Before the event the protest committee should decide how to answer queries from competitors about a regatta procedure or the rules. 

This procedure is recommended for responding to inquiries from competitors or coaches: 

If the question is not complicated, the answer is straightforward, and the judge is confident of the answer, the judge should answer the question. 

 

Fairness and impartiality should be maintained with even the most difficult competitors. The tone used should be patient but firm. If the competitor begins to debate the answer, avoid an argument, and ask for the question or questions to be provided in writing. Individual judges should never act alone with a difficult competitor. If you are alone and an argument seems likely, delay any discussion until another member of the Jury is present or request that the competitors’ question be put in writing. 

The protest committee should discuss and agree on guidelines for protests initiated by the committee when they observe an infringement (e.g. rule 31). Generally, the judge who has knowledge of the incident discusses it with the chairman. They decide whether or not to lodge the protest. It is important to not discuss the incident with the other members of the protest committee, so that they may judge the matter at the hearing without prior knowledge from any discussion. Although it is the protest committee as a body which brings a protest against a boat, the duty of filing the protest form is delegated to individual protest committee members. 

When boats are to be measured, or measurement checks made, nominated protest committee members should watch the procedures if there is time to have an understanding of the process if an issue arises later in the regatta. 

In a series where crews switch boats during the regatta, the jury may wish to inspect the boats for equality during the competition. However, jury members should not replace the work of the boat inspection personnel. 

Crew weighing is becoming increasingly common throughout the sport when a maximum total weight of a boat's crew is specified in the Class Rules and/or Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions. 

The boat owner's objective is to have a total crew weight at or near the optimum. This can mean starving and exercising the crew before the weigh-in to be under the maximum weight, then feeding them again for the races. 

 
The best practice is a system where crews weigh in before the regatta and at some stage during the regatta. At a high-level event, daily crew weigh ins for all crew should be considered. At other events, sufficient weight ins should be done to prevent the practice of starvation and binge eating. 

Some class rules require random weighing of a set percentage of the crews periodically through the regatta.  

A typical sailing instruction would be 'the total weight of the boat's crew dressed in a minimum of shorts and T-shirts shall not exceed 450 kilograms at the time of weighing. Crews shall present themselves for weighing between [time] and [time] on [date].' 

              

The organizing authority must provide an accurate weighing machine (either a balance arm weighing machine, or pressure pads fed to an electronic read-out), and make it available for use by competitors for checking their own weight. If a spring balance is to be used, a standard test weight near to the critical weight should be on hand to verify the accuracy of the weighing machine. The current practice is to have the scales calibrated and certified by the local government authority who certifies the scale’s accuracy. 

The responsibility for weighing rests with the race committee or the technical committee. However, it is wise for the protest committee to monitor the method and equipment. In this way, any shortcomings can be corrected before they cause problems which may result in a request for redress. 

When stated in the class rules or Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions, the race committee or the technical committee should carry out the weighing of clothing after racing to check the limit imposed by rule 43, in accordance with Appendix H. A wise protest committee will monitor the method and equipment used.