Alright, now I'm baffled. I'm trying to remind myself that I'm a few hundred miles away and not second guess protest decisions, but... rescinding the 20-minute penalty?

I've been harping on the sportsmanship tip for a couple of years now - we compete and agree to be bound by, and enforce, the racing rules of sailing. If someone didn't sail the course and know they didn't sail the course... if it were me, I'd greatfully accept the minor 20-minute penalty as an alternative to what the rules require (a DNF) because I'd get to keep racing. Strictly speaking, a RAF would be a gentleman's only recourse, but I'm not sure I could bring myself to withdraw considering the effort and investment involved in the Tybee. A protest flag is immaterial if the competitors involved agreed that, by mistake or on purpose, they did not sail the proper course.

Hope that Chuck and Sean make an effort to further explain where they're coming from to reassure future participants that capricious or unpredictable race committee decisions won't tarnish an otherwise stellar competitive experience.

ps - Just double checked. No mention of protest flags required in the Nacra 20 class rules (Nov. 2000) posted on the class website.