It's really not that unusual to break a strap bolt or stainless strap on the Nacra 6.0 in a race like this. The Morada boat has been through 3 Tybee 500's. Earlier in the race they did some minor port transom damage when they got to the beach and a wave slammed the lifted rudder sideways. They duct taped the crack, sailed another leg without any problems and then had it repaired.

I replace the bolts on my boat every two years or before an event like the Tybee. During the Worrell I also started doubling up some of the straps.

As far as the protest flag, I think it's a matter of The Racing Rules of Sailing, 61.1 a (2) and the fact that the Nacra (Inter-20) class and this race (I haven't read the Tybee rules this year) adhere to these rules. A boat over 6 meters needs to display a red flag.

Rick Bliss