Sea lawyers/politicians tend to act as if properly written regulation could protect people from everything and anything - even from their own ignorance. This is simply not true.
The real answer is education. Informed people CHOOSE to wear a proper jacket for safety, not because it is required by a rule.
As a result, the rules become longer and more complex every year. Sailors will soon need legal advisors to compete. Actually, a few olympic teams already include lawyers. If it continues this way only lawyers will be able to compete... Hey! Maybe this is their secret goal!
You know how some governments tax more than is legal? They make complex/long/contradictory regulations to the tax law, so that it becomes (nearly) impossible to comply with it. Then people become permanently exposed to extorsion and fines.
The complete ruling on any issue should be inconstitutional if it is too complex/long/contradictory to be understood and complied with.
Anyway, about ten years ago I decided that what I like is sailing, not rules, so I simply don't cross the finish line anymore. It works. I have all the fun and zero exposure to sea lawyers.
