Well, to be honest, I'm not in agreement with Dick Rose on this one either. Rule 14(a) states that a right-of-way boat need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear. A hail is only meaningful if made before that point.

I just want people to be aware that the argument has been made by someone with authority. Therefore, I said it is a "gray area".

I have yet to encounter a situation in fleet racing where hailing a boat to enable her to avoid contact is not a good idea.