Multiple complaints to Sport Integrity Commission over athlete welfare and conduct concerns within high-performance yachting

The Sport Integrity Commission is dealing with multiple athlete welfare, cultural and conduct complaints within Yachting NZ, in what is set to be the first major test of the new agency's muscle.

The raft of complaints comes as Yachting NZ undertakes its own review of the past Olympic cycle, in a process that has been described by one complainant as "lacking independence, integrity and accountability".

The review, dubbed Project Arotake, is being led by an independent appointee - former New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary general Kereyn Smith.

But several athletes have told RNZ they have reservations about the structure of the review, pointing to its limited scope and the involvement of Yachting NZ chief executive David Abercrombie on the steering committee.

It is understood at least one athlete has raised their concerns directly with a Yachting NZ board member.

The design of the Yachting NZ review was the last straw for some athletes and others in the wider sailing community, who say they have lost faith in the leadership of the organisation following a series of messy selection disputes for this year's Paris Olympics.

Another athlete told RNZ that the harrowing details of Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore's experiences in Cycling NZ's high performance programme, which were revealed at an inquest into the death of the 24-year-old rider last month, has also led them to reflect on their own experiences in the system.

"There's a lot of things we've put up with for a long time, because we thought it was normal, or you become resigned to the fact it's just the way it is. The ethos among sailors is, 'You just have to play the game,'" they said.

"But then you see and read all these stories where lawyers are questioning the actions of people in the system, and you realise, actually it's not normal. I know there's a lot of other [sailors] feeling the same way after hearing what Olivia went through."

The sailor, who requested anonymity as "I still have to exist within the system", stressed their experiences "are not on the same level as Olivia's", but that the themes around funding, selection and the power imbalances between athletes and sports leaders felt familiar to them.

Windsurfing legend Bruce Trotter, who spoke out about Yachting NZ's "deeply troubling process issues" earlier this year in the wake of the contentious handling of nominations for several Olympic classes, confirmed to RNZ he was among those to lodge a complaint with the Sport Integrity Commission about the Project Arotake review.

RNZ has learned of at least four further complaints to the commission against Yachting NZ.

The allegations broadly encompass leadership and cultural issues, ranging from claims Yachting NZ's selection and funding processes are systemically unfair, to concerns about the organisation's handling of serious conduct issues involving athlete behaviour.

It is not believed any current athletes in YNZ's high performance programme are among the complainants.

RNZ understands several complainants have been interviewed by the commission, but it is not clear whether officials have opened a formal investigation.

In a statement, Sports Integrity Commission chief executive Rebecca Rolls said the agency was unable to discuss specific complaints, or even confirm their existence.

"The commission is an independent and impartial organisation and therefore runs a complaints handling process that is completely confidential. It's important that people know they are safe coming to us with their concerns," Rolls said.

"If someone comes forward, we work with the parties to understand and resolve the issue. This could be through informal resolution processes - for example, mediation - or in more serious or complex cases the commission can open an investigation."

Yachting NZ boss David Abercrombie declined to be interviewed for this story.

RNZ put a detailed list of questions to Yachting NZ about some of the allegations currently before the commission. These questions were not addressed.

A written statement provided by the national body and attributed to Abercrombie did address some of the criticisms of Project Arotake.

"Prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Yachting New Zealand Board resolved to commission a feedback and evaluation report by a person independent of Yachting New Zealand ... to provide recommendations in respect of high-performance programmes and campaign support," the statement read.

"Kereyn Smith CNZM, who is independent of Yachting New Zealand, has been engaged for this evaluation role, because of her knowledge, sports governance experience and the mana she holds within the Olympic movement."

Trotter, however, believed the problem was not with the reviewer, but in the role Abercrombie and other board members were playing.

The terms of reference for the review outline that a steering committee comprising of Abercrombie and either Greg Knowles, the chair of Yachting NZ, or board member Nik Burfoot, who heads up the newly established High Performance Advisory Group (HPAG), would oversee the review process.

"The committee will ensure the evaluation's integrity, provide guidance, and approve the final report," the terms of reference stated.

Trotter, who privately sponsored an Olympic athlete over the last cycle, said he was baffled at how the Yachting NZ board allowed what he believes is a "poor process" to be implemented when it had already faced criticism over its handling of conflicts of interest earlier this year.

"Yachting NZ have a duty of care to act transparently and impartially, and they have to address grievances in a way that promotes trust and accountability," he said.

"If Yachting NZ has the ability to steer the direction of the review and approve the final report, then it lacks integrity. Project Arotake is already dead on arrival."

Another senior member of the yachting community echoed Trotter's concerns about independence.

"There's a lot of people in the sailing community who've had concerns for a long time about the way the current model has been lived, and the impact that it's had on athletes," said the official, who requested not to be identified, to protect athletes they are associated with.

"[Yachting NZ] is accountable for public money and people's lives. They should open the doors and allow a proper independent and public review with the goal of agreeing on a solution that adopts input from experts, coaches, athletes and their families - one that is void of a YNZ steering committee."

One athlete said while they believed the review structure "has a lot of holes" they found Kereyn Smith to be highly professional in her approach, and were optimistic Project Arotake could lead to meaningful change.

Yachting NZ did not answer questions about the appropriateness of having the organisation's chief executive and board members on the steering committee.

In a statement, Abercrombie said the review was "well-advanced", with 50 interviews completed, including with members of the NZL Sailing Team selected for the Paris Olympics, long-listed athletes who were not selected for the 2024 Games, and sailors who have left the programme. Coaches, support staff, Yachting NZ management and performance consultants were also interviewed, according to the statement.

Trotter said Yachting NZ did not appear to have "asked themselves what is in the best interest of the athletes" when designing its review process.

"I know it is already causing harm, because I have sailors saying to me that they don't trust the process and they are fearful," he said.

Several athletes also told RNZ of their discomfort that their interviews took place at Yachting NZ's Takapuna offices, rather than a more neutral location.

RNZ asked Yachting NZ whether it was appropriate that the interviews took place at its headquarters, and what steps it took to ensure athletes were safe and supported during the process. The statement provided in response did not address these questions.

RNZ also asked Yachting NZ whether it was committed to sharing the full findings of the review, but this was not directly addressed in the statement provided.

"It has been agreed the outcome of Project Arotake should be a series of actionable insights that can be readily adopted and implemented by Yachting New Zealand for the future benefit of everyone. We will be sharing the Project Arotake recommendations and will be consulting on the implementation plan for further refinement and development," the statement read.

Kereyn Smith did not respond to requests for comment.