one little girl said to another that if she was going to wear her CE-approved PFD, she would be protested
My question is what is it that clubs/parents/coaches are doing that leads little kids to think that winning is so important that a protest is the right way to address a concern like this? Even if the rule were justified on safety grounds, it's interesting that what she didn't do was go to the RC before the race and say "I'm concerned that some of the kids aren't going to be safe on the water".