Race Report Saturday 28 March 2026

Club Championships R13 and R14 and Autumn Pointscore R9 and R10

On water race team:

PROs Martin and Gaye With LTRaR Jason Wilkins, AssistedSimon Wilkins (guest), COTD Andrew Foote and CoCOTD Samuel Slattery, both on a RIB. Safety RIB John Vasey

On Shore team:

Canteen: Shirley and Paul assisted by Michelle Power and Max Williams, Handicapper: Geoff Boscoe

After a very stormy night, Sydney harbour graced us with sun and a strong and gusty sou’westerly.  The first race was a brisk 18 knots, gusting 25 knots causing the wind to shift back and forth.  The second race eased to 13 knots but still with 25 knot gusts.  Martin, our PRO was very punctual which meant a few radials struggled to make the first start.  We appeared to have a couple of extra ILCA 4s who hadn’t signed on but they certainly worked as hard as anyone and there is a video of three 4s hiking hard on starboard.  22 sailors were signed on with 3 ILCA 4s, 8 ILCA 7s and the rest in ILCA 6s. The 4.7s called it a day after the first race, as did a few radials and one standard.  The first reach looked like a screaming speed event with a broad second reach.  Some great sailing in the conditions for which I have posted multiple videos and some photos.  There were numerous capsizes and a few “turtles”, especially at the leeward mark when arriving at the same time as a gust, (but no videos recorded, sorry).  The finishes were very close affairs with Zac and Healy winning well-deserved battles in their respective fleets in the second race.  The “lucky” award goes to Geoff Kirk who just kept his body in enough to avoid being over at a pin-end start according to the PRO.  The “cheeky” award goes to Luke Parker for his port-tack, pin-end screamer in the second start and the “grit” award goes to Kerryn Smith who kept hard at it, sailing a fullrig!  There were: no recalls, no actual rescues, no postponements, no relaying of marks but we suspect plenty of well-used muscles!  A great sailing day to finish the season.

Club Championship Race 13 results:

ILCA 4: 1st Harper Spacey 2nd Ben Phillips 3rd Zoe Allen

ILCA 6: 1st Scott Hunter 2nd Geoff Kirk 3rd Martin White

ILCA 7: 1st Luke Parker 2nd Healy Ryan 3rd Grant Lovelady

Club Championship Race 14 results:

ILCA 4: No finishers

ILCA 6: 1st Zac Howell 2nd Geoff Kirk 3rd Martin White

ILCA 7: 1st Healy Ryan 2nd Luke Parker 3rd Mike Dunne

Race 9 handicap results:

ILCA 4: 1st Harper Spacey 2nd Zoe Allen 3rd Ben Phillips

ILCA 6: 1st Scott Hunter 2nd Martin White 3rd Geoff Kirk

ILCA 7: 1st Luke Parker 2nd Geoff Boscoe 3rd Grant Lovelady

Race 10 handicap results:

ILCA 4: No finishers

ILCA 6: 1st Martin White 2nd David Airey 3rd Geoff Kirk

ILCA 7: 1st Mike Dunne 2nd Hadrien Bourely 3rd Luke Parker

Report – Jason DrWilkins

What's Going On

Club Look-ahead Schedule

• Saturday 4 April: Easter DBSC Race Around the Harbour

  • 1pm Briefing, 2pm Warning

• Saturday 11 April

  • Learn to Race: 9:00am

  • Autumn Point Score Races 11 & 12: 1pm Briefing, 2pm Warning

• Saturday 18 April: Autumn Point Score Races 13 & 14

  • 1pm Briefing, 2pm 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.

Sailing in Florida

All photos by Donna Sue Marks

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to steer an International 505 at the 2026 Midwinters Championship in Clearwater, Florida as well as a follow-up “friendly” dinghy regatta at Davis Island in nearby Tampa Bay. As there was no racing last Saturday, I thought I might share that experience in this week’s newsletter.

The 505 is a classic racing dinghy that has been around since the 1950’s. Technically a one-design, it is nonetheless a “development class” that has been updated regularly to keep pace with emerging technologies. Top boats now sport full carbon hulls (wet-laid or prepreg), carbon booms and twin spinnaker poles. The large symmetrical spinnaker (it was greatly enlarged in the late 90’s to “enliven” the class) means that in anything over about 10-knots of breeze it is sailed as a skiff: off-wind wire running providing a superior VMG. Every boat is rigged slightly differently as the “5-Oh” is definitely a tinkerer’s boat. Pretty much everything is adjustable up to and including the angle of attack of the centreboard, which makes for a lot of lines in the boat. In short, a big change from the Laser.

Back to the experience. I drove from Toronto to Clearwater with my crew (and boat owner), departing in minus 15-deg snow and arriving 26 hours later in 28-deg sunshine. The Clearwater Community Sailing Center is located on a barrier island on the gulf coast, with racing taking place on the Gulf of Mexico. The water here was slightly cooler than Sydney Harbour is at present (this was mid-winter after all), but the winds were generally light as the morning gradient-generated easterly fought a building sea breeze. In terms of numbers, these were down from last year due to several factors. In all nine boats from the US east coast and Canada attended, but the quality of the racing was very high. The winds were generally light (6-10 knots) and we sailed 12 races over three days. Ethan Bixby, former owner of North Sails St. Petersburg and legendary East Coast dinghy sailor, was the winner, tying on points with Craig Thompson (Thompson Boat Works) but taking the top prize on count-back. We finished 5th.  

What a fabulous boat to sail. The 505 is perfectly balanced upwind, only requiring finger-tip pressures to steer even in big breeze. Hiking is comfortable, certainly compared with a Laser, plus, well, that’s what the crew’s for. High upwind speeds (planes in 8-knots and above) and high aspect foils means you get a lot of lift from the centreboard. Optimum VMG is obtained by dropping the bow a bit and letting the boatspeed build, which in turn lifts the boat to weather. As I found out, you don’t always get the freedom to do that, especially off the start as you squeeze up to hold your lane. Speaking of which, 505’s generally use gate (“rabbit”) starts and doing this well is, let’s say, a skill I am yet to acquire. I tried the Laser start technique where you park up just off the [imaginary] line, then sheet in and accelerate with about 8 seconds to go. Doesn’t work. You can’t “manhandle” a 505 the way you can a Laser, as the high-aspect rudder simple does not scull. You have to do a proper approach, which requires advanced calculus to account for the rabbit’s speed, timing and anticipated heading, not to mention the other boats trying to do the same.

Off wind, in breeze, is a blast. If you can keep the crew on the wire and hold the boat about 45-degrees off DDW then you will make gains. Any less breeze and you need to square the spinnaker and sail more-or-less like a Laser (minus the S-turns). The more the breeze, the deeper the angle you can sail while still wire-running. Gybing is easy with twin poles as you basically trip the old pole, which retracts onto the boom (hopefully without harpooning the helmsman), then after the main comes over you launch the new pole. The brace/guy is always attached (not completely sure how this works, but that’s the crew’s department). Biggest problem I had was when moving fast in bigger breeze the rudder is so sensitive that my gybes were too quick. That’s how I discovered the water temperature!

At the end of each day there was a debrief around the beer cooler. Technical discussions and Q&A about what worked and what didn’t in terms of breeze strength and shifts and also boat set-up. The 505 sailors are all very good about sharing ideas and helping each other get faster. Kinda like sailors at DBSC!

 -            Chris Tattersall, Newsletter Editor

What's Going On

Club Look-ahead Schedule

• Thursday 26 March: Twilight Racing: 5pm splash

• Saturday 28 March: Autumn Point Score Races 9 & 10 / Championships Races 13 & 14 (combined)

  • 1pm Briefing, 2pm Warning

  • BBQ after racing

• Saturday 4 April: Easter DBSC Race Around the Harbour

  • 1pm Briefing, 2pm Warning

• Saturday 11 April

  • Learn to Race: 9:00am

  • Autumn Point Score Races 11 & 12: 1pm Briefing, 2pm Warning

• Saturday 18 April: Autumn Point Score Races 13 & 14

  • 1pm Briefing, 2pm 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.

Metros Championships Regatta Report - 14 March 2026

Report from Stephen Reid

The Metros regatta was held last weekend, with 20 entries from DBSC (some were only able to participate for one day).  The fleet was around 80 strong and the regatta was very ably hosted by Manly Yacht Club, with racing held off Middle Head.  Some of us trekked up and back each day - many thanks to Craig Ryan, Justine Scott, Ben Byford and Alexander Lewis for providing Rib support for the regatta. 

Saturday was a tough day, with <5kts and a decent swell making it hard to make good on-course decisions (and keep the sail full downwind).  Sunday was glorious and challenging, a fresh 15-17 knot nor'easter and another difficult swell pattern (for this sailor anyway).  The fleets seemed to be of high calibre, the black flags were surprisingly few and the smiles were large.

Sylvie blitzed it with 6 bullets! Here is the scorecard for DBSC:

ILCA 6:

• Sylvie Stannage - 1st

• Zac Howell - 3rd and 1st U17

• Charlotte Jenkins - 9th, 2nd U19 and 1st U19 woman

• Sophie Borner Harrison - 10th and 3nd U19

• Patrick McLachlan - 13th and 1st U18

• Scott Finlayson - 16th

• Sara Bruce 23rd (only one day)

• Elouise Moraga - 27th

ILCA 7:

• Julian Taylor - 1st

• Alexander Bijkerk - 3rd

• Conor Kellett 5th, 1st U21

• Charlie Byford - 6th, 2nd U21

• Quentin Burns - 8th

• John Sweeny - 10th

• Jack Restuccia - 13th

• Stephen Reid - 16th

• Hadrien Bourley -19th (only one day)

• Samuel Slattery - 21st

• Tim Heath - 23rd (only one day)

Do you see DBSC took 6 of the top 10 ILCA 7 spots!

Full Results HERE

Work-on-your-boat Day Saturday 21 March from 10am

Maxim Djura has organised another Work-on-your-boat day at the club this aturday 21 March from 10am till 4pm or whenever you finish

Typical repairs include:

• Repair gelcoat chips or gunnel cracks

• Restore hull color

• Polish your boat

• Reapply boat fittings

How long will it take? Below some are rough estimates:

• About 1 hour to prepare and apply gelcoat.

• 2 hours for the gel to cure.

• 2 hours to polish and finish off.

• 1 hour and half to polish the boat.

• 45 minutes to apply the gelcoat restorer.

• Time to repair gunnel cracks varies significantly.

Personal and environmental safety:
Gelcoat, hardener, acetone, Ronstan’s gelcoat restorer are dangerous substances.

Please, wear long-sleeve shirts. It’s a good idea to have a change of clothes for the day. There will be masks, safety glasses and PVC gloves.

There will be single use containers and a separate bin for the dangerous substances. Please, do not throw them into the general bin.

What's Going On

Club Look-ahead Schedule

• Thursday 19 March: Twilight Racing: 5pm splash

• Saturday 21 March: No Club Racing (Harbour closed for RAN’s 125th Ann. Fleet Review)

  • Work on your Boat day 10am - 4pm With Maxim coordinating.

• Thursday 26 March: Twilight Racing: 5pm splash

• Saturday 28 March: Point Score Races 9 & 10 / Championships Races 13 & 14 (combined)

  • 1pm Briefing, 2pm Warning

  • BBQ after racing

• Saturday 4 April: Easter DBSC Race Around the Harbour

  • 1pm Briefing, 2pm 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 - Vaucluse Regatta 7 March 2026

Report from Tim Heath,

A strong contingent of (20+) sailors attended the Vaucluse Regatta last Saturday. It was a busy morning at the club with the JJs in full swing, the park in use for sport, and tide too high to rig on the beach.

This meant the most tricky boat handling of the day was on shore, but everyone was cooperative and the mood was good. Rigging was accompanied by pumping music and assuaged by free coffee and sausage toasties provided by our 18 footer colleagues.

An outgoing tide and a fickle light southeasterly breeze added to the transit and racing challenges.

There were a few quirky race happenings: lots of general recalls with the outgoing tide and short start line, class flag changed during sequence, top mark moved during a race, Ok dinghies sailing back through the line exactly when the ILCA 7s were starting their 2nd race, and the 3rd race was cancelled for reasons not entirely clear.

However, there was a general mood of enjoyment about sailing further up the harbour and having a group outing. Thank you to our Vaucluse colleagues for hosting a great day!

COTD Tim Heath and  CoCOTD Michal Morris escorted the fleet to and from the event.

Strong performances were recorded by several DBSC members:

!LCA 4 - Harper Spacey overall winner

ILCA 6 
1st Sylvie Stannage
2nd Sara Bruce
9th Roberto Blum
11th Charlotte Jenkins

ILCA 7
1st Alexander Bjerk (both races)
2nd Healey Ryan (both races)
4th James Tudball
5th John Sweeny
7th David Newman
10 Stephen Reid
11th Geoffrey Boscoe

PS: it was more an ENE

Full results https://app.sailsys.com.au/club/50/results/series/5545/pointscore?view=individual&handicap=s

Metros Regatta next Weekend - Register Now

Metropolitan Championships Manly YC 14-15 March

This annual regatta will be held over 2 days out of Manly Yacht Club. Each year a contingent of DBSC sailors head to the Metros, and we encourage members to register for this event and represent the club. Please read the Sailing Instructions Below.

• (There will be no DBSC club racing on 14 March)

• A contingent of DBSC sailors will rig and depart from DBSC by water soon after 11:30am TBD.

• There will be a DBSC support RIB on both days to assist getting to and from the course (especially if there is limited wind), if you have a small bag of food/water you can store it on the RIB.

• It is a long journey by water, please allow plenty of time

• Allow time to Rig - the JJ’s 18 footers regatta is also ongoing, so space in the DBSC rigging area will be limited, be patient and polite.

• Saturday First warning 13:30 (3 races)

• Sunday First warning 12:00 (3 races)

• No Warning Signal shall be made after 1530 hours Sunday 15 March 2026.

• Entry is $50 if you are under 21 on 14 March 2026 otherwise it is $100

• The presentation will be held at the Manly Yacht Club as soon as possible after racing on Sunday.

 Details can be found below in these links:

Notice of Race

 Online Entry

 Sailing Instructions

 Event Information Document

 Sign On/Off

Work-on-your-boat Day Saturday 21 March from 10am

Maxim Djura has organised another Work-on-your-boat day at the club this aturday 21 March from 10am till 4pm or whenever you finish

Typical repairs include:

• Repair gelcoat chips or gunnel cracks

• Restore hull color

• Polish your boat

• Reapply boat fittings

How long will it take? Below some are rough estimates:

• About 1 hour to prepare and apply gelcoat.

• 2 hours for the gel to cure.

• 2 hours to polish and finish off.

• 1 hour and half to polish the boat.

• 45 minutes to apply the gelcoat restorer.

• Time to repair gunnel cracks varies significantly.

Personal and environmental safety:
Gelcoat, hardener, acetone, Ronstan’s gelcoat restorer are dangerous substances.

Please, wear long-sleeve shirts. It’s a good idea to have a change of clothes for the day. There will be masks, safety glasses and PVC gloves.

There will be single use containers and a separate bin for the dangerous substances. Please, do not throw them into the general bin.