnes, Martin White, Kerryn Smith and Pat Levy

Last week, four of our Double Bay GM and GGM Masters joined with their Italian friends, Roberto Bini and Beppe Cavalli and others from around the world for a Pre-ILCA World Masters Training week.

Organised by Mark Bethwaite and Roberto, the guys spent some time soaking up the Italian hospitality and the magnificent scenery in the iconic location at Campione sul Garda. Thank you Mark and Roberto for being excellent hosts!

This week they make their way through Southern Italy to the ILCA World Masters in Formia.

The Double Bay Regatta - Saturday 11 October 2025

REgister Now

This year DBSC will be hosting the inaugural Double Bay Regatta. A day to celebrate Laser racing in Double Bay, it is open to all Laser ILCA sailors.

Three races will be held on this single day event on Saturday, 11th October 2025 in the waters off Double Bay in Sydney Harbour.
Cash Prizes will be awarded to winners in ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 divisions, and the winner of each class will get their name engraved on the Mark Bethwaite Trophy, named after our club legend.

The Notice of Race and Registration are now available

Sailing Instructions will be issued shortly.