I don't see what fleet size or level of competetion has to do with anything here. Since when do we get to pick when and which rules to follow? A race that might not mean much to you could very well mean a whole lot to someone else.
In any case, if you clearly see someone hit a mark you should say "protest".
sm
An excellent point.
Look, no one is holding a gun to your head one way or another. By the book, we all should protest everything because of fair sailing. In reality, sailing is a social event, and in the "big picture" (on and off the water) lots can be won or lost here (on all sides).
When I am sailing, if I hit a mark, I spin (yes, I've done it, even with no one else around to see it). No one needs to protest me. I am always looking at the mark, and if I'm not because of traffic or whatever, if someone tells me that I hit it, and if I was close enough to be in doubt, I'm most likely going to believe him and spin (I've done this too).
The respect of my competitors means more to me than a position in a race. I wish more people felt that way, and believe me, the trend seems to be getting worse at youth events (think monohulls here), especially with coaches.
EDIT: I think this should answer Orphan's questions as well.
Mike
