Do Your Turns, Already

I'm coming off a March racing streak of two midwinters and another great regatta in between, all in Florida. The weather was colder than usual, but the friendships were as warm as ever and the racing was great. But I had the same distressing conversation over and over again:

Other guy: Today this boat fouled us and they didn't do their circles.
Me: Did you hail, "Protest"?
OG: No.
Me: Why not?
OG: I felt they should have done their circles without me having to force them to, and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

It's our duty as stewards of the sport to uphold the rules. Should we have to tell folks to do their turns? No. But, these days, we do. In the classes in which I compete, there seems to be a regrettable new standard: "If nobody saw it, it didn't happen." And worse, "If nobody forces me to do circles, then I don't have to."

Link to full article. Here..