Protest fees

Don't you get it back if you win ?

What club is asking for a £50 protest fee? Name and shame.

Of course protest fees are wrong. Human nature being what it is, you only get rules observance when there is a realistic threat of a protest and DSQ. In keelboats especially, even small bangs are expensive and potentially dangerous. You pay your race entrance fees or membership fee for club racing and, if required, a protest committee is part of the "service" you are getting from the club.

There are more subtle ways of discouraging protests: also wrong. I once spent half an afternoon and evening queueing to win and open and shut protest on a port/starboard incident, in which the guy clearly believed I couldn't be bothered to protest. And what did he get? A 1% time penalty. I think if you choose not to do your turns and lose a protest, it should be DSQ. That encourages people to accept alternative penalties.

 

Agree, however I feel that most want to get round without incident, but the with the protection of knowing that the rules, for more dangerous or difficult occassions, are there to support them.

Haven't seen the regs for this years big Jamboree just yet, so will hold back on namimg and shaming for now

The point you make about protest experience is a good one, in particular about open events. Protesting is all part of the sport and is one way of learning - in 20 years of different types of racing I have only been protested once and enjoyed the experience! (was thrown out )

I've won all mine (four in 20 years) but I wouldn't go into one I didn't fully expect to win: I'd rather do my turns. People do often have different recollections on what happened (to put it charitably) and it helps a lot if you understand who has the onus to prove their case in a given situation. If the onus is on you and the other person is shouting "protest" with no other witnesses, you aren't likely to win a protest no matter how certain you are you were in the right; better to do your turns and get on with the race.

Practice and familiarity with the process definitely helps and to that extent, clubs that discourage protests do their members no favours when they go to opens and championships. The most unpleasant protest I've been involved with was one where the other party was totally clueless and convinced they were in the right when there wasn't an earthly chance they were going to win. They had hurt one of my crew in the collision so there was no way I was letting them off.