The port tacker subsequently received a dsq for the race. Is that sufficient punishment for causing personal injury and property damage?
Was there evidence that the Port-tack boat (P) acted in an unsportsmanlike manner? If so, Rule 2 may apply. The penalty for a breach of Rule 2 is DND (DSQ, Non-Discardable). Did the Protest Committee observe or receive evidence that there may have been a "gross breach of a
rule, good manners, or sportsmanship"? If so, PC may call a hearing under rule 69 "ALLEGATIONS OF GROSS MISCONDUCT". Additional sanctions can be imposed (up to the international level) as a result.
In the United States, liability for property damage and personal injury is a legal matter. US SAILING Prescription 68(b) states (in part):
No protest committee or US SAILING appeal authority shall adjudicate any claim for damages. Such a claim is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts.
Regards,
Eric