very true but You are not responsible here for the rule violation call.. You are responsible for holding port to HIS responsibilities by hailing protest (and to the rest of the fleet as well)... Port already violated the rules.. you are just asking him about the violation with protest...

It is ports responsibility to stay clear .. not to ask starboard ... did I foul you?... really?... oh well sorry here is my penalty. ... Port is arbitraging their risk/reward using the rules... which are absolute and clear.

The game builds the safety margin.. irrespective of the circumstances (that Jay picked out) in writing the rules this way.

by requiring Port to both stay clear AND honor that ROW by calling your own foul on yourself (without even asking starbord) the safety margins on the crosses are bigger.... because you call the foul on your self...

You do not call the foul on yourself contingent on what starbord says, thinks or does..... that is NOT honoring starbords right of way.

I learned this racing Pearson 30s as a kid and was dumbfounded when my skipper crossed another 30 cleanly but very closely and he ordered the two circles.... No hail of protest, no course change by starbord .... He told me to read the rules.... what part of honor did I not understand. It was HIS judgement that he had misjudged the cross and violated starbords ROW.... years later... I had a senior A class sailor do the same thing... cross cleanly and then do a circle.. I later asked why?.. "because I judged that I violated your ROW".

I see it this way.... the rules do not let me arbitrage my risk and responsibility in a ROW situation.

I fight like hell to live up to my responsibility just like those guys and the exact reading of the RRS ... its not easy in the heat of the moment and I push crosses and forget my responsibility to honor starbords ROW.

So... you sail your own race and call your own fouls...
I object to your arbitraging the rules for your tactical advantage. That is what you were doing in the OP (had you decided to push the cross)... You clearly agree you arbitrage the rules for the tactics in all of your calculations of 70 30 etc ... clear to cross. When you count on the Starbord boat to call your foul... you have once again arbitraged the rule for your tactical advantage.