Here we go again...
For me this pertains to distance racing where a chase boat is not at hand,but if you have limited resources(lack of safety boats) on a course should apply anywhere.
Just because they have mark boats on the course... IT DOES NOT CHANGE YOUR OBLIGATION TO OFFER ASSISTANCE! It does not matter if it's a buoy race or a distance race. The rules you agreed to make it a requirement to offer assistance.
Obviously, people think that the mark boats... are actually safety boats and now they don't have to stop racing because the OA and PRO will take care of it. I have been ranting about this for a while!
Mary's point that undress be applied actually can be applied now if you sail by a crash and don't offer assistance. Mike noted that PU would file for redress for a boat who DID render assistance but did not file. He just as well could have filed to penalize a boat for NOT rendering assistance. (I don't know if he has ever had occasion to do that).
This common sense rule of offer assistance is a big factor in getting monohull distance races to offer a start to a beach cats. The unlucky monohull does not want to stop and render assistance to the lucky beach cat. He will either have to abandon his race or be forced to file for a large amount of redress. They are not signing up to be crash boats for catamarans and so they can reasonably say... Nah... go run your own distance race it won't be fun for us to be your crash boats. (it's a tough one)
I will climb back on my soap box. All of the safety BS that OA's try to extend to the race course (Safety Boats,Crash boats, Rescue boats, tow boats etc etc) serve to mitigate the sailors 100% responsibility for their safety (sail or not sail) and their responsibility to others on the course (sail over to offer assistance or not)!
If you think you have less then 100% responsibility, you might enter a distance race, crash and sort of count on somebody bailing you out just like the buoy race with safety boats. Not good!
