FlynnM32
New member
This week at the International Optimist South American Champs 3 US Sailors received DSQ's by the international jury from a protest by the technical committee, based on their actions and that of the USODA Team Head Coach, Fernando "Happy" Alegre, breaking multiple SI and NOR rules.
Coach Happy Alegre has been the USODA Head National Team Coach and leads many of the international regattas.
USODA has started to take some action against the coach:
Letter From USODA:
"Many of you are aware of the unfortunate events that transpired at SAMs this week involving Coach Happy. For those of you who are not, the findings of the international jury at the SAMs regatta are posted online.
Yesterday, USODA removed Happy as coach for the USA SAMs team based on the findings of the SAMs international jury and he has been replaced by Pepe Bettini.
I am writing to inform all of the USNT families that Happy is also suspended as the USNT coach effective immediately. Happy has been informed of his suspension from USNT.
Decisions regarding Happy’s future with USNT will be made after the USODA Executive Committee disciplinary hearing which will be held per our by laws and code of conduct.
We are all disappointed with the situation especially with the positive feedback from most everyone on the USNT reboot this season. But the integrity of the sport and adherence to the code of conduct that governs our sailors and coaches must come first.
We are committed to the continued success of the USNT and we will adapt to any possible future changes to ensure the reboot continues on its positive trajectory. We are looking forward to some trainings over the summer, which will be announced soon, to prepare for the summer team regattas.
I will communicate with you regarding the USNT as the Executive Committee completes its disciplinary hearing. We all appreciate your patience as USODA works through the disciplinary processes we have established to handle such situations."
JURY PROTEST REPORT:
Incident:
"I walked down the back of the hotel and I saw the USA Coach working on
an inverted Optimist. I asked the Coach what he was doing as the boat
was wet, and he denied sanding or polishing the boat when I asked. I went
to the Boat Park with Ale Williman to look at the other USA boats and there
were only 9 boats in the Boat Park. We returned to the back of hotel area
and we noticed a tub of polish beside the boat. The boat was still there but
the Coach was gone. We called Sigrid Beckmann and looked in the
window of the shed and saw 2 USA Optimists inverted inside and a strong
smell of polish. The coach returned; we got access to the shed; and
noticed a residue on the top of the boats that transferred to my hand and a
residue on the ground directly below. At no time did the Coach request
permission to remove boats from the boat park or repair, sand or polish
any part of the boat since all USA Optimists have completed
measurement"
Facts Found:
"All boats of team USA had gone through event measurement by 5pm on 15th
April. In the afternoon of 16th April, the three protested boats were removed
from the boat park by the sailors and their coach and carried to the area
around their equipment shed. Two of the boats were placed inside the shed
and the third one was left outside.
While the boats were at this location, the coach proceeded to remove the
centreboard rubber stoppers in order to replace them with new ones. No
permission had been requested from the Technical Committee to carry out
this replacement of equipment or for removing the boats from the boat park.
At 6pm on 16th April, the chair of the Technical Committee inspected the
three boats at their location inside or next to the shed. She found a bin
containing polish and a wet piece of cloth with traces of the substance. A
residue of the polish transferred from the bottom surface of the three hulls
onto her hand."
Conclusion:
"The boats were removed from the boat park without permission of the
Technical Committee, infringing NOR 9.12.
The substitution of the centreboard rubber stoppers was carried out without
permission from the Technical Committee, infringing NOR 9.3.
The bottom surface of the hulls was cleaned using a substance other than
water, infringing NOR 9.12 and SI 5.4. The boats certainly obtained a
competitive advantage through this breach."
Jury Decision:
"Using the World Sailing Discretionary Penalty Guide, a penalty of DSQ was
decided for the most serious breach which was that of SI 5.4 and the second
sentence of NOR 9.12. The penalty is applied to Race 1."
Applicable Rules:
NOR 9.3, NOR 9.12, SI 5.4
Link to Protest Findings:
Event Link:
At the most basic part, you have the head coach for the US Opti Sailing in the US teaching and guiding young sailors in bad behavior. Teach them to win at any cost is all that is wrong with the sport. Unfortunately here it's being taught at the youngest level by the head coach of the USODA. That has the risk to trickle down to all others in the sport. Beyond the infringement itself, its the optics that is pushed to "win at all costs" driven by this coach.
I'm surprised that only one race was listed as a DSQ. The sailors then used that as their throw out. I would think a breach like the above incident would make the score unable to be excluded.
What punishment should USODA give this coach?
Lifetime ban from coaching the national team and international events for USODA?
A ban from coaching at any USODA events for a certain time period?
Has this coach had issues like this before?
Should US Sailing being involved and a Rule 69 hearing take place?
Should the sailors have any additional punishment, they helped carry the boats or is the DSQ in the one race enough?
No matter what it makes the United States sailors on an international level look like a bunch of cheaters, the optics are terrible for the sport and USODA.
Coach Happy Alegre has been the USODA Head National Team Coach and leads many of the international regattas.
USODA has started to take some action against the coach:
Letter From USODA:
"Many of you are aware of the unfortunate events that transpired at SAMs this week involving Coach Happy. For those of you who are not, the findings of the international jury at the SAMs regatta are posted online.
Yesterday, USODA removed Happy as coach for the USA SAMs team based on the findings of the SAMs international jury and he has been replaced by Pepe Bettini.
I am writing to inform all of the USNT families that Happy is also suspended as the USNT coach effective immediately. Happy has been informed of his suspension from USNT.
Decisions regarding Happy’s future with USNT will be made after the USODA Executive Committee disciplinary hearing which will be held per our by laws and code of conduct.
We are all disappointed with the situation especially with the positive feedback from most everyone on the USNT reboot this season. But the integrity of the sport and adherence to the code of conduct that governs our sailors and coaches must come first.
We are committed to the continued success of the USNT and we will adapt to any possible future changes to ensure the reboot continues on its positive trajectory. We are looking forward to some trainings over the summer, which will be announced soon, to prepare for the summer team regattas.
I will communicate with you regarding the USNT as the Executive Committee completes its disciplinary hearing. We all appreciate your patience as USODA works through the disciplinary processes we have established to handle such situations."
JURY PROTEST REPORT:
Incident:
"I walked down the back of the hotel and I saw the USA Coach working on
an inverted Optimist. I asked the Coach what he was doing as the boat
was wet, and he denied sanding or polishing the boat when I asked. I went
to the Boat Park with Ale Williman to look at the other USA boats and there
were only 9 boats in the Boat Park. We returned to the back of hotel area
and we noticed a tub of polish beside the boat. The boat was still there but
the Coach was gone. We called Sigrid Beckmann and looked in the
window of the shed and saw 2 USA Optimists inverted inside and a strong
smell of polish. The coach returned; we got access to the shed; and
noticed a residue on the top of the boats that transferred to my hand and a
residue on the ground directly below. At no time did the Coach request
permission to remove boats from the boat park or repair, sand or polish
any part of the boat since all USA Optimists have completed
measurement"
Facts Found:
"All boats of team USA had gone through event measurement by 5pm on 15th
April. In the afternoon of 16th April, the three protested boats were removed
from the boat park by the sailors and their coach and carried to the area
around their equipment shed. Two of the boats were placed inside the shed
and the third one was left outside.
While the boats were at this location, the coach proceeded to remove the
centreboard rubber stoppers in order to replace them with new ones. No
permission had been requested from the Technical Committee to carry out
this replacement of equipment or for removing the boats from the boat park.
At 6pm on 16th April, the chair of the Technical Committee inspected the
three boats at their location inside or next to the shed. She found a bin
containing polish and a wet piece of cloth with traces of the substance. A
residue of the polish transferred from the bottom surface of the three hulls
onto her hand."
Conclusion:
"The boats were removed from the boat park without permission of the
Technical Committee, infringing NOR 9.12.
The substitution of the centreboard rubber stoppers was carried out without
permission from the Technical Committee, infringing NOR 9.3.
The bottom surface of the hulls was cleaned using a substance other than
water, infringing NOR 9.12 and SI 5.4. The boats certainly obtained a
competitive advantage through this breach."
Jury Decision:
"Using the World Sailing Discretionary Penalty Guide, a penalty of DSQ was
decided for the most serious breach which was that of SI 5.4 and the second
sentence of NOR 9.12. The penalty is applied to Race 1."
Applicable Rules:
NOR 9.3, NOR 9.12, SI 5.4
Link to Protest Findings:
Event Link:
2023 Optimist South American Championship
2023southamericans.optiworld.org
At the most basic part, you have the head coach for the US Opti Sailing in the US teaching and guiding young sailors in bad behavior. Teach them to win at any cost is all that is wrong with the sport. Unfortunately here it's being taught at the youngest level by the head coach of the USODA. That has the risk to trickle down to all others in the sport. Beyond the infringement itself, its the optics that is pushed to "win at all costs" driven by this coach.
I'm surprised that only one race was listed as a DSQ. The sailors then used that as their throw out. I would think a breach like the above incident would make the score unable to be excluded.
What punishment should USODA give this coach?
Lifetime ban from coaching the national team and international events for USODA?
A ban from coaching at any USODA events for a certain time period?
Has this coach had issues like this before?
Should US Sailing being involved and a Rule 69 hearing take place?
Should the sailors have any additional punishment, they helped carry the boats or is the DSQ in the one race enough?
No matter what it makes the United States sailors on an international level look like a bunch of cheaters, the optics are terrible for the sport and USODA.
