All members of the CUYC Racing Development Squad and all those participating in CUYC racing activities in any capacity must abide by this Code of Conduct. The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to guarantee boat safety, enable competitive performance and ensure participation remains a positive experience for all members. It further promotes an environment free from discrimination, intimidation, harassment, and abuse. CUYC believes that it is the responsibility of all its members to challenge discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.
The CUYC Racing Development Squad is governed by CUYC Constitution. CUYC is registered with the University of Cambridge Sports Service. This Code of Conduct is in addition to, and by no means replaces, the standards set by the student’s individual college and the overarching Proctor regulations. CUYC is also affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the British Universities Sailing Association (BUSA) and abides by their regulations regarding their respective competitions.
Members of the CUYC Racing Development Squad and event Race Teams are solely responsible for their conduct when representing CUYC. Members must therefore:
a. Abide by the chain of command on board by respecting the decisions of the Skipper and the First Mate.
b. Treat facilities and equipment (in particular club yachts and chartered boats) with respect and abide by any rules that may apply.
c. Respect the decisions of officials, making all appeals through the appropriate formal process and respecting the final decision.
d. Refrain from any form of bullying or harassment of others.
e. Conduct themselves in a reasonable manner relating to offensive language and temperament.
f. Be aware of how their actions may be perceived by others.
g. Not condone, or allow to go unchallenged, any form of bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
h. Contribute to team discussion at appropriate times, in a respectful manner, and be prepared to accept differences of opinion and contrary decision outcomes.
i. Operate within the rules of the sport
j. Respect members of other teams and behave in a manner that is appropriate and consistent with the values of CUYC.
k. Treat facilities, staff and students at the University of Cambridge and other institutions with respect and abide by any rules that may apply
l. Refrain from the use of and involvement with illegal substances at all times.
m. Not act in an unlawful manner
n. Not encourage or pressure others into acting against this Code.
o. Understand the repercussions of any breaches of this Code of Conduct.
CUYC is strongly committed to encouraging members to take part, but the health, well-being and safety of each individual is always of paramount concern. The Club will therefore take all reasonable steps to ensure that all its activities are safe in line with the Club’s Safety Policy. To support the Club, all members are expected to:
a. Take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by what they do or not do.
b. Co-operate with the club on health and safety issues.
c. Correctly use all equipment provided by the club.
d. Not interfere with or misuse anything provided for your health, safety or welfare.
e. Ensure that they update the Club, skippers and coaches with any medical information or changes to emergency contact details.
f. Abide by the decisions of the Skipper and First Mate.
CUYC takes the welfare of its members seriously. Any member of the Team that has any concerns regarding their welfare or those of others involved in Team or Club activities can discuss these, in confidence, with the Club Welfare Officers.
CUYC wishes to promote the club positively both within the University and externally. It recognises that its publications (in print and online) and social media are important tools in recruiting new members and engaging with alumni and potential sponsors. It is the responsibility of all CUYC members to manage their personal social media presence responsibly. As such, all members are responsible for ensuring that they:
a. Refrain from publishing comments about other clubs, players or officials and any controversial or potentially inflammatory subjects.
b. Avoid hostile or harassing communications in any posts or other online communications.
c. Review responses to online posts and resolve any concerns before they are posted.
CUYC is committed to ensuring that all students are able to participate in social activities in an atmosphere free from discrimination or fear. Members should be aware that:
a. Participation in any form of social activity is completely optional.
b. They must not force others to participate in initiations and/or other social and sporting events run by the CUYC.
c. They can opt-out of social activities without fear of undue pressure, reprisal or any other form of discrimination at any point.
Section B.8 of the CUYC Constitution states that “Conduct which in opinion of the Committee is either unworthy of a Member or otherwise injurious to the interests of the club shall render a Member liable to the following sanctions by the Committee: (a) time-limited suspension from some or all club activities, (b) reduction of their rights as a Member, (c) expulsion, (d) or any other alteration of their membership.” This action may be applied when a member of club to whom this Code of Conduct applies brings CUYC into disrepute, breaches the Code of Conduct or engages in any activity that adversely affects the smooth running of the Club in a major way.
Should a breach of the Racing Code of Conduct be identified, the Vice-Commodore of Racing and Racing Officer may suspend a member from the Racing Development Squad and all racing activities. This suspension will stay in place pending further investigation by the full Committee at the next Committee meeting. The Committee can then decide whether to uphold the suspension of the member from the Race Squad and additionally can implement sanctions as stipulated in part 8 of the CUYC Constitution.
In the event of the Committee upholding the suspension from the Racing Development Squad, as per section 8(a) of the club constitution, the excluded member is required to return all equipment, documents and finances belonging to the Club within 7 days. He/she will not be entitled to any full or partial refund of race costs nor annual subscriptions. In the event the Committee decide on further sanction, this will be implemented as per section 8 of the CUYC Constitution and will be governed by these club rules.
If the excluded Race Squad member wishes to appeal the decision of the Committee, that appeal should be made to the Senior Treasurer, who will consider all the facts, and whose decision will be final. An appeal as to the process of exclusion, but not a further investigation into the facts, may be lodged with the Junior Proctor within twenty-one days from receipt of appeal outcome.