Mark,
I disagree that having safety boats shifts any responsability from the guy who goes out sailing in a high preformance boat. I believe the onus still rests with the skipper. We may have to agree to disagree on this point as while it's clear as a bell as far as marine law is concerned, in tort land anything goes. The best defence is to do everything you can to increase the odds of safety.

And that is what having a lot of safety boats around does.
Increase the odds that someone will be available to help. To say that since there may be incompetent people in some of those boats, and therefore can't promise X level of expertice in rescue, then we shouldn't have them around is a kind of an "all or nothing" game.

So what's P.U. to do? Not recommend them just because it might be a minor (and I believe minor) irritation to the insurance company's lawyers? No way. You don't want to be trapped into the mindset that every little thing that a lawyer could say in court is going to win the case. Want to look bad? Have no extra safety boats around and have someone testify that they weren't there because they might make the racers feel too safe.

The addition of extra safety boats does not in and of itself create any implyed contract absolving the skippers of thier obligations to thier own and crews safety.

It is entirly possible to be the worlds best sailor, with the best equipment, and still be in need of assistance on
on occasion.

Best wishes,
Mark L.