Introduction
Force5.us is committed to handling your personal information with care and transparency. This policy explains what data we collect when you visit the site, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have. It applies to all pages and resources published under the Force5.us domain.
Information we collect
We collect two categories of information:
- Usage data collected automatically. When you visit any page, our analytics service records standard technical information including your approximate geographic region (country or city level), browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, and time spent on each page. Your full IP address is either anonymized or not stored in identifiable form.
- Information you provide voluntarily. If you send us a message using our contact email address, we receive the contents of that message along with the email address you send it from. We do not operate comment sections, user accounts, or subscription forms that collect additional personal data.
How we use your information
Usage data is used solely to understand how visitors interact with Force5.us so that we can improve its content, structure, and performance. Contact messages are used only to respond to your inquiry and, where relevant, to act on corrections or contributions you have submitted. We do not use your data for advertising, behavioral profiling, or automated decision-making.
Analytics and third-party services
Force5.us uses a privacy-focused analytics service to measure site traffic. This service may set a first-party cookie or use cookieless measurement, depending on your browser settings and our current configuration. The analytics provider processes aggregated data on our behalf and does not use it for its own commercial purposes. We do not use advertising networks, tracking pixels, or third-party data brokers.
Cookies
We use a small number of cookies to support site functionality and analytics. These are described in detail in our cookies policy, which is linked in the site footer.
Data sharing
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Data may be shared in the following limited circumstances:
- With our analytics service provider, acting as a data processor on our behalf
- With our hosting provider, which processes server logs as a standard technical function
- If required by law or to protect the rights and safety of Force5.us or its users
Data retention
Aggregated analytics data is retained for up to 26 months before being deleted or anonymized further. Contact emails are retained only as long as necessary to resolve the matter raised, and are deleted when no longer needed. We do not archive personal correspondence beyond that purpose.
Your rights
You have the right to request access to any personal data we hold about you, to ask us to correct inaccurate data, and to request deletion of data we no longer need to hold. Because we collect minimal personal information and do not operate user accounts, most visitors have no identifiable record with us beyond what standard server logs contain. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via the contact page.
External links
Force5.us links to external websites including sailing clubs, class organizations, suppliers, and historical archives. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
Children's privacy
Force5.us is a general-interest sailing reference and is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, please contact us so we can delete it promptly.
Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we do, the revised version will be published on this page with an updated date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Last updated: August 12, 2026