You wrote
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I don't really give a crap what the rules say,
If someone causes me to capsize on the course because of some maneuver they pulled and there was nothing I could have done about it, then that person is going to hear about it later.
You're stuck in the "rules of sailing say I can do this" while I'm more in line with the "rules of being a good person and caring for the well-being of others and their property say that I shouldn't."
Too many people think that because their "racing" means that they can be a douchebag and get away with it because they're playing inside the rules. I know my opinion isn't popular amongst those "serious" or "competitive" or "driven" racers.
Again, just so we're clear, I'm not talking about using the rules to give you an advantage on the course, I'm talking about using them to cause an accident that otherwise wouldn't have happened.
The rules of the game are critical to the dance on the water of all of the boats. When you don't know or respect the rules... and so you zig when you are expected to zag... just for the hell of it... OR perhaps you think you are being an understanding and caring guy ... You have or will create chaos.
How the hell are we suuposed to play the game. If people suddenly decide that they don't want to play by the agreed rules ...
One of the points stressed by Sturart Walker was the adherence to the sailing rules and schedule. He compared it to the broken window in the building situation... Pretty soon... nobody respects the rules and you have chaos.
Chaos is a hell of a good reason not to continue with racing.
For example, some have posted that they choose not to return to spring fever because in the past the RC was a bit loose with executing the standard racing rules. It is the same kind of thing here. There are consequences when you don't meet people's expectations and one of the big ones for me is the expectation that people will adhere to the rules to the best of their ability and if they screw up they make it right, learn from the expeince and move on.
