Mark, I am not kidding if there is significant damage and the offending party is not immediately taking responsibility for their actions. The point I am making is that protest results has nothing to do with payment for damages in the eyes of the insurance industry. update in later post... US courts have upheld RRS trump COLREGS Your insurance company may even require a police report before paying regardless of who is at fault and/or your state and local laws may require filing a report if the damages exceed a certain dollar amount.

I am not talking about trading gelcoat at the start line... talking about something like a destroyed hull, mast or something that may cost thousands to repair or replace.

I have seen it multiple times in 30 years of racing that the damaged boat owner thinks that the protest committee is the recourse in resolving payment of damages. They leave the scene thinking that it will be resolved in a club protest room. Only later do they find the at-fault party had no intention of paying or exchanging insurance information.