Club problems

Originally posted by ClubRacer It's not for us to do the investigating, he doesn't need to provide us with anything. The thread started with asking what he can do about his issues with the club and if others have had similar experiences.  In my opinion and having done my stint on the committee I have an understanding of the liability vs enjoyment factor: Drinking before being in charge of running any training for children and adults I would say is a definite no. A single pint over some lunch while instructing, would depend on the circumstances and is for the committee to decide. A single pint while doing OOD or RIB duty would also depend on the circumstances. A couple of pints before going sailing is OK. Hosting an open event I would expect OOD/Safety lead/RIB helms to not have a drink. We're allowed to drive on roughly 2 pints why can't we sail?  As to what the RYA say about consuming of alcohol is a different story and not something I ever got involved with I also see nothing in the racing rules about drinking while racing or being a race official.

Edited by Dakota - 02 Dec 22 at 4:53pm

I agree with Nicola Jayne, sounds serious enough for official intervention. You state you have been a witness to this behaviour, you are equally responsible for doing nothing. The governing body you mentioned is presumably the RYA ? They are highly trained and dedicated officers, can't see them not doing a thorough investigation when children are involved.

Originally posted by JRB12 Originally posted by Dakota I really don’t know where your going with this . I don’t see a connection  between your original allegations of club misconduct/ coverups/ bullying etc  and the fact a competitor in a race is sailing with a hangover or a race officer has a glass of wine between races ( neither of which break any law or regulation. ) . Given this fact and the fact you also refuse to name the club or even go into the slightest detail about the alleged misconduct/conspiracy, I am starting to feel some sympathy for this club and it’s committee.  I think you will find that drinking is against the rules for those conducting/ participating in training, racing and race officials. It’s all there in the rules. If you think drinking whilst on duty or between races as a race official is okay, then I’m afraid that attitude is just part of the problem. What sort of example does that set? As I’ve outlined the issue was about a training session where the allegation was that the lead individual had been drinking prior to the session. This was whitewashed. On top of that there is evidence of a widespread drinking associated with racing. It would be interesting to see a breath test the morning after. You can’t say if they were fit or not, but why drink to that state? It brings the sport into thorough disrepute. Watersports and drinking don’t go together.

Edited by Dakota - 02 Dec 22 at 3:58pm

Realistically I think you need to find a club that's better aligned with your philosophies. I'm not sure the amount of cultural change required is achievable even in the medium term at any typical amateur club.

This beer was actually out on the water on a yacht doing the OD. 2 of them and proudly in social media pictures of their beers.

The problem with organisations like this is they rely on bullying to silence the voices.
Intimidation, recrimination, controlling the committee all serve to make the weak follow, the indifferent shut their eyes, and the protesters get a punishment or walking away. This is why there’s been so many disciplinaries. What started as some minor complaints snowballed into a tighter grip and control by these people in anyway they could. So for example the beer drinker complained about a post in a private FB group that they claimed was about their family members and that it was offensive to them and bullying. But in reality an light hearted poke at the way these people operate. The “defendant” eventually got a year ban from the club after a long disciplinary process where the disciplinary rules weren’t followed properly. Yet you have the same person as a training official drinking against race, training rules. And it gets whitewashed and the some one else gets kicked out for questioning all of this with the governing body.