The Racing Rules of Sailing
Boat hits Vessel - Preamble Part 2
When a boat sailing under these rules meets a vessel that is not, she shall comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCAS) or government right-of-way rules.
A vessel at anchor is hit by a boat as described above, with no injury or damage. The vessel's owner makes a report to the OA, RC and PC. No other boat in the race protests the boat.
What if anything can the vessel-owner, OA, RC and/or PC do?
Created: Today 10:44
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The vessel is not entitled to protest a boat. Only a committee or a sailboat subject to the rules as defined in the RRS may protest a boat (RRS 60.1).
The OA, if so minded, can politely suggest to the owner of the boat that he or she should negotiate with the owner of the vessel.
Nothing in the IRPCAS imposes any obligation on any vessel, including a sailing vessel, with respect to a vessel at anchor.
The race committee and protest committee should mind their own business.
I have no idea.
Around here they don't.
The point is, the law of negligence, without the aid of regulations, is sufficient to resolve any claim.
The vessel is underway. Contact occurred between a boat and the vessel. There is damage but is it not serious. The vessel owner claims that the boat broke a govt ROW rule in a report to the OA, RC, PC.
In my opinion, this is a civil claim for damages, or an allegation of a criminal offence. Either way the race committee and protest committee should stay out of it. They are not the police. They will be running perilously close to making decisions about civil liability, See RRS 65 and the various MNA prescriptions.
Race committees conduct races.
Protest committees resolve disputes about racing, brought before them as valid protests.
The OA may have a good neighbor policy, and they may direct the race committee to protest in accordance with RRS 90.1. The OA has no power to direct the protest committee.
I think that the report to the OA, is a a report from a person with a conflict of interest, so any protest by a race committee or protest committee based on it would be invalid in accordance with RRS 60.4(b)(3).