Perhaps you have recently replaced some of you Laser bits, but the old ones are still serviceable. Just a reminder that our Learn-To-Race team are still needing spares, in particular:Boom vangsDownhaulsRadial (ILCA 6) mast bottom sections. If you’d like to donate, please contact either Martin White or Scott Hunter.
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WHAT'S GOING ON
Wednesday 10-Jan: Twilight Sailing (5PM splash)Thursday 11-Jan: Twilight Racing (5PM splash)Saturday 13-Jan: Autumn Point Score Races 1 & 2 (2PM Warning)Wednesday 17-Jan: Twilight Sailing (5PM splash)Thursday 18-Jan: Twilight Racing (5PM splash) (including on-water coaching — see previous article)
A quick note from your editor on housekeeping at the club: our membership is quite full, so the facilities are getting a lot of use. This is starting to show, in terms of clutter and debris. If everyone both picks-up after themselves and also goes a bit out of their way to tidy up anything else they spot, our club will remain the sanctuary we all want it to be.
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
2024 ILCA Australian Open: From the coal face
We thought we would get some insights from our sailors (and parents!) who travelled down to participate at the Nationals. These shared experiences could be particularly useful for our contingent of masters sailors competing in Adelaide next month.Interview with Brooke Wilson (Australian ILCA6 National Champion):What was your best race, and why?I was really happy with my strategy execution in Race 4 of the qualifying. The wind had shifted left and therefore was coming off the land. I made a plan to start at the pin and go hard left, I was able to get a good start and I stuck to my plan and won that race! Given that the left side of the course was advantageous throughout the regatta, the pin end was quite crowded, so I was happy with how I managed my gap on the start line and my acceleration! What were some of the most challenging things
Yoga at DBSC
Develop strength and flexibility, while soothing your nerves and calming your mind. Photo courtesy Peter Collie.
A new series of morning Yoga classes started this week. The one-hour classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30AM and finish in time to catch the ferry and get to work. These are listed in the club calendar including a booking link. Members of DBSC can have 2 free trial classes.
WHAT'S GOING ON
Wednesday 17-Jan: Twilight Sailing (5PM splash)Thursday 18-Jan: Twilight Racing (5PM splash) (including on-water coaching )Saturday 20-Jan: Learn-to-race (9AM start)Autumn Point Score Races 3 & 4 (2PM warning signal)
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.
DBSC strongly represented at VIC State Championships
by James Tudball, Youth EngagementA large contingent of DBSC members headed south down the Hume Highway last week for the VIC State Titles, held at Port Melbourne Yacht Club on November 25 + 26. There were some impressive trailer set ups to go along with very impressive on-water results, too!
The highly competitive fleets encountered varying conditions across the weekend, with patchy oscillations and generally choppy seas with 15 knot wind strengths. Congratulations to all members for a job well done, and a thank you to our Youth Coach, Josh Becker, who helped facilitate some tricky regatta logistics.DBSC member results:ILCA 47th Ben Costandi16th Charlotte Jenkins23rd Elouise MorganILCA 63rd Sylvie Stannage4th Brooke Wilson14th Healy Ryan23rd Cormac JohnsonILCA
60 Seconds with John Sweeney
As a new feature in this newsletter, we are going to introduce new members to the club by asking them a few questions. This week, DBSC’s secretary Tory Epsworth caught up with new member John Sweeney:How old were you when you first stepped on a boat? I think I was seven, crewing on a Sabot called Nitro. If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?oneAustraliaWhat is your sailing goal?Have fun, be part of the community and enjoy this great sport. Tell us the back story to your Laser’s name?I’m still boat-less, but when it arrives, I’m thinking Rage Against the Machine – I love the band from the 90’s and it plays on the simplicity of the ILCA’s set up that I’m sure we all love. If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?Even more cheese
RACE REPORT 25 November 2023
Spring Point Score 9 & 10PRO Luke Parker’s report:Drizzly weather and gradient NNE of 10-16 knots greeted the fleet on Saturday. Numbers were a little down with the gun younger sailors away in Victoria and some softer older sailors scared off by the rain. With the wind to the left of a traditional Nor-Easter, and a run-in tide, and no ferries, we elected to set the course deeper in Double Bay than usual. The bonus was much less traffic for the fleet to contend with.Starts were well- behaved, although the full rigs did test their luck in the second start. They got lucky.A number of sailors took the opportunity of gusts and some great waves to rehearse capsizing and righting their boats. On the basis that “practice makes perfect”, some members should be getting rather good at it.From the vantage of the start boat, it seemed upwind tactics were about
WHAT'S GOING ON
Reminder from ILCA NSW & ACT (Kevin Phillips):Regular price entries for the Oceania & Australian Open & Youth Championships 1-8 January close on 30-Nov. Entries after that date will incur an additional $75 charge. Enter here. The Notice of Race is here. Organisers are expecting about 200 boats.The ILCA 6 Women’s Worlds 3-10 January in Mar del Plata, Argentina, has a few places unfilled. Six Australian sailors are entered. Late entry here is closing on 12-Dec.There are also a few places available in the ILCA 7 Men’s Worlds 24-31 January in Adelaide where a record 26 Australians are entered. The late entry closing date is 27-Dec. Application can be placed here.The ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 World Masters 2-10 February in Adelaide has 134 Australians entered so far and 220 total. Late entry closing date is 27-Dec. Entry applications can be placed here.Upcoming DBSC activities:Wednesday 29-Nov: Twilight Sailing (5PM splash)Thursday
RACE REPORT 14 October 2023
Photo by Quinn Pierson
SPRINT RACINGPRO David Airey reports:Saturday was another glorious day to be out on Sydney harbour although the conditions were at times challenging for the approximately 25 sailors and race management team. Before the briefing, the buoys were set out for a nice 10 knot Westerly. However, by the time racing got under way at 2pm the wind was dying, and the first sprint race took longer than planned. The marks were moved to shorten the course and Race 2 proceeded smoothly, albeit with big variations in wind speed and direction across the course. Then, while the crew on the Jazzman were focused on flags and timing for Race 3, it was pointed