US insurance companies are not interested in what the RRS or protest committees say. They are only concerned in the legal authority for boating laws in the body of water where the accident occurred.
It makes no sense for one set of rules (the Racing Rules of Sailing) to govern the racing, and another set (COLREGS, IRPCS, or state law) to govern liability for a collision. There would be irreconcilable conflicts of right-of-way. That's why US Sailing prescribes:
By participating in an event governed by the rules, a boat agrees that responsibility for damages arising from any breach of the rules shall be based on fault as determined by applicaition of the rules...
Now, I don't claim that insurance companies behave rationally, but since you agree that the rules determine liability, they should honor that. If they refuse, I'd recommend finding a different carrier. There are insurance companies that understand maritime law and the implications of racing.
A US insurance claims adjuster should give weight to the report of a protest committee, just as they would to a police report of an auto accident.
Sincerely,
Eric
