The approval for the clubhouse on the current site was not smooth sailing. A petition carrying 153 signatures was sent to Woollahra Council objecting to the building based on its impact on the natural beauty of the park. Despite these objections the clubhouse opened on 5 April 1959.
Category: Latest from Double Bay Sailing Club
60 Seconds With Mark Bethwaite
1. How old were you when you first stepped on a boat? Seven – a P Class trainer in Torbay Auckland2. If money (and sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy? The ultimate Fine Wine – a 100m super yacht with 10 guest suites, 10 Lasers in the aft lazarette plus RIBs etc. This Fine Wine would position at future Laser Master Worlds locations (other than Lake Garda) or the Caribbean, Med etc – wherever the water temperature is above 27 degC3. What is your ultimate sailing goal? My goal was an Olympic medal – I had my chances but am firmly on the skids now…4. Tell us the story behind the name of your Laser? Few things get better as they get older – Fine Wine is one and Laser sailors are another5. If you could add any ingredient to DBSC’s world’s best toasties – what
Coming Up
Wednesday 17 Feb – Twilight Sprints & Brett Beyer Twilight Program 4/10Saturday 20 Feb – Learn To Race and Autumn Point Score 7 & 8Wednesday 24 Feb – Twilight Sprints, Brett Beyer Twilight Program 5/10, and State Masters Debrief presented by Brett BeyerSaturday 27 Feb – Club Championship 11 & 12
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,
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
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.
NSW/ACT ILCA Laser Master Championships
The largest ever contingent of DBSC sailors travelled to Jervis Bay over the weekend for the State Masters, and for many the first time competing in a regatta. It was certainly a test of fitness and skill with 3 hours of intense sailing and 30kms covered each day in moderate to fresh southerlies, with some consistent waves to surf downwind.There were a total of 143 entries and DBSC filled almost a quarter of the spots with 15 of 77 Radials, 17 of 64 Standards, and 2 of the 9 females. Congratulations to all the sailors that attended and those that excelled in their divisions: Radial – James Tudball overall winner and 1st Apprentice, Gavin Blake 3rd overall and 2nd Apprentice, Andrew Cox 1st Master / Standard – David Newman 2nd Apprentice,
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].
Race Debrief presented by Brett Beyer
Brett will be offering a State Masters race debrief and Q&A at the club on Wednesday 24th Feb at 8:00pm. All members are welcome (even if you didn’t go to the States) to come and listen to his strategy, tips, tricks, and advice. Cost is $20pp – click [HERE] to book your spot.



