www.Dabchick.za.net

J Foreman
J Kukard
K Foreman
E Hurter
J Gray
J Louw
A Ham
C Kilpin
T Long
M Eccleston ( First girl)

Congratulations. To those who didnt crack the Top 10 – better luck next time,however I am sure you still had a ball.

Owen

There are still protests in train so these results are subject to change :

Jeremy Foreman
Jon Kukard
Kevin Foreman & Euan Hurter

NVAL

7th Alex Ham
10th Megan Eccleston
11th Julian Wertheim Aymes
13th Ollie Cribb
16th Ingrid Wertheim Aymes
17th Jonathan Ham
25th Michael Caroline
26th Allison Bradfield
32 Michelle Hawksworth

There are 35 competitors, there will either be team racing or fleet racing today dependent on a competitor vote.

Thanks warwick.

Todays top 10 results for Dabbie Youth nationals

1st. J Foreman
J Kukard
E Hurter
K Foreman
J Gray
J Louw
A Ham
C Kilpin
T long
J Wertheim-Aymes

Click here Youth_Nationals_2011_Results_13_Dec

Regards

Owen

I have been promised an update in detail this evening which I will post as soon as received. So far 4 races were completed on monday, 2 on Tuesday morning before sailing was canned due to wind strength.Yesterday no races took place as the wind continued to howl.

The wind has dropped slightly today and as we speak 2 races have been completed in heavy conditions.It seems that parents and Reps have had their hands full doing repairs. Megan Eccelston broke her bendy mast on Tuesday and Dad Paul has found a replacement which has been fitted to her boat with no races lost (thanks Steve Du Toit). I am not sure what other damages have occurred.

I am at work in JHB, but believe me, I am missing the excitement and comaraderie of a Youth Nationals. I am pestering the guys for info to post,but in fairness they have their hands full with manning rescue and keeping the sailors happy.

The Class did not manage their 40 participants, however at 31 are still the number 2 class in numbers,only the Oppies have more.From what I have been lead to believe the class numbers,except for Oppies and Dabbies are down across the board. This bodes well for our class.Well done to all concerned.

Owen Baxter

The Dabchick dinghy designed by Jack Koper of Cape Town, was launched in 1956 as a double handed junior class. The idea was a simple flat decked, no cockpit, scow with a planing hull that could be home built from a few sheets of ply.

The Dabchick dinghy has found great popularity with some 4 000 boats having been built since then. Fairly quickly adept juniors found they could handle the two sail configuration single handed, and that has been its niche for most of the class existence. The sail plan is of a genoa, sheeted on a tracked fairlead, and mainsail. A dagger-board sits in an extended case allowing for it to be raked back in a breeze and on a reach.

In the warm waters of Southern Africa the Dabchick dinghy class soon spread throughout the region and active fleets raced in Botswana, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, South West Africa/Namibia and Mocambique. The broad scow hull gives the boat enormous stability for the ab initio sailor whilst also being exceptionally quick onto the plane. In comparison to similar junior classes of the Mirror and Topper it well out performs both boats on all points of sailing. Like all scows is prefers a slight heel when working to weather. Not drawing much water it is snappy through the tack, and quick off the mark once the genoa is trimmed in. On the reach they are exciting but kind, due to that beam again. It is not unusual to see youngsters going out in conditions over twenty knots to enjoy some screaming reaches. Down wind placing the hull on a slight heel, as on a beat, reduces wetted surface and the Dabchick dinghy scuttles effortlessly along like the wildfowl it is named after.

The restricted class allows for different masts and fitting of control systems that feed onto either side of the deck, which is a great entry point for future performance dinghy sailors. The class has also recently allowed the introduction of Mylar sails as well as the adoption of a loose footed mainsail.

Rob Foreman has advised me that 4 races were had yesterday, but due to some errors in the results these will only be at hand later today. The wind is howling today and as we speak racing has been canned. Apparently there are some breakages which hopefully wont put the sailors out of contention.

Look out for an update later today.

Owen

Welcome

For all those members and families who are new to sailing, or just new to DSC, welcome to the club on behalf of the Flag officers, Committee members and other club members. We hope you will enjoy being a member of our club and take up as many opportunities as possible to join us both in the sailing and social events.

A number of things characterise DSC – its family atmosphere, the variety of sailing we do, its youth sailing, and its Optimist fleet among them. It is run entirely by volunteers and all members have to undertake duties during the year.

Cadet member’s families are expected to do their club duties as well as helping the cadet fleet in some way, and are encouraged to join in the life of the club as a whole. Ideally we would like to see the adults join in the club races too…

http://dabchicks.org/dinghy.htm

Owen