RYA Code of Conduct for Race Officials

Something went wrong with the feed yesterday. Somehow my post about the Seven boats at the Leeward mark got abbreviated and was not visible. My apologies to all feed- and mail subscribers.
Please visit http://rrsstudy.blogspot.com/2012/02/seven-at-leeward-mark-ltw-readers-q-60.html
if you want to have a look. The discussion in the comments is really heating up, and I could use some help :-)

As I'm preparing two presentations, I do not have much time today to write a post.
I looked to my 'draft' folder and came across an old post which somehow never got posted.
Published by the RYA in 2007:

CODE OF CONDUCT
RYA race officials (race officers, judges and umpires) are among the most exposed officials of the sport. It is therefore essential that they behave with the highest degree of competence, propriety and integrity. At no time can or should a race official do anything to bring the sport into disrepute.
Specifically, RYA race officials are expected to:

• Maintain a good level of understanding and application of the racing rules, cases, procedures and RYA policies.
• Ensure that decisions are based upon the rules and principles of fairness and objectivity and are made with care without prejudice.
• Uphold the confidentiality of jury deliberations during and after the regatta.
• Be polite, open-minded and patient, and deal with dissent in a fair and courteous manner.
• Declare any conflict of interest before accepting a race official invitation or when one becomes apparent at an event (a conflict of interest exists when an RYA race official has, or reasonably appears to have, a personal or financial interest which could affect the official’s ability to be impartial).
• Plan to arrive at an event on time and remain until relevant issues are resolved.
• Incur only expenses that are necessary and when expenses are reimbursed claim only legitimate and essential out-of-pocket costs.
• Be on time and wear appropriate clothing on the water and ashore.
• Abstain from consuming alcohol until duties are over for the day. Race officials must never become inappropriately inebriated during an event.

I was wondering if your MNA has ever written anything similar? Do you have a guideline?
If so please send me a copy (rrs-study at home dot nl), so that we can compare.

NEW RYA RULES QUIZ

As published on the RYA Website: OCTOBER / NOVEMBER RACING RULES QUIZ

The quiz is open to all RYA members. The decision of the judges is final – preference will be given to answers from non-race officials. For our “international” audience, we will name the best international entry as well.
Please email all answers to Jacqui Roberts at jacqui.roberts ed rya.org.uk by 30 November 2009.

Question 1

An Optimist (length 2.3m) and a B14 (waterline length 4.3m, overall length with bowsprit 6.1m) are approaching a leeward mark. The B14 is flying her gennaker. The Optimist is clear ahead of the B14. The foremost point of the B14’s bowsprit is 11 m from the mark. The bow of the Optimist is 3 m from the mark.
What is the size of the zone?

• (a) 6.9 m
• (b) 13.2 m
• (c) 18.3 m

Question 2

On the start line in the 49ers, the wind is 18 knots and there is a moderate swell. A and B are approaching the starting line on starboard tack shortly before the starting signal. A is clear ahead of B.
A loses control, slows and capsizes to leeward. In order to avoid a collision, B luffs hard and crosses the starting line by half a length. The starting signal is sounded, followed by a second signal and the display of flag X. B sails on and does not return to the pre-course side of the starting line.
At the end of the race, B is scored OCS and requests redress, saying she only crossed the line early because of the actions of A and to comply with rules 14 and 22.

What should the Protest Committee do, and why?

• (a) Grant redress and reinstate her to her finishing position
• (b) Grant redress by reinstating her and the addition of an appropriate points penalty for crossing the line early
• (c) Refuse redress
• (d) Disqualify A, grant redress to B and reinstate her
  

AUGUST RACING RULES QUIZ
The judges have awarded the prize for August to Douglas Maxwell from London.

A pity the answers for August were not included… And that the judges didn’t name the best international answer as of yet, either… Nevertheless, we can use all the practice we can lay our hands on. So, send in your answers!

RRS as an iPhone application

You can now get the RRS as an application on your iPhone. The RYA has developed the
"RYA Racing Rules iPhone application"
Racing Rules is a quick reference tool for the Racing Rules of Sailing, a mobile application equivalent to the very popular RYA Handy Guide. The text for the Rules Dispute Best Practice from the RYA is also included. Fully referenced against the ISAF Racing Rules.
Go to: RYA Racing Rules

I don't have an iPhone, so someone who has will have to comment on it's usefulness. But I thought it worth mentioning. I'm still in Almeria for the final day in the iSharesCup. More on that later.

The Last of the Royal Snooty Nose

A guest post by Brass.

Bad Manners at the Royal Snooty Nose presented a simple rule 69 problem, and Mike B gave a very complete answer at Snooty Nose 2.

Thank you Jos for drawing attention to the recently published RYA Misconduct Guidance.

People other than RYA members might find the old RYA guidance material more succinct and containing less RYA procedural matter that may not apply elsewhere.

Here are some notes, highlighting the things I had in mind when I wrote the problem.

Questions were:
Question 1: What do you do next?
Question 2:  Supposing the PC has decided to call a rule 69 hearing:

1. Analyze the allegations and rule 69.1 and list what will need to be proved if the PC is to penalize Brass Spiderman.
2. Draft the written information that the PC is required to give to Brass Spiderman under rule 69.1(a).

What do you do before calling a hearing?

There were two Questions. The first one was 'What do you do next after showing the complaint to other protest committee members?'

The key issue here is that the protest committee, as a group must make a decision whether or not to call a hearing, before taking any further action, such as giving a notice to a competitor. It might help you to clarify issues if you do the analysis of what needs to be proved, and perhaps prepare a draft notice before you have that meeting, but you must not pre-empt the decisions of you fellow protest committee members about whether or not to call a hearing. As we saw, if Mike B and I had been on the protest committee we would have had different opinions about whether to call a hearing or not.

There was a little side issue in the first question, which Mike B picked up, which was the effect of one of the protest committee members being the son of the Commodore. Clearly he is an interested party and should be asked to remove himself from the protest committee for all considerations of this matter. Fortunately in this case, there are three protest committee members still left, so there is no problem. If you had less than three protest committee members left, it would be necessary to find a third member for any hearing, but I think you could safely proceed to make the preliminary decision whether or not to call a hearing with just two members.

Analyse the elements that need to be proved

Once you have decided to call a hearing, it will be necessary to give a written notice to the competitor, but before you do that, you must get clear in your mind, so that you can include proper details in the notice, what it is that the competitor is alleged to have done, and how that may have been a gross breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship, or may have brought the sport into disrepute, and exactly which one or more of these breaches are alleged.

Mike B quite rightly listed three elements

1. Was a competitor
2. Was during the event
3. Had committed an actionable breach. Rule, Good Manners or Sportsmanship, or sport into disrepute.

Mike also listed some other important considerations, but I don't think these are things that the protest committee needs to seek proof of.

Note that if the incident had not been at the event venue and during the event, it would be necessary to prove that the incident was sufficiently associated or connected with the event to be subject to a rule 69 hearing by the protest committee. Guidance on this is contained in the RYA Misconduct Guidance, Section 8.

I would go a bit further than Mike on the third element.

Firstly you must identify which one of these it is:

1. is it a breach of a rule, if so which rule?
2. is it a breach of good manners?
3. is it a breach of sportsmanship?
4. is it some action that may have brought the sport into disrepute?

It is unlikely to be all four, and probably will be only one. It is not fair in a notice to the competitor, or in a hearing to say 'You are alleged to have committed a breach of a rule, good manners, or sportsmanship, or maybe have brought the sport into disrepute: we don't know, or won't tell you which: now defend yourself'. Different evidence and facts will probably be required to prove each different sort of rule 69 breach.

At the Royal Snooty Nose, no sailing rule was broken and there was no effect on the competition, so it's not a breach of a rule or sportsmanship. The incident was wholly within the yacht club, and arguably is only noticeable because of the high standards of the yacht club, so it's unlikely to bring the sport into disrepute. If it's anything, it's a breach of good manners only.

Secondly, if it is a breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship, that the breach was so 'gross' as to warrant rule 69 action. This may pose some difficulties. It is going to need some sort of examination of standards or norms.

To make a fair decision about 'good manners', I think we have to do just a bit more analysis:

• What does 'good manners' mean? I can find a dictionary definition of 'manners' which is The prevailing customs, social conduct, and norms of a specific group.
• What behavior is alleged to have breached good manners? Mike B, in the draft notice identified the following:
  • improper sexual advances to the Commodore's wife and daughter,
  • an assault on the Club’s doorman, and
  • remarks concerning international judges

I would be inclined to include 'getting falling down drunk' in there as well.

Maybe we could set this up in a table as follows. Fill in the blanks in the Norms columns, then you can test Brass Spiderman's behavior as established by the evidence against the norms. To establish the norms, consider the protest committees own experience and standards, and relevant evidence from, say the Commodore, and possibly other club officers, members, or staff.

Behavior	Norms - Generally	Norms - At RSNYC
Drinking
Interaction with persons of the opposite sex  asking for sexual favors
Interaction with persons of the opposite sex touching
Interactions with persons associated with authority Flag officers and their families
Interactions with persons associated with authority Yacht Club Staff
Interactions with persons associated with authority International Judges

This may seem over-elaborate, and in this case, you might be content with relying on your own opinion, but remember, in a more difficult case, you might be considering behavior that could earn a competitor a one or two year ban, or alternatively could be hotly contested on appeal or in a Court or an Arbitration.

Draft a notice to the competitor

Once you have clarified what the competitor is alleged to have done, you are in a position to write the notice informing the competitor of the alleged misconduct and the time and place of the hearing. Of course, you will schedule the hearing so that there is sufficient time for the competitor to prepare for the hearing after being given the notice.

Mike B has used the form provided in the RYA Misconduct Guidance Appendix J1.1. If you belong to the RYA, you should use this form. I have a concern that the form, in referring to Gross Misconduct, does not sufficiently specify whether the alleged breach is a breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship, in a way that is fair to the competitor. I would suggest a somewhat shorter notice as follows

Dear Brass Spiderman,

NOTICE OF HEARING UNDER RULE 69.1

The protest committee of the Snooty Nose Cup Regatta believes that, while a competitor in the Regatta, you may have committed gross breaches of good manners and has decided to call a hearing under rule 69.1

The breaches of good manners alleged are that, between about 10:30pm and 11:00pm on 21 February 2009, at the Royal Snooty Nose Yacht Club you:

• Were drunk
• Used abusive language
• Made improper sexual advances to Madame Van Snoot
• Made improper sexual advances to Ms Van Snoot
• Were openly disrespectful of International Judges
• Sang out of tune

You are required to attend the hearing at TTT on DDD at PPPP.

The hearing is to decide if these allegations are true, and if so, what action to take. Possible action is specified in rule 69.1(b).

(Signed)
Protest Committee Chair

I could be persuaded to omit the last two dot points.

Conclusion

I hope that you have enjoyed this adventure of Brass Spiderman. Who knows there may be further adventures of Brass Spiderman, in America or at the Upper Kumbucta Sportsboat and Mud Wrestling Club.

Hopefully, you have exercised your mind about what to do if an unwelcome rule 69 situation comes your way.

Bad Manners at the Royal Snooty Nose; Simple Rule 69 Bad Manners Problem.

A guest post by Brass.

Introduction

Rule 69 has recently been debated quite hotly elsewhere on the web. There are a number of issues raised that should be of interest to judges. We might all unexpectedly become involved in a rule 69 situation at short notice. Here’s an opportunity to think about how we should deal with a simple situation.

Scenario

You are the chair of the PC for the annual Snooty Nose Cup regatta, run over three days at the Royal Snooty Nose Yacht Club (RSNYC).

E-mail from the Commodore

On the second day of the regatta you receive the following email from the Commodore of the RSNYC:

Dear Protest Committee Chair,

After racing last night Brass Spiderman, who is a competitor in the Snooty Nose Cup regatta, and who had been drinking heavily in the bar of the RSNYC and was quite drunk made unwelcome sexual advances to my wife on the dance floor. He embraced her tightly. He said ‘come to bed with me’. He patted her bottom, then went back to the bar. About twenty minutes later he made the same advances to my seventeen year old daughter.

He then fell down the stairs and wrestled with the RSNYC doorman. The police arrived and he was hauled off in a police van singing ‘All International Judges are bastards’ at the top of his voice.

I am outraged as this gross breach of good manners and abuse of the hospitality of the RSNYC. The matter has been considered by the RSNYC House Committee which has decided that Brass Spiderman will not be admitted to the RSNYC Clubhouse and recommended that action be taken to ensure that he does not attend any venues or event of the RSNYC from this time onwards.

I attach written statements from Billy Beer the barman and Danny Door the doorman.

I request that the PC takes strong action against Brass Spiderman so as to immediately exclude him from further participation in the Snooty Nose Cup regatta.

ATTACHMENT 1 – STATEMENT BY BILLY BEER THE BARMAN

I was the barman on duty at the RSNYC last night. About 6:00pm a man came up to me at the bar. He said ‘Hullo, I’m Brass Spiderman, and I’m competing in the Snooty Nose Cup regatta. May I have a beer please?’

I served him a beer.

Between 6:00pm and 10:30pm I served him beer and other drinks. About 10:40pm I saw Brass Spiderman take the Commodore’s wife onto the dance floor. I saw him embrace her tightly. As they danced past the bar hatch I heard him speak to her. He said ‘Come to bed with me.’ I saw him pat her on the bottom.

About 11:00pm I saw Brass Spiderman take the Commodore’s daughter onto the dance floor. I saw him embrace her tightly. As they danced past the bar hatch I heard him speak to her.

He said ‘You’re better looking than your mother, Come to bed with me.’ I saw him pat her on the bottom. I saw the Commodore come up to him and speak to him. I saw him walk towards the stairs then fall down the stairs.

I am prepared to give this evidence under oath should I be required.

ATTACHMENT 2 – STATEMENT BY DANNY DOOR THE DOORMAN

I was on duty as the doorman at the RSNYC last night.

About 11:05pm I saw a man fall down the club stairs from the bar and dancefloor into the lobby, apparently drunk. I called the police and asked them to attend and remove the drunk. I saw the man stagger to his feed.

He said ‘I’m Brass Spiderman and I hate International Judges’.

He then fell towards me, grasped me with his arms and dragged me to the floor. I wrestled to get away from him. The police arrived and took him away in a van. As they drove away I heard him singing ‘All International Judges are bastards’.

I am prepared to give this evidence under oath should I be required.

The Protest Committee

The PC consists of four members, one of whom is the son of the Commodore of the RSNYC.

You show the email and statements to the other members of the PC. One of the PC members, who is not the son of the Commodore says ‘I was in the RSNYC clubhouse last night about 11:00pm, sipping camomile tea and reading the ISAF Judges Manual, and I heard shouting and singing and looking up I saw the competitor Brass Spiderman falling down the stairs’.

You read carefully the RYA Guidance on Rule 69, or any material you have from your MNA or elsewhere. You recall that you have seen a helpful posting about What We Need to Prove on the Look to Windward Blog.

Question 1: What do you do next?

Question 2: Supposing the PC has decided to call a rule 69 hearing:

1. Analyze the allegations and rule 69.1 and list what will need to be proved if the PC is to penalize Brass Spiderman.
2. Draft the written information that the PC is required to give to Brass Spiderman under rule 69.1(a).

Just last week I received an Email from Jon Napier drawing my attention to a new paper from the RYA's Fair Sailing Team. You will have no time reading this when an actual case of misconduct presents itself, so I suggest you do it sometime before. Perhaps it will also help you answer this case?

Here is the link: RYA Misconduct Guidance.pdf

Most judges will - fortunately - seldom have to be involved in a Rule 69, but because of the serious and far reaching consequences it can have, some preparation would not be amiss.

.

RYA Conference 2009

Mike send me an email drawing my attention to the 2009 RYA Race Officials Conference.
The presentations are all available on the RYA website.

Looks like a lot of information for us to go trough. I haven't had time to study them, but will try to do that in coming weeks. Here's the list:

Presentation	Given by
1. Course Design	David Campbell James and Peter Bentley
2. Course Data	David Campbell James
3. Rules Submissions	David Lees and Richard Thompson
4. Overview of Mark Laying Courses	Ed Stevens and Drew Stanley
5. Match and Team Racing Management	John Burgoine
6. Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme	Bas Edmonds
7. Working with Volunteers	Jackie Bennetts
8. Dinghy Safety Fleet Management	Roger Wilson
9. Competitor Misconduct	John Napier
10. Rules Changes and writing Sailing Instructions	Trevor Lewis
11. Tactics and the new rules	Chris Gowers
12. Medal Racing	John Doerr

Please don't hesitate to draw attention to highlights if you find them.

.