Protests and Requests in Regattas: How Digital Handling Works in RegattaIQ

Protests, requests for redress, and technical requests are a natural part of organizing regattas. However, it is important that their submission and handling are clear, timely, and well documented. In RegattaIQ, the entire process can be managed digitally: from the competitor’s submission, through the committee’s handling, to the publication of the decision.

When to Submit a Protest or Request

A competitor can submit a case when they want to formally report a rule violation, a problem with the result, a request for redress, or a technical issue, for example regarding equipment. The system allows choosing the appropriate type of case, and the form adjusts fields according to the selected type of submission.

For a protest against a boat, required information includes the parties involved, race number, description of the situation, basis of the protest, and whether the other party has been informed. For a technical request, the form is simpler and focuses on the content of the request and attachments.

Filing a Case by the Competitor

A logged-in competitor can submit a protest or request directly from the regatta page. The submitter’s data is automatically taken from their account and regatta registration. A contact phone number can be added, the situation described, and files attached.

Attachments can be added from a computer or from a phone via a QR code. This is especially convenient when the competitor wants to quickly attach a photo of a sketch of the situation, a paper form, or other evidence. The first added image can be marked as the sketch of the situation and included in the submission PDF.

What the Other Party Sees

After the committee accepts the case, the information can be published on the protest board. Basic data visible publicly include the case number, parties, status, case type, and basis. The full content of the submission remains available after logging in for authorized persons.

The protested party receives an email notification about the case with a link to the RegattaIQ panel.

Handling by the Committee and Regatta Administrators

The regatta administrator has access to the list of protests and requests in the regatta panel. They can filter cases, open details, change status, set the hearing date and place, enter the committee’s decision, and the scoring result.

The system supports several stages of the case, including submission, acceptance, scheduling of the hearing, ruling, withdrawal, or rejection. Changing the status can publish the case on the protest board and trigger appropriate notifications.

The administrator can also register a case submitted traditionally on paper. In such a case, they have a more complete form and can indicate whether the submitter is a competitor, the racing committee, the technical committee, or the organizer.

Notifications

RegattaIQ can send notifications to the parties involved and witnesses. After setting the hearing date, witnesses can receive an email with information about the time, place, and the case for which they are summoned. This way, the committee does not have to manually rewrite addresses or manage separate communication.

Case PDF

Each case can have a generated PDF in the chosen language. The document contains the most important information about the submission, a description of the situation, parties’ data, the submitter’s signature, and space for a sketch or photo of the situation. After the ruling, the PDF may also include the committee’s decision and impact on scoring.

Additional attachments are preserved electronically and can be downloaded separately.

Why It’s Worth Managing Protests Digitally

Digital handling of protests organizes the process and reduces the risk of errors. All cases are in one place with a number, status, history, and documents. Competitors know where to file a case, the committee has complete data, and the organizer can easily share the current protest board.

This does not replace the work of the committee but removes much of the organizational chaos around forms, attachments, deadlines, and notifications.