Not a bad summary of the basics but I’m in Angus’ camp that simplified rules will only cause more misunderstandings in all but the clearest of violations. Pointing to the RRS and adding examples or additional explanations would be my suggestion for learning to sail under the RRS.
Waboats, please credit my posts when quoting them please. Publishing another person’s work without citation or permission is generally frowned on. You also made a false assumption if you think that statement of opinion means that I don’t know the rules or would intentionally violate the rules during an event governed by those rules. Yes, I’m new to sailing. Yes, I’m learning how the rules work in practice on the water. So far, “keep clear” has served me well for any boat that wasn’t behind me.
You asked for only 25 words to express my dislike for the other classes, including the Footy (that would be all sailing, right?). You’re not going to get politically correct, sanitized responses with 25 words. You get simple raw data points.
I will be experimenting with the 20 something crowd to see if a more NASCAR approach to racing boats would appeal. The Micro Magics often race with relaxed rules and ignore insignificant contact with marks or other boats. It might explain their popularity. I’d like to see the Footy become very popular. If skippers seeking more fun want different racing rules, then I’ll support them.