Regulations

 1.General Regulations

1.1 The Organizer of the 2nd edition of International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference SPINNAKER, hereinafter referred to as the Conference, is the Student Scientific Society at the Department of Children’s Developmental Defects Surgery and Traumatology Zabrze of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, the Sailing Section of the University Club of the Academic Sports Association of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, and the Academic Sailing Club “SUMmare.”

1.2 The aim of the Conference is to provide participants with an opportunity to present their work and to encourage the development of skills in the fields of medicine and sailing. The Conference is intended to be a bridge between the world of medicine and the world of sport – particularly sailing and mountaineering.

1.3 The Conference is aimed at medical students, graduates from medical school, students of doctoral school in the discipline of medical sciences, academic staff of medical schools, and anyone interested in the topics of medicine and sports.

1.4 The Conference will take place on 25-27.04.2025 in the area of the Odys Rest Centre, the Halny Sailing Club Marina on Żywieckie Lake, and the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice.

1.5 The Participant is obliged to comply with the rules and regulations of the centers where the Conference takes place.

1.6 The Conference consists of 3 equal parts: an International Surgical Suturing Competition, an Interdisciplinary Scientific Forum, and a Yacht Race in the Omega standard class.

1.7 During the Conference there will be lectures and subject workshops on medical, mountaineering, and sailing topics.

1.8 The Conference is international and the languages of the Conference are Polish and English.

1.9 Sending the application described in section 2.1 is tantamount to the Participant’s acceptance of these Regulations. 

1.10 A detailed schedule of the Conference will be posted by March 20, 2025, on:

a) The website: spinnaker.med-conf.org

b) The Conference’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550770179169

1.11 The Organiser reserves the right to make changes to the Conference’s programme.

2. General principles of participation in the Conference

2.1 In order to participate in the Conference, the Participant is obliged to fill in the online form on the website spinnaker.med-conf.org by February 14, 2025. The application must be successfully verified by the Organizer. Additionally, only team leaders are required to fill out a separate application form for specific parts of the Conference.

2.2 Participation in the Conference is free of charge. For an additional fee, there are available meals, accommodation, and social evenings at the ODYS Recreation Center.

2.3 The Organiser is not responsible for incorrect data provided by the participant during the application process. 

2.4 Each participant will receive a badge and a certificate of participation in the Conference

2.5 During the Conference, the participant is entitled to use the hotel and catering space of the Odys Leisure Centre, the area of the Halny Sailing Club Marina, and the premises of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice.

2.6 There will be short quizzes with prizes during the Conference.

2.7 The Organiser will reward the participants most actively promoting the Conference and the related topics in social media. 

2.8 There will be prizes for the winners of the individual parts of the Conference.

2.9 At the end of the Conference, the title of SPINNAKER Champion will be awarded to the participant who achieves the best result from all 3 parts of the Conference.

3. Rules for Participation in the International Surgical Suturing Competition

3.1 A participant wishing to take part in the International Surgical Suturing Competition is required to sign up via the form described in section 2.1. Additionally, only the team leader fills out a separate application form for the Championships.

3.2 Only medical students and individuals within one year of graduating from medical school can participate in this part of the Conference.

3.3 Teams of four people enter the competition. Each team must include at least 3 students. Team members may represent different universities.

3.4 A maximum of 12 teams will participate in the competition. Enrolment will be determined by the order of application, but priority of enrolment will be given to participants also attending the other parts of the Conference and teams representing their university as the sole participants in the Championships.

3.5 The competition will consist of teams performing 4 practical tasks in the field of surgical suturing and answering theoretical questions. Teams will be judged on the correct choice of sutures, correct technique, tightness and tightening of sutures, aesthetic effect and not exceeding the allowed time of the task.

3.6 Teams will have 60 minutes to complete the practical tasks. For every 2 minutes over the time limit, 1 point will be deducted. The theoretical part will take 20 minutes. After the signal indicates the end of the allotted time, participants must stop working on the test.

3.7 The effects of the teams’ work will be assessed by a committee appointed by the Organiser. The assessment will be made according to the scheme attached as Appendix 1 to these Regulations.

3.8 Diplomas and prizes will be awarded to the top 3 teams. If fewer than 6 teams enter the competition, only first place and an honourable mention will be given.

3.9 Teams will have the right to look at their evaluation sheet after the competition.

3.10 The decision of the committee on points awarded and places taken is final.

4. Rules for Participation in the Interdisciplinary Scientific Forum

4.1 A participant wishing to take part in the scientific forum is required to sign up via the form described in section 2.1. Additionally, only the team leader submits a separate application form for the Forum, including an abstract in the language of presentation (Polish or English).

4.2 The Participant is entitled to submit an original paper (including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, analyses of own material) or a case report. Presentations of case reports and original papers will take place in separate sessions, if possible. Two student sessions and one graduate session are planned.

4.3 The abstract may consist of a maximum of 350 words in a language compatible with the language of the presentation. The abstract of a case report should consist of the following elements: introduction, case report, conclusions; and of an original paper of – introduction, aim of the study, materials and methods, results, and conclusions. Abstracts that do not meet these criteria will be rejected.

4.4 Active Participants in this part of the Conference can include medical students, medical graduates, doctoral students, and academic staff from medical universities. In student sessions, only medical students and recent graduates (within one year) may present and participate in discussions. In graduate sessions, only medical graduates who completed their studies more than one year earlier may participate.

4.5 The work can be prepared by a maximum of 4 people (not including tutors). The team may be represented during the presentation by one or two presenters, while all authors meeting the criteria in section 4.4 may participate in discussions.

4.6 A maximum of 30 papers will be presented during the forum. Enrolment will be determined by the substantive quality of the abstract, but priority of enrolment will be given to participants who also take part in the other parts of the Conference and teams representing their university as the sole participants in the forum.

4.7 The scientific forum will consist of a multimedia presentation in PowerPoint format. Presentations must be submitted to the address indicated by the Organiser by 4.04.2025. t is required that the written content during the presentation be in English, whereas the spoken content may be in Polish or English and this does not affect the evaluation of the committee.

4.8 A participant’s speech may last a maximum of seven minutes. An approximately three-minute discussion is anticipated after the speech.

4.9 The organiser shall provide the multimedia equipment necessary for the presentation, but shall not be liable for any technical problems.

4.10 The scientific value of the papers and the manner of presentation will be assessed by a committee appointed by the Organiser. The assessment will be made according to the scheme attached as Appendix 2 to these Regulations.

4.11 Diplomas and prizes will be awarded to the authors of the 3 best papers in each session. There will also be a prize for the best speaker in each session, presenting their work in the most interesting way. If fewer than 5 teams enter the forum in a given session, only first place and an honourable mention will be given.

4.12 Authors will have the right to look at their evaluation sheet after the forum.

4.13 The decision of the committee on points awarded and places taken is final.

5. Rules of participation in the YACHT RACE

5.1 Each Participant wishing to take part in the Omega-Class Sailing Regatta must register using the form described in Section 2.1. Additionally, only the team leader fills out a separate application form for the Sailing Regattas in the Omega class.

5.2 Participants in this part may be medical students, medical graduates, doctoral students, academic staff of medical universities, and other individuals authorized by the Organizer.

5.3 Crews of 3 will enter the regatta. Each crew must include at least 1 student or a recent medical graduate (within one year of completing their studies). The skipper must have a sailing patent.

5.4 A maximum of 15 crews will take part in the regatta. Enrolment will be decided by the order of applying, but priority of enrolment will be given to participants also taking part in other parts of the Conference and crews representing their university as the sole participant in the Regatta.

5.5 The regatta will be held in the OMEGA standard class with a transfer system.

5.6 The organizer shall provide the equipment necessary to take part in the regatta – i.e. an OMEGA class yacht with the necessary equipment and personal safety equipment. Regatta participants are obliged to take care of the equipment entrusted to them and use it in accordance with its purpose and the art of sailing.

5.7 A referee appointed by the Organizer and WOPR lifeguards shall be responsible for the safety and proper conduct of the regatta. The participant is obliged to strictly obey the instructions of the referee during the regatta.

5.8 The participant is obliged to obey the safety rules as well as the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2021-2024 issued by World Sailing, available free of charge on the website of the Polish Sailing Association and to compete with respect for others. The participant is obliged to follow the rules of ethics and good sailing practice.

5.9 Participants will be informed of the details of the regatta by the referee on the day of the competition. 

5.10 Diplomas and prizes will be awarded to the top 3 crews. If fewer than 7 crews enter the regatta, only first place and an honourable mention will be given.

5.11 Crews will have the opportunity to ask the referee to justify his/her decisions made during the regatta after the regatta.

5.12 All decisions of the referee regarding the regatta – including the order of places taken (after considering any protests by competitors) – are final. 

5.13 The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the regatta in the event of weather conditions which, in the Organizer’s opinion, make it impossible to conduct the regatta safely. 

5.14 During the regatta, weather permitting, there will be a possibility of recreational sailing on OMEGA and DZ class yachts with helmsmen provided by the Organizer. Registrations for recreational sailing will take place on that day. The order of registration will be decisive.

6. Workshops

6.1 All participants of the Conference will be able to take part in workshops, which will be held in the evenings and will not interfere with other parts of the Conference.

6.2 Separate registration for the workshops will be required through forms posted on the Conference’s Facebook page.

7.Withdrawal from the Conference

7.1 The Participant has the right to resign from participation in the Conference, of which he/she must immediately inform the Organiser by email no later than 11.04.2025.

8. Complaints and Appeals

8.1 All complaints of the Conference participants against the Organiser should be submitted in person during the Conference or by email to spinnaker.conference@gmail.com.

8.2 Complaints may be submitted no later than 7 days after the end of the Conference.

8.3 No complaints will be considered after this deadline.

8.4 The decisions of the committee and the judge are final.

9. Data Protection

In accordance with Article 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of April 27, 2016 (Official Journal of the EU L 119 of May 4, 2016), we inform you that:

9.1 The administrator of participants’ personal data is the Organizer of the SPINNAKER International Scientific Conference as described in Section 1.1.

9.2 The Organizer commits to storing personal data securely and in compliance with applicable regulations.

9.3 Personal data including name, surname, email address, telephone number, academic title, and affiliation will be used for the following purposes: Registration of participation, organization, and conduct of the Conference, communication with participants on matters related to the Conference, preparation of necessary documents including certificates of participation and badges. Personal data in the form of images will be used for promotional, educational, and science popularisation purposes in social networks, i.e. Facebook, and Instagram on the Organiser’s profiles.

9.4 It is possible to withdraw consent to the processing of personal data without affecting the compliance of the processing carried out before the withdrawal of consent

9.5 The Organiser may make personal data available to entities implementing the Conference and to other entities authorized under applicable laws. Personal data may also be processed by a social media provider.

9.6 Personal data will be kept for the period necessary to fulfill the purpose referred to in section 9.3 and for the period of retention of the Conference’s financial and accounting records in situations provided for by law.

9.7 The participant has the right to access the content of his/her data, to rectify his/her data when it is inconsistent with the actual state, and to delete, limit the processing as well as to transfer the data in cases provided for by law, to object to the processing of the data, to lodge a complaint to the supervisory authority, which is the President of the Office for Personal Data Protection. The provision of personal data by the participant is voluntary but necessary for the purposes referred to in section 9.3.

10. Final regulations

10.1 Any disputes that may arise from participation in the Conference shall be settled by the court having jurisdiction over the Organiser’s seat. 

10.2 In matters not covered by these Regulations, the provisions of the Polish law shall apply. 

10.3 The Organiser reserves the right to make amendments to these Regulations at any time.

10.4 The Conference does not constitute a mass event within the meaning of the Act of 20 March 2009 on mass event safety (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 616).

10.5 The Organiser shall not be responsible for any participant’s belongings that may be lost, damaged, or stolen during the Conference.

10.6 The Participants shall be fully liable for any damage caused by them, both in the centers where they carry out any activities related to the Conference and in the places of accommodation.

10.7 Applying for participation described in section 2.1 is tantamount to accepting these Regulations and the need to comply with their provisions, as well as consent to the processing of personal data and consent to the publication of the Participant’s image in the Organiser’s social media. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Regulations may result in removal from the list of participants of the Conference.

10.8 The Regulations shall enter into force on the date of publication.

The International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference SPINNAKER is one of the most important international events on the calendar for Students and Graduates of medical fields who wish to develop their scientific and sporting interests in the picturesque setting of Żywieckie Lake, surrounded by the Beskidy Mountains.

Thanks to the unique collaboration between paediatric surgery and sailing enthusiasts, Conference Participants will be able to compete in the International Surgical Suturing Competition, the Interdisciplinary Scientific Forum, and Yacht Race in the Omega standard class. 

Additionally, the Conference will feature lectures covering topics such as high-mountain medicine and sailing, delivered by experts and enthusiasts of medicine and active lifestyles who will share their extensive experience with the audience.

Another highlight of the Conference are the practical Workshops, which provide an opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills useful for future career stages, as well as valuable tips from the instructors.

Participation in the SPINNAKER Conference also offers a unique opportunity to establish connections and long-lasting friendships during integration evenings. These informal discussions will allow for the exchange of insights, knowledge, and ideas between young scientists from Poland and abroad.

The Conference will take place 25–27 April 2025, at Centrum Wypoczynku ODYS, Przystań Klubu Żeglarskiego HALNY, and the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice.

To participate in the Conference, please complete the online form available on the website spinnaker.med-conf.org by 14 February 2025.

We warmly invite you to join us, and we hope to see you soon at the 2nd edition of the International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference SPINNAKER.