I'm not disagreeing with your logic. The US Sailing part is a little dramatic ( I think you've been reading too many Ben Ainslie threads on SA). How does the process go for hearing a protest when there is no protest committee and who would you file it with?
It could go straight to an appeals committee of the regional sailing association, which in this case is probably the Florida Sailing Association. But the paper flows through US Sailing first (protest sent to USSA, then they forward it to FSA). FSA could punt it back to US Sailing since there's no member club involved. US Sailing would probably appoint a judge to hear the protest via conference call / e-mail.
I don't think the reference to US Sailing is "over the top" or dramatic. You would be surprised at how many people there lurk on this forum. There are pictures and a story on the front page for everyone to see. And don't forget - this is the same group running Tradewinds - that US Sailing has a strong vested interest in now (Youth Multihull Championship / Olympic Development / ISAF Youth Qualifier).
