That all helps a ton Eric! I still want to find the case I'm thinking of, it might be a case where L actually pushed W into the boat.

Didn't they do a weird start mark like that at Tradewinds or one of those winter races a year or so ago?

Eric beat me to the answer about stuff tied to a mark. What I want to know is how to write the SIs such that a barging buoy is NOT part of the boat, which most of us are used to. As the rule is written, if you hit a barging buoy, you hit the starting boat, and because that is part of the definitions, it can't be changed by the SIs.

I brought this up with US Sailing during the change, and the person I asked said not to worry, the intent wasn't to lock it down so tightly. I have yet to see SIs that change it (at least, not properly).

I asked about it again at the meeting again in FL last year, and was advised that it was their intent to lock it down, and they didn't think anyone would mind, but encouraged me to submit a request to change the rule.

The problem was that the way the old rule was written, the issue was the same but in reverse. SIs couldn't make the bouy part of the boat (legally), which is desired with really big, expensive and slowly maneuvering boats.

For me, the goal is to make sure the signal boat doesn't get hit, not the buoy. Our cats are maneuverable enough to usually stay away from the signal boat with a gentle reminder of a buoy out there. Those buoys tend to move around an awful lot, and I don't think it's especially fair to penalize a small boat for contacting the buoy.

Besides, even though I'm usually not looking behind me nearly as much as Eric gives me credit for (too much else to focus on at the actual line), I did see at least one boat hit my barging buoy on Sunday. Life is way too short to go to the room over that, even though I doubt anyone else could have seen it. He should have been protested for barging anyway...

Mike