Case 19

Question

Is there a special meaning of ‘damage’ in the racing rules?

Answer

No. It is not possible to define ‘damage’ comprehensively, but one current English dictionary says, ‘harm . . . impairing the value or usefulness of something.’

This definition suggests questions to consider. Examples are:

• Was the current market value of any part of the boat, or of the boat as a whole, diminished?
• Was any item of the boat or her equipment made less functional?