Can a sailor be punished for unsporting behaviour?

Fair sailing:

• The standard: recognised principles of sportsmanship and fair play.
• The bar: a boat may be penalised under this rule only if a violation of these principles is firmly established.
• The penalty: a disqualification that is not excludable, shown as DNE.

Misconduct:

• What it is: conduct that is a breach of good manners, a breach of good sportsmanship or unethical behaviour, or conduct that may bring, or has brought, the sport into disrepute.
• Who it covers: competitors, boat owners and support persons such as coaches and parents.
• How it is raised: it is not grounds for a protest. The protest committee, from its own observation or any report, decides whether to call a hearing.
• The hearing: at least three members. The person may attend with an adviser and a representative.
• The standard of proof: "the comfortable satisfaction of the protest committee, bearing in mind the seriousness of the alleged misconduct".
• The outcomes: a warning; a change to the boat's score in one or more races, including disqualification; exclusion from the event or venue; other action within the committee's powers.
• Reports: serious cases are reported to the person's national authority, which may add penalties including suspension of eligibility.

A self-policed sport depends on honesty: on boats taking penalties they owe and telling the truth in hearings. The ordinary rules cannot list every way to cheat, so these two give committees a means to deal with conduct that no other rule names.