The Committee
The CUYC Committee is organised in the standard yacht club structure of Flag Officers (Commodores), Officers, Skippers and Instructors. By the CUYC Regulations, CUYC Officers are elected for a maximum term of one year, and CUYC Skippers and Instructors sit on the CUYC Committee ex-officio. All CUYC Officers have a vote at meetings.
Click on any of the Officers, Skippers or Instructors to see the current person in that role and their job description.
We need you - Join the Committee!
CUYC elects new officers as needed, usually at the beginning of each term. And we are pretty much always in need of new Committee members! If you are interested in a position (either vacant or filled) in the CUYC Committee then please e-mail the Commodore. Getting involved will give you a chance to work within an enthusiastic and very well organised Committee of one of the most active clubs in Cambridge - and provide you with another excuse to go out regularly.
Officers
The Current Committee
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H I'm Dan, a medical student who loves to spend time outdoors and I think sailing is one of the best possible ways of doing so! I've had such a great time through all my experiences with CUYC so far and met so many great people. Commodore Job description: Head of the Club: Overall responsibility for all the activities of CUYC; authorises all activities, finances and external communication on behalf of the Club. Safety: Overall responsibility for ensuring the correct discharge of duty of care and Club safety policy implementation. Committee Chair: Chairs all meetings of CUYC Committee and General Meetings of the Club. Development: Organisation of long-term development plans for the Club. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
commodore@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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I got convinced to come cruising on a pub crawl in May '24, and very quickly became hooked on sailing as a way to adventure outside in a different way. Vice-Commodore Operations Job description: Operations Section Management: Authorises the activities of all Operations Officers and ensures they have details of their responsibilities and that they are properly informed and supported in their positions. Legal: Ensures CUYC obtains and sustains insurance policies appropriate to Club activities. Monitors details of charter agreements. Manages contractual disputes with charterers. Liaises with Club legal contacts. Documentation: Ensures CUYC Regulations, CUYC Crew Register, Safety Policy, Skipper Manual, Agenda and Minutes of Committee Meetings and any other key Club documentation stay up-to-date. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
vc-operations@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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I have been sailing motor-boats and yachts since I was a kid. I joined CUYC in the second year of my PhD and since then I’ve been joining on training and sailing sessions. As the purser and web admin for CUYC I help improving the website and running the finances of the club. Feel free to email me with any questions. Vice-Commodore Sailing Job description: Sailing Section Management: Authorises the activities of all Cruising Officers and ensures they have details of their responsibilities and that they are properly informed and supported in their positions. Management and delegation of tasks to the Cruising Officers. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
vc-sailing@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Biography not yet supplied. Vice-Commodore Racing Job description: Organises all of the Club's Racing Activities; including team selection for BUSA/BUCS Yachting Nationals and Varsity matches; organises racing on Club Boats and promotes Racing through RORC and JOG participation. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
vc-racing@cuyc.org.uk
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Hey, I'm Annabelle, a third-year PhD student in stem cell biology. I love sailing and look forward to making training as accessible as possible, both theory and practical. Just shoot me a message if you have any questions! Vice-Commodore Training Job description: Management and delegation of tasks to the Practical Training Officer and Theory Training Officer. Development and Evaluation of the CUYC Training Scheme and courses run within the scheme. Ensuring compliance with RYA and CUYC standards as set out in the training section of the CUYC Manual and in the RYA regulations. Liaises with Instructors to ensure effective implementation of the Training Programme. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
vc-training@cuyc.org.uk
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Hi everyone! I'm Edgar Cifuentes, a PhD student in Plant Sciences deeply fascinated by tropical forests and equally passionate about travel. I've been sailing with the club since last year and recently achieved my RYA Day Skipper certification. Now on my way to becoming a RYA Yachtmaster. Looking forward to many more adventures at sea. Hope to see you onboard soon! Purser Job description: Financial management: Processing all payments and receipts for activities and permanent funds. Upon completion of events ensures expenses are collated in liaison with the Event Organiser. Preparing the Budget, Half Year Report and End of Year Summary of Accounts. Membership: Management of membership. Elected until: January 2027 Email: purser@cuyc.org.uk |
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Hi! I am Claudia, a final-year medical student that loves sailing :) Cruising Officer Job description: Assists the Vice-Commodore Sailing in the organisation of cruising trips Elected until: January 2027 Email:
cruising@cuyc.org.uk
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I have been sailing keelboats and yachts on and off since 2016, and joined the club in 2020. I am currently working towards my Yachtmaster Offshore certificate. Outside of sailing, I work in finance, so I’m always happy to put those skills to good use by helping keep the club’s accounts in order! Purser Job description: Financial management: Processing all payments and receipts for activities and permanent funds. Upon completion of events ensures expenses are collated in liaison with the Event Organiser. Preparing the Budget, Half Year Report and End of Year Summary of Accounts. Membership: Management of membership. Elected until: January 2027 Email: purser@cuyc.org.uk |
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Biography not yet supplied. Purser Job description: Financial management: Processing all payments and receipts for activities and permanent funds. Upon completion of events ensures expenses are collated in liaison with the Event Organiser. Preparing the Budget, Half Year Report and End of Year Summary of Accounts. Membership: Management of membership. Elected until: January 2027 Email: purser@cuyc.org.uk |
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Hi, I'm Ben, a third year Physics PhD student who likes to collect outdoor hobbies - yacht sailing with CUYC is my latest and perhaps greatest! I'm the secretary for this year and will be helping organize training too Theory Training Officer Job description: The officer in charge of the theory courses the Club runs. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
theory@cuyc.org.uk
Secretary Job description: Takes minutes at meeting and handles paperwork and our archives. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
secretary@cuyc.org.uk
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Biography not yet supplied. Social Officer Job description: Social programme: submission of dates for socials to the Vice-Commodore Operations, and planning of socials, including end of term dinner. New & potential members introduction: acting at socials to welcome new & potential members and inform them about Club activities. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
social@cuyc.org.uk
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Biography not yet supplied. Bosun Job description: Boat maintenance. Preparation of CUYC yachts so that they are ready to be safely sailed when required for CUYC trips. Providing Skippers of CUYC yachts with information to allow them to make safe decisions about sailing. Long-term management of CUYC yachts so that they continue to be safe to sail and retain their value. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
bosun@cuyc.org.uk
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Hi all, I'm Eve a third year Veterinary student intercalating in Zoology. I first sailed in the summer of 2022 for DofE after I had finished sixth form and have been hooked ever since! Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about the club and if you have any fun trip pictures :) Quartermaster Job description: In charge of spares and gear on Kestrel and the club's garage in Cambridge. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
quartermaster@cuyc.org.uk
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I am a PhD student in Semiconductor Physics. I joined the club in 2013 and became involved in the Club's committee as a Practical Training Officer. I have been actively involved in the Club ever since. My favourite places to sail are in the Mediterranean and of course the east coast of the UK! Chief Instructor Job description: The head instructor. Email:
chiefinstructor@cuyc.org.uk
RYA Principal Job description: Management and delegation of tasks to the Practical Training Officer and Theory Training Officer. Development and Evaluation of the CUY Training Scheme and courses run within the scheme. Ensuring compliance with RYA and CUY standards as set out in the training section of the CUY Manual. Training Programme; ensuring submission of dates to the Vice-Commodore Sailing for all training activities, with regard to the advice given in the Training section of the CUY Manual. Overseeing the editing and expanding the website training section. Management of the RYA Practical and Shorebased training centres. Email:
rya-principal@cuyc.org.uk
Instructor Job description: Club instructors are mostly RYA Cruising Instructors who are qualified to take RYA Day Skipper and Competent Crew week-long practical training courses. Some club instructors are RYA Theory Instructors, qualified to give the various RYA classroom courses that the club arranges. A few are RYA Yachtmaster Instructors. Email:
instructors@cuyc.org.uk
Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Though I learned to sail as a teenager out of Ipswich, I got hooked again doing the 2022 CUYC summer programme. Now I have passed my Yachtmaster and so hopefully will be skippering soon. I am a 3rd year PhD student at Sidney Sussex. System Administrator Job description: Who's interested in the techie system administration side of things? Elected until: 2027 Email:
sysadmin@cuyc.org.uk
Website Admin Job description: Database, Website and e-mail lists development and administration. Control and maintenance of style, scripts and code validity. Liaison with SRCF host: ensuring compliance with data regulations and other regulations and maintenance of filespace. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
webmaster@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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I am a Slovenian Master of Law student, used to sailing in the Med and now trying to acclimate to the colder waters up north. I am excited to get involved on the sponsorship side of the club, fostering existing relationships and developing exciting new ones. Publicity and Sponsorship Officer Job description: Organises publicity articles & campaigns: Organising Freshers' Fair and Squash as well as ongoing publicity throughout the year. Collation of photos from events. Manages relations with alumni. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
publicity@cuyc.org.uk
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I am an Engineer and enjoy going out sailing when possible. I have been involved with the club for many years and keen to share my passion with others. System Administrator Job description: Who's interested in the techie system administration side of things? Elected until: 2027 Email:
sysadmin@cuyc.org.uk
Website Admin Job description: Database, Website and e-mail lists development and administration. Control and maintenance of style, scripts and code validity. Liaison with SRCF host: ensuring compliance with data regulations and other regulations and maintenance of filespace. Elected until: January 2027 Email:
webmaster@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Is working in the Institute for Manufacturing, Dept. Engineering. Being close to the water is in my family’s blood. My family has been in shipping and managing harbours. I actually came to sailing by a need rather than anything else. A local fire brigade needed additional people to fill in a spot to do a sailing licence. So a friend and I have been happy to help out. By friend as a result bought a yacht and we sailed together for years in the Baltic Sea. Senior Treasurer Job description: Senior Treasurer of CUYC. Email:
sentreasurer@cuyc.org.uk
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Biography not yet supplied. Instructor Job description: Club instructors are mostly RYA Cruising Instructors who are qualified to take RYA Day Skipper and Competent Crew week-long practical training courses. Some club instructors are RYA Theory Instructors, qualified to give the various RYA classroom courses that the club arranges. A few are RYA Yachtmaster Instructors. Email:
instructors@cuyc.org.uk
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RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and former Commodore of CUYC. I have worked in a variety of locations, including instructing in the Solent and more recently as a luxury charter skipper in the Bahamas. I enjoy short-handed and offshore sailing in particular, and have spent the last couple of years restoring my own boat (an Elizabethan 30, cruiser-racer built in 1977). Instructor Job description: Club instructors are mostly RYA Cruising Instructors who are qualified to take RYA Day Skipper and Competent Crew week-long practical training courses. Some club instructors are RYA Theory Instructors, qualified to give the various RYA classroom courses that the club arranges. A few are RYA Yachtmaster Instructors. Elected until: 16/12/2027 Email:
instructors@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Cruising skipper with a love of distant shores. Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Yo. I joined the club in December 2015 on their chilly Christmas and New Year trip. I jumped through all the RYA and CUYC hoops and am now a CUYC skipper, getting to take Skylark out whenever I like! That's awesome! Really looking forward to running more trips and doing some exciting things! The type of sailing I like is adventurous - going to crazy places and doing big passages. I really like crazy weather. I was the Commodore of CUYC in 2018 and now help the club out with trips and maintenance. I'm a recent graduate of atmospheric science at King's and I now work as an environmental consultant in the shipping industry - so I sometimes have to travel to pollution incidents without much notice. Grew up on boats and I bloody love the sea! Alumni Code Monkey Job description: Alumni programmers who do not have direct access to the university server but do have GitHub access to all the software running on it. Mostly professional programmers. Elected until: 2050 Email:
coders@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Biography not yet supplied. Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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I'm a 3nd year PhD student. I joined the club a couple of years ago, having never sailed a yacht before, but absolutely threw myself into it and learned as much as I possibly could. I'm looking forward to leading the club this year and keen to get many more new sailors on board Skylark to introduce them to the sport. Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Engineering undergraduate, radio amateur, keen sailor. Mostly a cruising character, occasionally to be found in a dinghy. Alumni Code Monkey Job description: Alumni programmers who do not have direct access to the university server but do have GitHub access to all the software running on it. Mostly professional programmers. Elected until: 2050 Email:
coders@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Sailing with the club on and off since 2009. Still can't quite believe to actually have become a skipper now, and is looking forward to running more trips. Is also looking after the behind-the-scenes parts of running the club, as VC Ops and Webadmin. Has mixed feelings about pronouns. Alumni Code Monkey Job description: Alumni programmers who do not have direct access to the university server but do have GitHub access to all the software running on it. Mostly professional programmers. Elected until: 2050 Email:
coders@cuyc.org.uk
Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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I've been sailing with CUYC since 2019 and have been addicted ever since. I have an abusive relationship with the unforgiving British waters, and love braving an angry sea, any kind of adventure, and seeing strange and new places. I've recently developed an equally passionate love for quiet anchorages, sun, and a drink with a little umbrella in it. My biggest fear is a boat without booze or snacks. Also big fan of celestial navigation, so I'll probably have my sextant on me. Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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I'm a postdoc @ UCL but living in Cambridge where I did my PhD. I grew up sailing dinghies and yachts and love being out on the water. I’ve sailed across parts of Europe, North America and South America - my favourite being Antarctica! I qualified as a skipper in 2023 and have since run several delivery trips and summer programme weeks in Norway and Spain. Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Elected until: July 2023 Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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In my spare time I teach Economic History at Cambridge. I have been living in Cambridge for a long-time but I grew up between Rome and Venice in Italy. I then moved to the UK for a PhD (Oxford I am afraid) and then got stuck. Fortunately CUYC came to the rescue ... Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Hi, im Jake - a recent engineer graduate from Clare College. I've sailed mostly on the west coast of Wales, but learning to love the east coast of England too. Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Hi! I'm Florence. I have my Yachtmaster Offshore, and have been skippering for the club since 2023. Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Elected until: January 2026 Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Hi, I’m Luke, a Masters in Entrepreneurship student. Skipper Job description: A member of the club who is an RYA yachtmaster and has additional qualifications, experience and personal reputation such that they are entrusted to be in charge of a boat with student members as crew, some of whom may have very little experience. Elected until: 1/1/24 Email:
skippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Besides doing research in very cold places on large ships, I have also enjoyed slightly warmer sailing in the UK with CUYC. I completed my Yachtmaster Coastal in 2015 and Offshore in 2018, and while I am no longer based in the UK, I hope to perhaps do a bit more skippering with CUYC in the future. Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Good friend to the committee and happy to help wherever possible. Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Oliver is hopelessly addicted to sailing, even (and against his better judgement) when it's cold and wet. However he particularly enjoys sailing to remote islands in the summertime and, best of all, playing with helicopters! Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Hi there, I am a former Post-Doc of the Cambridge University and worked there as Virologist/Immunologist. The time with CUYC was of course the best time in Cambridge, and I still try to be active in the CUYC, and help out on week-trips as good as possible even though I am back in Germany now. It always has been, always is and always will be great fun with you guys! Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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I'm a second year Engineer at Queens'. I've been sailing almost as long as I can remember, starting in dinghies and then moving up on to bigger things. I first got on a yacht during my gap year in 2014 when I was working at Deloitte in London, they have a fantastic sailing club and it really inspired me. Since then I've competed at Cowes week twice and sailed in Sardinia, Gibraltar, Brittany and the UK. Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Biography not yet supplied. Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Ahoi! I caught the sailing bug during my studies at St Andrews, when I cruised a Hobie 17 cat and a 420 dinghy up and down (a small stretch of) the East coast of Scotland. I've got into bigger boats when I moved away from living right at the beach, and joined the club in 2016. I've since been on plenty of trips, e.g. as first mate on the Stavanger-Ipswich return trip of the 2017 summer programme, and qualified as Yachtmaster Coastal in 2018 and co-skippered two trips in Finland in 2019. Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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- Skipper Alumni Code Monkey Job description: Alumni programmers who do not have direct access to the university server but do have GitHub access to all the software running on it. Mostly professional programmers. Elected until: 2050 Email:
coders@cuyc.org.uk
Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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I did most of my sailing as a teenager and undergraduate, crossing the channel, then Biscay, the Indian Ocean, North Sea and Atlantic. I did my Yachtmaster Ocean at 18 and then arrived at Cambridge and started organising for everyone else to go sailing! Since then I've collected all the instructor tickets and am now more on the sidelines with training, having seen numerous instructors and skippers come after me... So my main job these days is fixing Kestrel and Puffin when all you guys break them.... Perhaps in a few years the boats will finally be up the scratch and I'll have nothing left to do... :-S Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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Having just come along for the theory course, Philip found himself welcomed in to the club and subjected to intense training whereupon he was rather surprised to discover himself a club skipper. It was probably just so that the white hair did not give rise to any mistaken impression that he was actually competent, that it was safer for all concerned that he did acquire a modicum of expertise. System Administrator Job description: Who's interested in the techie system administration side of things? Elected until: 2027 Email:
sysadmin@cuyc.org.uk
Alumni Code Monkey Job description: Alumni programmers who do not have direct access to the university server but do have GitHub access to all the software running on it. Mostly professional programmers. Elected until: 2050 Email:
coders@cuyc.org.uk
Alumni Skipper Job description: Skippers who have moved on to other places. Elected until: - Email:
alumniskippers@cuyc.org.uk
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