2024 Vaucluse Regatta, Saturday 2 March

The Vaucluse Regatta returns for its 92nd edition.

A staple of the Sydney Harbour racing calendar, this iconic regatta celebrates its 92nd year and welcomes a range of Yachts, Historic Dinghies, Lasers, OK Dinghies, Cherubs, VS’ and VJs.

Date: Saturday 2nd March 2024
Location: Vaucluse Yacht Club

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS AVAILABLE HERE

All participants are welcome to attend the presentation bbq at the Vaucluse Yacht Club after racing.

Cost: Free via registration via Sailsys (click here)

Please contact us here if you have any questions or issues entering

Or go the the website HERE for more information

sdfg

60 Seconds with Grant Lovelady

This week new member Grant Lovelady gets grilled by Tory Epsworth:

How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?

Sailing since 7 yrs old, Pelicans in Perth. Family all been into sailing.

If money (& sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?

Another Laser, maybe a new Etchells. A TP52 would be cool.

What is your sailing goal?

To continuously learn and improve.

Tell us the back story to your Laser's name?

Grunt ‘n Groan [sounds rather self-explanatory to me —Ed.]

If you could add any ingredient to our already world’s best toasties – what would it be?

I hear they are already pretty good.

What are your second/ third favourite hobbies (obviously assuming sailing holds the #1 spot)?

Ocean swimming, being outdoors.

Describe what you do for work in less than 5 words?

Management Consultant / Advisor / Program Director.

What's the dream destination for your next trip? And why?

Italy, anywhere sailing.

What’s your favourite TV show, movie, and or book?

“Breaking Bad”. Books: reading “Second Fleet”, “1788”, and “Batavia”

Tell us something interesting about yourself that members of the club don’t know?

I was a long-time DBSC member in the 2000s. I moved back to Perth with the family but still worked east based out of Melbourne and now Sydney again. Nice to be back at the world’s best Laser club.

Grant grunting and groaning

WHAT'S GOING ON

From the Club Calendar

Wednesday 14 Feb: Twilight Sailing (5PM splash)

Thursday 15 Feb: Twilight Racing (5PM splash)

Saturday 17 Feb:
Learn To Race 9AM-12PM
Combined Autumn Point Score Races 9 & 10 with Club Championship Races 11 & 12
- 1PM briefing, 2PM first warning
- 5PM BBQ on the Deck after Racing - Partners and Parents welcome (let us know for numbers)

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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 3 February 2024

Local Photographer: Tim Stuparich

Autumn Point Score Series: Races 5 & 6 Recap

by PRO, Kirk Marcolina

The Double Bay Sailing Club's Autumn Point Score series continued with its fifth and sixth races under exceptional conditions, marking another memorable weekend of sailing. The afternoon started promisingly with a gentle 12-knot northeast breeze, ideal for a smooth sail. However, the wind had its own agenda, escalating to over 20 knots by the second race. This sudden increase led to a few memorable capsizes, providing a stern test of skill and a quick dip for some.

Credit goes to COTD John Vasey for his early start. John initially helped lay out a perfect course. However, the best-laid plans of sailors and race committees often go awry, as evidenced when the Etchells fleet placed their start line inconveniently close to our top mark. Cue the rapid response team: John, alongside CoCOTD Otto Henry and RIB Reserve Ben Byford, who probably set a new speed record for course adjustment. Thanks to them, we managed a 2 pm start on a slightly shorter course.

For race 6, with the Etchells fleet having moved on, the race committee took the opportunity to extend the course back to its planned glory, much to the satisfaction of all sailors involved.

Despite the day's unpredictable elements, our sailors showed exceptional skill, particularly the handicapped winners of both races:

Race 5 Winners:
ILCA 4: Charlotte Jenkins.
ILCA 6: Scott Hunter
ILCA 7: Geoffrey Boscoe

Race 6 Winners:
ILCA 4: Charlotte Jenkins again, showcasing her consistency and skill.
ILCA 6: Cormac Johnston
ILCA 7: Connor Kellett

A round of applause for John Vasey, Otto Henry, Ben Byford, and the entire team of volunteers who managed the day's curveballs with professionalism and a calm demeanour.

Photos by Craig Ryan and Kirk Marcolina:

Photos below by Tim Stuparich a local photographer that was on the water saturday (Here is a web link to his other work)

Pre Laser Master Worlds Training at DBSC

Eight seriously good Laser Master sailors from ITA GBR and USA descended on DBSC for some southern hemisphere training before the LMW in Adelaide which started on Saturday 3 February.

Sydney served up a range of weather for them – from 39degC on Australia Day when many arrived, through sparkling north easters to cloudy light/moderate to fresh southerlies.

Those who had arrived sailed with the DBSC fleet on Saturday 27 Jan, then training took place on Sun 28 through Wed 31 Jan. A good number of DBSC ILCA6 and ILCA7 sailors joined in so that the squad was 20 boats on some days.

Most of the training was sprint racing in the mouth of Double Bay, but on the Monday when conditions were ideal with a sparkling moderate NE, the fleet raced in three stages to South Head. We then reached offshore to run windward/leeward courses in ocean conditions using Club RIBs as starting and rounding marks.

My sincere thanks to

• those chartered their boats to our visitors

• Rod Barnes for allocation of boats and arranging charters

• John Vasey, Peter Collie, Andrew Simpson and Hadrien Bourely for on water assistance

• John Vasey again for arranging a dinner for nearly 30 people at the 18 Footers on Sunday night

• Luke Parker for hosting a dinner cruise on his super RIB on the Tuesday night

• Club members who made our visitors feel really welcome.

My great friend from our sister club Vela Club Campione del Garda, Roberto Bini thought so highly of the event that he is planning to host a similar training program on Lake Garda the week before the LMW in Formia, Italy in September 2025. Formia is about half down the W coast of Italy from Rome to Naples.

So here’s the deal – get fit, get coached, get packed and get two bucket list events for the price of one (almost!) – sail on Lake Garda then in the first LMW in Italy for at least 30 years in September 2025!!

Mark Bethwaite

DBSC at the ILCA 2024 Masters World Championship in Adelaide

A group of seasoned Masters from Double Bay Sailing Club are currently competing at the ILCA 2024 Masters World Championship in Adelaide, you can checkout what’s happening and follow the action on the event website HERE: https://2024ilcamasters.ilca-worlds.org/

And photos HERE: https://ilca.smugmug.com/2024-ILCA-Worlds/2024-ILCA-Masters-Worlds-Adelaide-AUS

Breakfast of Champions!

WHAT'S GOING ON

From the Club Calendar

Wednesday 7 Feb: Twilight Sailing (5PM splash)

Thursday 8 Feb: Twilight Racing (5PM splash)

Saturday 10 Feb: Autumn Point Score Races 7 & 8 (1PM briefing, 2PM first warning)

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World Championships

ILCA Laser 2024 Masters Worlds: February 2 - 10, Adelaide, SA

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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 27 January 2024

PRO Geoff Boscoe reports:

Saturday’s on-water crew arrived at the club looking forward to hosting Australia Day Long weekend sprints in the forecasted moderate north-eastery breeze. However, Ma Nature was slow to get the message and it remained completely calm at the time of the 1pm briefing. That was embarrassing, especially since we were hoping to impress a contingent of Worlds Masters competitors who were joining us from all points of the globe expecting champagne sailing on Sydney harbour. Nevertheless, there was no option but to hoist the AP flag, settle in at the clubhouse with a world famous toasted sandwich and remain optimistic.

Fortunately, the patience of around 20 sailors was rewarded just before 2pm when light ENE breeze kicked in and we were able to get the first sprint race underway shortly after 2.30pm. The light but building breeze remained very shifty throughout the afternoon which meant for testing sailing conditions. The wind direction swung constantly through NE to ESE creating arguably even more testing conditions for the race officials who were continually chasing the breeze. Thanks to all the members of the race team (especially Roberto Blum and Brendan Pollard) for a great effort under challenging conditions.

There were four short format races each of about 20 mins and all were very keenly contested. Congratulations to Cormac Johnston who enjoyed multiple victories. The other honours were shared widely.

Photos by Roberto Blum

WHAT'S GOING ON

From the Club Calendar

Wednesday 31-Jan: Twilight Sailing (5PM splash)

Thursday 1-Feb: Twilight Racing (5PM splash)

Saturday 3-Feb: Autumn Point Score Races 5 & 6

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World Championships

Laser Master’s Worlds: February 2 - 10, Adelaide, SA

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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 20 January 2024

Autumn Point Score Races 3 & 4

Photo by Johan Hedberg

PRO David Newman reports:

As we prepared for a sweltering Sunday, we were met with a mostly overcast day with a northeast breeze that was forecast to build. I it didn't disappoint, albeit a little puffy and oscillating both left and right, making for a tricky day on the water for the sailors. We had a strong contingent of visitors from around the harbour, which added to our slightly depleted club fleet, with some still enjoying their summer breaks.

Race 3 of the Autumn Point Score got started on time on a very efficient and well-set course from our COTD Dean Kurz and CoCOTD Johan Hedberg on the RIB. With a pin bias and an always-aggressive ILCA 6/4 fleet, we just got away with a clean start. The ILCA 7's were more spread across the line but again got off cleanly. For Race 4 the ILCA 6/4's were not quite as well behaved with a couple of visitors OCS. The breeze continued to build throughout the day, and the Point Piper shore mostly worked for the leaders.

With a tight tussle at the front of the ILCA 6 amongst mostly visitors, Cormac Johnston took the win on handicap with a strong Race 3 and Mike Dunne took the win in Race 4. Rod Barnes showed a clean pair of heels in both races on line honours but it was Thomas Beregi who continued his picket fence run with 4 wins from 4 races in the series on handicap!

Huge thanks to the team in the canteen as always, plus Richard Holstein for providing fantastic support on the Jazzman as LTRaR plus Dean and Johan on the RIB.

Photos by Johan Hedberg