How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?About 6yrs, (motor craft) my father managed a marine store in Port Lincoln SA.First sailed a Rainbow at age 15 with my brother, we decided it was a lot cooler that than an asphalt tennis court.If money (and sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?Would stick to a laser, I respect the safety of others, anything larger & faster could put the harbour at riskWhat is your ultimate sailing goal?To finish every race in a seasonTell us the story behind the name of your Laser?I didn’t name my boat it was inherited when purchased from John VercoIf you could add any ingredient to DBSC’s world’s best toasties – what would it be?Smoked salmonWhat are your second/third favourite hobbies (assuming sailing is #1)?Music / concerts & TravelDescribe what you do for work in less than five words?Encourage people
Category: Latest from Double Bay Sailing Club
Updated COVID restrictions
With the recent changes to COVID restrictions double vaccinated members may now rig their boats five at a time in the boat park. There are no other changes to the restrictions.If you are not fully vaccinated you must not rig your boat in the park unless, in doing so, there would be no more than two boats in the vicinity of the club at any time.Please continue to get changed before getting your boat out in order to maximise the flow of boats in and out of the clubhouse.
Mark Laying Course
Members are reminded to undertake the online Mark Laying Course being conducted by Australian Sailing in lieu of the mandatory training ordinarily undertaken at the start of the season.
Sign Up
Australian Sailing Olympic webinars
Australian Sailing’s Olympic webinar series continues on Thursday 16 September with the Men’s 470 team and their gold medal winning experience. Skipper Mat Belcher created history in Tokyo becoming Australia’s most successful Olympic sailor and is locked in to answer all your pressing questions.Register for the webinars with Australian Sailing on the following links.
7pm Thursday 16 September with men’s 470 team
7pm Tuesday 21 September with Matt Wearn
7pm Thursday 30 September with Mara Stransky
Netflix and chill
‘The Boat that Ian Built’ is a short film from 1974 featuring the amazing success story of the Laser, and of Performance Sailcraft, the company Ian formed to produce and market the boat.“The movie has fantastic footage of one of the first ever big fleet Laser regattas held at Association Island, New York on Lake Ontario near Kingston (with Ian Bruce competing!). The movie has interviews with Ian, Bruce Kirby, and Laser sail designer Hans Fogh along with shots of Lasers being produced in Ian’s factory.You’ll also see amazing footage (that I previously didn’t know existed) of Hans Fogh helming the prototype Laser in an October 1970 regatta held for boats under $1000 at the Playboy Club at Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. It was called ‘The America’s Teacup Regatta’. Ian and Hans decided to call the prototype the ‘Weekender’ with sail number TGIF, the abbreviation for ‘Thank God It’s Friday’.”
Volunteer roster
The club is working on the basis that racing is unlikely until at least 16th October. There is therefore no volunteer roster until that time. Should, by some miracle, we be able to race before 23rd October, it will be a nice problem to have!
Let's get ready to rumble!
Yesterday the NSW Government announced the imminent winding back of “stay at home rules” and we can’t wait to be racing again! For the time being there are no changes and we ask members to continue to observe the restrictions and advice previously communicated.There will be a relaxation of these restrictions for those who are fully vaccinated once the NSW vaccination rate reaches 70%, which his expected to occur on 11 October (more on this next week).The club will be able to resume for those who are fully vaccinated after the NSW vaccination rate reaches 80% and the club is preparing for that as follows:The season calendar will be updated shortly, with racing expected to resume on Saturday 30 October, subject to the public health orders.The volunteer roster will resume to align with this timing. Please keep an eye out for this email and respond promptly as we will not
60 seconds with Alistair Sutherland
How old were you when you first stepped on a boat?I must have been about 12 years old – sailing on a Topper in the Lake District in the North of EnglandIf money (and sailing ability) were no limit, what boat would you buy?505 – so many strings to pull, so little time!What is your ultimate sailing goal? At the moment I aim for top 3 in any DBSC race I sail in. Given the depth of the Radial fleet at the moment, that goal usually disappears over the horizon on the way down the first reach…………..Tell us the story behind the name of your Laser? Iron Buddha. In Chinese it’s pronounced “Tie Guan Yin”, and if you order it you’d be presented with a cup of tea.If you could add any ingredient to DBSC’s world’s best toasties – what would it be? I’ve never eaten anything that can’t be
Do you know what a rode is?
If the answer to this is “no” then you haven’t done the Mark Laying Course online with Australian Sailing. We know who you are ;)With an imminent return to racing, all members are required to undertake this course in lieu of the mandatory training ordinarily undertaken at the start of the season.As a word of warning, there is a segment on GPS course laying that is not particularly relevant to members, given we do not have the GPS instruments for course laying, but which is quite interesting and informative as a point of reference.Get onto it, team!
Undertake the training
Tokyo debrief with Mara Stransky
Australian Sailing’s post Olympic webinar series is with Mara Stransky this Thursday at 7pm.If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so here.



