And that is where it gets sticky. Without a protest hearing it is very hard to prove one way or the other. The inexperienced racer is really left to defend themselves with limited knowledge of how to do it. If its not the responsibility of the organizing group to assist with the proper protest procedure then who is responsible? The uninformed newbie?

I'm not about starting protests for the sake of protests but when a boat is damaged there must be a proper procedure for placing liability. It should be handled right then and there and both parties should be treated equally. If insurance is required to play all competitors must have some form of coverage, at a minimum liability. When an accident occurs the details should be recorded, a protest heard, fault assigned and then it goes to the insurance company for payment. Either a separate liability policy or homeowners liability coverage must be enforced to protect the competitors. I have enough to think about on the race course, I certainly don't want to be worrying about who has insurance and who does not in tight quarters at the line or rounding a mark!