VSK Australia exists for the benefit of all VSK skippers who want to race and learn in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. For this reason, the goal of every VSK Australia member must be to:

Learn and understand the ISAF rules and definitions.

The pursuit of a solid understanding and retention of all the ISAF rules and definitions is not trivial and it's unrealistic to expect everyone to become rule junkies. But without a doubt, good rule knowledge will only serve to enhance your online and offline racing. It will also help to populate the club and the wider VSK community with fair and competent players.

VSK uses a very good adaptation of the ISAF rules but it is not perfect. There will be times when you receive either an incorrect penalty, or one that you disagree with (let's make that distinction clear...) and it is important to understand and accept that 99% of the time, the VSK Umpire is a much better judge of an incident than you or anyone else out there.

Don't be a quitter.

Quitting a race after getting a penalty, losing a place to another boat or to gain points for the VSK ladder is not acceptable behaviour. We have probably all had to quit a race for some reason at some point - son backed the car through the garage wall; spilled hot coffee on your lap etc. etc. Also, VSK and good old Windows can occasionally team up to crash your party, but we all know the difference right...

Take your penalties ASAP.

After getting a penalty, your one and only course of action is to immediately sail well clear of other boats and complete your penalty turn. In some events where it is specified, you may be able to request a penalty cancellation if you feel that the penalty handed out was incorrect but this should only ever be used when you are very confident of your decision. Sometimes getting clear from the fleet can be difficult but if you're hemmed in and can't turn away from the other boats, release your sails and let them move ahead of you. Don't expect other boats to alter course to avoid you while you perform your penalty turn in front of them.

Always be friendly and courteous to other skippers.

Sounds obvious but some people just don't get it or think they're “big time” when they get on the water. Close, competitive racing is fun but also inevitably leads to disagreements from time to time. Be mature, get on with the race. Work things out when the race is finished. Sometimes you may have every right to be angry about something that is said or done by another member but regardless of how another skipper may act, there is no excuse for abuse or retaliatory behavior on your part. We have a dispute resolution process, so please follow that when faced with unacceptable behavior. Members that are unable to obey this rule will find themselves in hot water very quickly.

Keep your appointments.

You can be as active or as inactive as you like but please make every effort to turn up to events that you have entered. Organisers give their time and effort setting up and running events and ask only that people enjoy themselves. By not turning up, you may be putting the success of the event at risk.

Have fun.

It's a game. A very good one that allows for highly engaging and competitive racing experiences, but still, it's a game. Rather than push harder, give a little.

Share.

More than any other thing, VSK Australia is about helping skippers improve and enjoy online sailing to the full. As you learn and discover new things, share them with others. A competitive, well-informed and friendly fleet is fun to sail with.

Representing the Club.

When sailing in public races, whether you realise it or not, you are Representing the Club.  The charter should be adhered to when racing in club events as well as Public and other club's events.

The Race Committee

The Race Committee works hard to organise many types of event with lots of variety.  Sometimes decisions need to be made quickly 'on the water', please respect and accept these decisions at the time.  The Race Committee is always available for a chat and greatly appreciate feedback from the members after racing is complete for the night.

Don't cheat.

There are programs freely available that can speed up your boat. For most people, this isn't a problem, but there are always some who just can't help themselves. Cheaters can be detected and will last a full 30 seconds in this club but that's not the point. For VSK Australia members, cheating is not an option.

Now, let's have some fun!