What's on, Watson?

Events coming up.....

24 Jan.  Non pointscore racing ahead of Australia Day lamb feasts, ferry races and displays of 'Strya-izm

31 Jan Committee meetings @ 11am.  Club Championship heats 9,10 and heats 5 &6.  Post sailing BBQ 

7-8 Feb.  Masters State Title at Lake Macquarie. Click here for NOR . Its a great weekend, good competition and DBSC always sends a contingent along.  Optional Friday golfing for those so inclined.  Sprint racing at DBSC for non travellers

14 Feb. Club Championship heats 11, 12 followed by a very romantic Valentines Day snag sizzle with the crews from the 18's who will be racing heat 2 of the JJ's that day. Tables for two available by prior arrangement only.

21 Feb. Vaucluse Regatta (3 races, one day only) No racing at DBSC.  Great opportunity for racing in a big fleet, and practice for the VYC/DBSC challenge in March. DBSC handles entries for our sailors. 

Every thursday; 5.30pm twilight sailing

March Madness

Heads up. We're busy come March, with plenty of VICE. (Very Important Club Events)

7-8 NSW Laser Metropolitain Campionships @ DBSC.  We're expecting up to 100 boats. Special guests from Qld, Victoria and Georges River. Volunteers will be called on to make ensure a success

14 Club Championships.   Normal Club Championship BBQ will be deferred a week

21 VYC challenge leg 2. Earlier launch because we race on the VYC course. After sailing, the victory celebration and feast will take place on the DBSC deck with our friends from VYC. 

Enter the 2015 worlds now (open and masters)

Entries open on 21 Jan to the Worlds in Kingston, Ontario (10 July to 18 July) First in best dressed.

DBSC will be sending a flotilla.

Details here 

NSW LASER ASSOCIATION ADVISES.....

Entries open on 21st January at 00.01 hours USA Central Time which is 17 hours behind DST here. My calculator says this will be 5.01pm on Thursday 22 January in NSW. Historically everyone who wanted to enter World Masters has been accepted however with a strong demand expected from the North Americans our first come - first accepted (after current champions) system suggests prompt action.

Requests for Metro Charters (7-8 March)

We've had two requests for charter Lasers from interstate sailors for the Metros. If you are not sailing, I'll assume you are injured.  To pay for the medical bills, you might be interested in renting your boat? If so, let me know and I'll prepare a list to send to potential charterers. 

DBSC will only do the introductions .... We won't be involved in the pricing or negotiations, nor do we ask for a commission.

Send email to commodore@dbsc.com.au with name, hull#, rig set up and I'll get a list together.  

Big Boat Race Report

JS reports:

Six boats presented on a sparkling afternoon. A 5-12 knot east-sou-easterly, with a forecast to double in velocity during the afternoon.

The start (thank you John V!) was clear, but the starboard end was heavily favoured and the skippers were in a competitive mood. One boat (T&T) was forced off the starboard end, and had to tack and gybe around quickly, to stay in touch with the rear of the fleet.

Echoes (an Austral Clubman 30 racer; skipper Graham) showed the speed and good sailing we remembered from earlier seasons, and led the whole race, without bothering with a spinnaker. Chenonceau (Stephen) and Rockhopper (Mike) are cruising Beneteau 30-odds, and have to be sailed well to go well in light conditions. Both went well and finished second and third, also without kites. 

Of the smaller boats, Corinna (Endeavour 24, Chris) won the start and, with most of the fleet, was able to reach the Point Piper mark without tacking. 

On the leg to Taylor’s Bay, all three smaller boats set spinnakers, hoping to mix it with the cruisers. T&T (Hood 23) did well on this leg, moving past  Umbakumba (a Sonata 26, Gerry) and Rockhopper. Our kite set well, and came down well, but we needed more hands to tidy  up than we had; short-handed kite-flying is a challenge. Chris managed his solo, keeping us humble on this point.

The east-sou-easterly meant that the legs to Sow’n Pigs and then to Shark Island were both very shy reaches. We all had to handle wind shifts and lulls, and the wind came over the South Head peninsula. It was fun sailing, but not rich with tactical possibilities. The predicted build of the wind did not eventuate, leaving boats who had put up their #2 headsails in anticipation, a bit stranded.

The last leg was a run, but only Umbakumba (with 3 crew on board) set a kite. Rockhopper, which had passed T&T on the was to Sow’n Pigs, cruised past Corinna close to the finish. 

A great afternoon; good racing with competitive boats and our best fleet for a while

Across the line:

Time after first boat (min) (thanks to Peter for the times)

Echoes 0

Chenonceau 4

Rockhopper 6

Corinna 6.2 (so 12secs behind Rockhopper)

Time & Tide 8.5

Umbakumba 9.5

We race again on February 1; that’s just 2 weeks away. 

Hope to see everyone then

Jonathan

 

Romani ite domum....

....may we well say, given the Romans didn't deliver us a sewer.  It was the DBSC collective guided by Dear Leader and Captain Kirk who delivered us a sewer - that works!

Defibrillator @ 18's

The 18's have a defibrillator which they have kindly said is available in the case of an emergency. It is located in their main office. 

Let's hope we don't have cause to use it, but thanks for the offer 18's!!

Link to the demo video here

Dear Leader proclaims a working bee for this Saturday

We need volunteers for a working party together on the morning of Saturday 17 January 2015 from 9.00am to 12.30pm.

Some of the work is skilled, some just requires grunt.  If you haven't volunteered much this season, here is a great opportunity.

Tools we will need are spades to clear the sand plus the usual string line, levels, drills, bits, socket sets, etc.  Bring whatever you have - and mark with texta so you can retrieve.

If you CAN help, please let the Captain Kirk - rear.commodore@dbsc.com.au - know, please?  He will coordinate with Dear Leader as roles on the day.

Note: rotate 90 degrees counter clockwise

Action Plan:  to support the diagonal section of the sewer pipe we need to form a HW channel 7m long and hang it from the joists above. 

Free Safety Boat Course

BBB ramping up the competition....

Sunday, 2pm for the next big boat race......El Supremo report.....

Dear Big Boat Brethren,

First, some blue-water news. Breakthrough (a Beneteau First 40 half-owned by Mat Vadas and myself), scored 61st across the line in the 2014 S2H; she was 12th overall (i.e. on IRC handicap), 7th in Division 3 and first on performance handicap. It was a big PB for the boat and skipper (Mat).

Wild Rose has raced once or twice with the Double Bay big boats.  She is a 43ft one-off, the original Wild Oats.  This year she won the S2H on IRC handicap (making her the overall winner); she also won Division 4. A stunning performance to cap off a stellar season for the boat and her skipper (R2H - Roger to Hobart) and crew.

Roger and Wild Rose's navigator (JJen) are regular DBSC Laser sailors; at least when Wild Rose is not racing.

So, we have some serious blue-water sailors in our fleet and Club; DBSC now staking a claim as a strong big-boat club.

We race again next Sunday; 2.00pm start.

Be there or be ..........

And let me know if you coming!

Thanks

Jonathan