..(regarding the Case 80)... there are some pretty senior judges around here that might disagree with that...
Well, lol, that's the purpose of the casebook - to clarifiy rule interpretations so that future judges won't make the same mistakes as past judges. For what it's worth, Case 80 surprised me too. When I was studying to become a judge, I read through the US Sailing Appeals and ISAF Casebooks. I covered up each decision, read the facts, reached my conclusion, and then checked it against the book (an exercise I recommend to anyone who wants to test their knowledge of the rules). Case 80 was one that I got completely wrong. There are a few cases where the conclusion seems counterintutive and take some study to understand (particularly those where a boat seemingly in the wrong was let off).
Long, long ago I learned a very powerful trick from a short, bald PRO with lots of experience (PU). Simply approach the sailor, explain the situation (as the PRO or mark boat saw it), and ask them if they would like to retire. If you have a good case, this gets you out of something like 99% of these jams, and allows the sailor to save face with his competitors, and most importantly saves the aforementioned drinking time.
Good advice. Most sailors are reasonable people, and a reasonable discussion will settle matters much of the time. Just be careful that you don't run afoul of rule 63.1(b) "Informing the Protestee". Last year at Charleston Race Week, I was on RC when the PRO from my course went looking for a boat to discuss an infraction. I warned him that the protest time limit was about to expire, and there was no guarantee that PC would extend the time limit should he decide to file. He missed the limit, but fortunately did not need to protest in the end.
Mike, from what I can tell, you appear to be doing things right - keep up the good work!
Regards,
Eric
