These important words are used in conjunction with a number of rules. Yet, despite their importance; there is little case law to guide a protest committee as to their application. 

There is no definition of exactly what constitutes damage; however, World Sailing Case 19 provides two examples to enable judges to ask questions to establish damage. 

This is not possible to define but a protest committee should ask: 

An example of physical damage is: 

Examples of what is not physical damage are: 

An example of serious injury might be an injury that required medical attention beyond minor aid, but not necessarily hospitalization.

Testimony concerning the extent of the damage is often not confirmed or supported by other evidence. Although mobile phone cameras have made things much better, a thorough protest committee would send two or more of its members to inspect the damage before deciding the protest or request for redress