You know your rules, huh? Your own testimony: "I just wasn't sure on who to protest" and "his bow hit mine after giving him tons of time to maneuver" argue against that assertion. Here is some advice: Always start with the boat that hit you. Not taking a penalty OR protesting in that situation also argues against your assertion and is unacceptable. You violated your FAIR SAILING (rule 2, page 3) agreement (as did at least one of your competitors).