How does a protest hearing work and what are my rights?

All parties to a hearing must be:

• informed of the time and place of the hearing;
• given access to the protest, request for redress or report to be considered;
• allowed reasonable time to prepare; and
• allowed to have a representative present throughout the hearing of the evidence. In a protest about a breach of a Part 2, 3 or 4 rule, the boat's representatives must have been on board at the time of the incident, unless the protest committee decides there is good reason otherwise.

If a party does not come to the hearing, the protest committee may proceed without them. The committee may combine hearings from the same or closely connected incidents.

A boat is only penalised at a protest hearing to which she is a party (or under rules 62.4, 64 or 69, or a rule that expressly allows a penalty without a hearing). If the committee decides a boat broke a rule, it disqualifies her whether or not that rule was mentioned in the protest, unless she is exonerated, another penalty applies or she has already taken an applicable penalty.

Source: Racing Rules of Sailing 2025-2028 with Australian Sailing prescriptions, rules 60.5 and 63.1 to 63.2.