If things are being done, without approval....
why are they being allowed to race as F16's? Do rules mean nothing?
I think I'll skip the offset mark next time, see how that works out, I know it'll be faster!
Because we've all become to "nice" about not protesting or calling someone out .... if we don't self police ourselves then the rules really don't matter.
I think too many of us (myself included) that are older don't really want to protest and find ourselves in "the room" because it interferes with our social libations after the racing. With the attraction of the youth sailors, I think we owe it to them to mind the rules or 2 things happen that aren't good for our sport
1) they learn that you don't have to obey the rules
2) they get frustrated that everyone is not minding the rules and they stop participating
I decided (after sailing with Ding
) that I'm calling you out if you foul me.
Case in point, at recent regatta a boat (F16) fouled me (I had witnesses). I yelled "foul", give me turns, everything .... BUT ... PROTEST. I was going to take them to "the room" but several people said I'd lose because I didn't say the magic word "PROTEST".
Because of this, Sophie (a youth sailor) missed winning the regatta.
So minding the rules matter .... and it's safer for our sport ... ask Seth and Stefan!
