Before the starting signal, Terrible Joy was stationary, head to wind or nearly so, on starboard tack, in the starting area close to the race committee boat. Pericolosa was directly to windward of us.
Outrage by series (hull n.2) approached from astern on starboard tack, at full speed. She was clear astern of us and not overlapped.
Seeing a narrow gap to leeward of us, hull number 2 entered it, becoming overlapped to leeward at a distance of less than one metre.
From the first moment of the overlap, the bow of outrage by series was in contact with our hull. we pushed pushed the tiller to windward to turn away and make room, and kept clear as far as was possible given our situation. Contact nevertheless continued.
Outrage by series, carrying too much speed to stop, continued to luff while in contact with us. Contact lasted throughout this manoeuvre.
Outrage by series then pushed our bow of with their hands, turning our bow further towards the wind.
At the starting signal, we were stopped head to wind and was unable to accelerate. Outrage by series, because of the speed and this uncontrolled manoeuvre, was over the line and ocs at the start.
we hailed "Protest" immediately and displayed a red flag as soon as the incident happened, which it kept displayed until finishing. Pericolosa saw the hail and the flag.
rules involved : 15, 16.1, 14 and 2.
No Scoring Changes.