USSAILING Prescription 68 (b):
A protest committee shall find facts and make decisions only in compliance with the rules. No protest committee or US SAILING appeal authority shall adjudicate any claim for damages. Such a claim is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts.

Whether or not a protest is heard can be based on a number of things, including procedures for notification, etc. This should never be confused with actual liability.

I'm not a lawyer, so I'm going to stop there. I would say take the guy to small claims court.

I agree, if the attitude is pervasive, it definitely isn't good for the sport. But, there is only so much you can put on the RC (even if "proof" is provided, who's to say it wasn't cancelled, etc.).

Mike