Issue 58, October 2018

And we're off...

Strong winds have blown away the winter cobwebs and this season is off to a great start. We have already held a Tasar Traveller Trophy and NSW MJ Teams Racing. BSC will host the 505 NSW States in November too.

This season introduces new people to many roles at BSC. You can find them all below and if they can't help you, they will know who can. There's plenty of work going on behind the scenes too - expect new stuff to continue rolling out over the next few months.

Boyd Newton, back half of Da Easy Crew, Editor.

Important Info

Please look into the following as others may be relying on you to do so:

Dubious Info

BSC is hosting a group of classical philosophers this weekend. They hope to attain wisdom in the morning, sail in the afternoon, then join us for the post-race BBQ. With strong winds forecast we can expect a lot a sore Sages.

New Members

New season. New blood. New sworthy - this month please welcome...

Administration

There are a few members who have not paid their fees for the current season. Payment would be appreciated as soon as possible. If you don’t want to continue your membership please advise membership@balmoralsc.com.au

Even more members have not checked their details on the Australian Sailing web site. You have received instructions as to how to log on so please do so and check your details.

This year as Race Coordinator she is scheduling all our volunteers which is an extremely challenging task. In addition, she recognises the importance of our volunteer network and is working tirelessly with others to promote the Club as a great place to volunteer their time. Anita's relentless work in the background ensures the sailors can have great racing every weekend.

The amount of time required to do all of these activities is very significant and she delivers time and time again for us. Her dedication to the Club is even more extraordinary in that she is not a sailor.

We are extremely privileged to have her working so hard for us.

Remember to thank her the next time you see her!

Know someone we should recognise?

Email Boyd details of someone quietly working away behind the scenes.

Remember… If you want to be included in the race results and avoid the queues, you must sign-on before the briefing. It is very easy to do…

We've moved to online sign-on that's available the Friday prior to racing.

Help yourself & the Race Committee

You can sign-on from your home PC or using your phone - even while rigging your boat. If you sign-on and then decide you’re not going to sail before the end of the briefing there is online cancellation too.

The race committee uses this information to create finish sheets and must print them before going out on the water so we need you to sign-on prior to the briefing.

Thanks for your assistance in making the change.

There have been a few changes this season so let's find out who's who at the BSC zoo.

The BSC Board

Commodore - Heather Forton
Club Captain - Laurie Hoffman
Vice Commodore - Anita Daum
Honorary Treasurer - Will Jones
Honorary Secretary - Paula Cummins
Directors - Nick Collis-George, Andrew Dent, Marco Teering & Roly Webb

Volunteer and Race Committee

​Race Officer - Anita Daum e: race@balmoralsc.com.au

BSC Class Captains

505 - David Johnson e: 505@balmoralsc.com.au
Aero - Nick Collis-George e: rsaero@balmoralsc.com.au
Contender - Matt Mulder e: contender@balmoralsc.com.au
Heron - David Johnson e: david@watchdogcompliance.com
Juniors - Andrew Dent e: juniorsailing@balmoralsc.com.au
Laser - Theodore H. Maiman e: laser@balmoralsc.com.au
Mirror - Gavin Cooke e: mirror@balmoralsc.com.au
Moth - Andrew Sim e: moth@balmoralsc.com.au
National E - Peter Nixey e: nationale@balmoralsc.com.au
Tasar - Boyd Newton e: tasar@balmoralsc.com.au
Windsurfer - Melanie Webb e: windsurfing@balmoralsc.com.au
Formula Windsurfer - Adam Craven e: fws@balmoralsc.com.au
Cruising Division - Roly Webb e: cruising@balmoralsc.com.au
Other Classes - e: open@balmoralsc.com.au

Enquiries

Membership - e: membership@balmoralsc.com.au
General - e: secretary@balmoralsc.com.au

Andrew Dent reports on a wonderful piece of sailing from our Junior squad. From last years wooden spoon we lifted to 4th place - see full results here.

The only club to beat us was Manly (watch your back next season folks!). This result was not without cost - collisions and capsizing aplenty. A huge lift from the parents on land and on water whom helped out. The club treasurer left very happy from the retail skills of Sky Demets who ran the canteen - THANK YOU!

Our next milestones will be Sail Sydney for the BICS and the States at Port Kembla for the MJ’s.

Go BSC Juniors
Cu Sat

Andrew Dent - Juniors Class
e: juniorsailing@balmoralsc.com.au
p: 0405 973 519

Did you know parents and carers can apply for Active Kids vouchers every year until 2021?

Summer sports season is heating up and the Active Kids program can help you save.

Vouchers used towards Junior Membership

If you’ve created an Active Kids voucher don’t forget to use it before 31 December 2018. It’s $100 towards sport, fitness and active recreation for your kids.

Using your voucher is easy: find a registered Active Kids provider on the Service NSW website and simply present your voucher when registering.

With my shoulder keeping Rastasarmouse out of action for several months, the front half of Da Easy Crew has been getting to grips with things farther back in the boat. The following from Kylie at the inaugural Women's Laser Regatta.

Sisters are doin' it for themselves...

Event - Inaugural Women’s Laser Regatta
When - Weekend of 8th & 9th September 2018
Where - Hosted and arranged by Double Bay Sailing Club (DBSC)

Wrap up

There were 50 participants and numerous coaches including Krystal Weir, a laser world champion and Olympian, who also participated in the 2017 Japan Tasar Worlds. Also of Tasar fleet fame, our very own Nic Douglass was there covering the event for the media.

On Saturday there was a dry coaching session followed by on water coaching and a practice race with a focus on starting on the line. In the evening DBSC hosted a dinner with several inspirational guest speakers from different sailing disciplines.

On Sunday we had a mini regatta. 4 races over 4 hours with a strong SSW breeze which kept things interesting to say the least.

The event closed with a Q&A session then winners announced and prizes awarded.

What I learnt

Starting - being on time and on the line.
Boat handling - including how to stall the boat by backing the main.
Getting out of irons - who would of thought you could get into irons (and take so long to get out of it) in an 18 knot breeze!
Reading the tell-tales and how to trim the sail.
How to deal with a gust.
How to right a capsized boat - this became my area of expertise. I had plenty of practice in the gusty conditions. Rastasarmouse’s helm is not so keen for me to continue working on this particular skill set.
Don’t choose a radial rig when it’s blowing 18 knots and gusting over 20 knots!

Would I recommend it?

Yes, definitely. Even if you have never helmed a boat before it is a great weekend and caters for the beginners and experienced alike. Charter boats were made available commercially and from DBSC club members, with plenty of rigging help at hand too.

Get involved

Double Bay Sailing Club plans on hosting it again next year. The effort they put in to organise it was phenomenal and the event was fantastic.

We are introducing two changes to the scoring in the Tasar fleet at BSC. John Rendle, our class handicapper, Heather Forton, John Balass, Brad Stephens, Ben Walker and I have been working to address several scoring issues including redress for a Tasar sailor who is rostered for duty, an adjustment to the scoring, principally for Did Not Compete (DNC) and a clarification of the requirements to be met for Did Not Start (DNS).

Redress for Duty Roster

If a regular Tasar sailor who is on a BSC committee is rostered on for duties that prevent sailing that day, the boat can apply for redress by way of average points. This would apply to either the helm or crew as the boat would be unable to sail in its normal configuration.

Did Not Compete

The second change relates principally to scoring for DNC. The current rule (no. of boats in a series +1) works well for a regatta where everyone is together for a few days. It does not work well at Balmoral for series that run over the whole season. There may be up to 20-25 boats that sail one or more races and so a DNC can score 21-26! On CC days this may be a penalty of 5-10 over last place. On early season races or marginal wind days the penalty with only 2 boats racing the penalty can be a huge 19-24. The penalty is random and utterly disproportionate.

The change to No. of starters +4 is inline with the practice at other clubs.

Did Not Start

DNS is clarified by defining the starting area (for the purpose of DNS only) as the waters of Hunters Bay. In practice this means that as a minimum, if you sign on, launch your boat from the beach and start sailing out to the start but return without having started you will have met the requirements of DNS.

Of course, in such a case you should sign off on the sheet at the front door of the club and a notation that you were DNS would assist John with scoring.

Boyd Newton - Tasar Class Captain, BSC
e: tasar@balmoralsc.com.au

The 505 World Titles are at Fremantle Sailing Club WA this season. Held from 29th December 2018 to the 7th January 2019. Most 505 worlds are held in open waters and since the Sydney 505 fleet is the only NSW fleet which sails in conditions approaching those in Freo the NSW association chose BSC for the location of this year's state titles.

The 505 NSW 2018 states are on the 17-18th November weekend at BSC and we expect 10+ boats.

The NOR, Entry form and provisional SI are now posted onto the BSC Events web page (thank you Nick).

The 505 association is planning to provide at least two RIBs and crew to assist with mark laying, race support and proposed 'gate' starts. I would like to thank BWS for providing suitable inflatable marks and hand-held radios. Also a special thanks to Heather Hall for her diligence and assistance as PRO for this event.

Regards,
David Johnson - 505 Class Captain, BSC
e: 505@balmoralsc.com.au

If you don’t already have your Working With Children check completed please do so now. There is no fee for the check as we are all unpaid volunteers.

There are just three steps:
1. Apply online for an application number. Click here to apply.
2. Once you have been issued with an application number go to a Service NSW office to have your identity verified. Take your application number and proof of your identity with you.
3. You should then receive an email stating your WWC Number. You must then email this number with your full name and date of birth to Michael Payne, crew@balmoralsc.com.au.

Your identity will then be further verified and your WWC Number will be linked to Balmoral Sailing Club.

Contact Details:

Michael Payne
e: crew@balmoralsc.com.au
p: 0425 275 398

Can you be famous for literally inventing nothing - a whole lot of nothing - a hole?

In the 1950's Colin Chapman founded Lotus and ever since the key to their success has been innovation and an obsession with light weight.

"Simplify, then add lightness", he said.

But Chapman was not the first to realise that less is more. Over one hundred years earlier a sailor created a World first that continues to delight to this day.

In 1847, Elizabeth Gregory was known for making a very fine olykoek with a hint of nutmeg and a filling of hazelnuts or walnuts. Hanson Crockett Gregory, her son, was the lucky recipient of these tasty morsels.

Hanson was a sailor who invented the doughnut hole.

A story goes that on June 22, 1847, Captain Gregory’s ship hit a sudden storm. He impaled the doughnut on a spoke on the steering wheel to keep his hands free. The spoke drove a hole through the raw center of the doughnut. Captain Gregory liked the doughnuts better that way, and the doughnut hole was born.