Do they make up the procedures as they go or am I not reading the proper rule books?

So, the PC/ IJ was informed of an issue by way of the Inquiry which was addressed to all of the official bodies running the regatta.

(So is an Inquiry a protest that requires some action by the IJ) What is an Inquiry to an International Jury... Is that even an official process that requires a response?

A report comes back from the RC and authored by the PRO. Which says we were informed by the TC and the Class Pres that there were some problems after all of the paperwork was approved and accepted BEFORE the regatta on the water started.

They don't seem to file a protest in this document... There are no protested parties! Rather, they jump to their own judgment which says.... never mind. not wasting our time. A protest should have been filed after the first day on the water on equipment issues.

If anything, the RC was asked to file a protest against a part of themselves, the Measurement team of the RC. They don't seem to do that. They certainly don't protest any boats in the regatta.

So, the IJ then does something... The initial reports say they ruled on the protest, That was refined to ... they ruled on the inquiry. Now you have to ask... what did they rule on?
The opinion of the RC and the PRO?

I am still trying to understand if they ruled on anything...
It sounds more like they just agreed with the RC/PRO that nothing should be done.

What would have happened had Niewhouse filed a protest against a single boat?

Could all of the rules violations been protested one by one in a huge game of "screw you too"!