I hate protests. I hate protest hearings, the time spent, and all the associated bullshit and inevitable hard feelings, It just isn’t part of what I love about the sport.
Having said that, winning the Sharp HospiceCare Benefit Regatta last weekend ( The regatta raised over $400,000) was marred by us getting protested. Oh boy.
The second place Flying Tiger, having lost to us in this event for first overall two years in a row, musta thought “we’ll beat ’em in the room.”
Without going on and on about the alleged fouls (yes, fouls), I got the protest chucked because they didn’t follow what rules 61.1 (and 11.2 in the SI’s) say about properly flying a protest flag. Technicality, sure. But the words are there and the other boat didn’t follow them.
Yes, I’m happy to have “won” in the room, and yes, even more thrilled to have won this fine regatta, but it only reaffirmed how much I hate protests! – ed.
Photo thanks to Cynthia Sinclair, tons more here.
