I’ve been I a protest room where the defending a position actually used the phrase; “Of course I was unable to avoid a collision – I hit him didn’t I?” Brilliant defense

Some interpretation is unavoidable, unfortunately. But where is the line, is he clear behind by 4 boat lengths or 6 when the lead boat can tack? Maybe we institute a 3 boat circle or something more identifiable. Anyone who races has been in both sides of this situation. Usually there is no issue, sometimes there is yelling, and on rare occasions there is an accident. Unfortunately the occasions I have seen it go to protest have been mostly port boats trying to use the rules as an offence. Not always the case (and not here either as I doubt GE wanted to wreck their boat) but it happens.

The next move on the course was to tack to starboard. There was more than enough room (again in my view and the argument) to pull off a normal –not crash tack- tack. GE was going to protest either way if they felt they were not given enough time, the act of crashing had nothing to do with that.