Daily Lift

Immediately before the starting signal, the crew on Boat X hikes out and momentarily extends his arms straight out over his head. At the starting signal his hands are on the course side of the starting line but the boat’s hull is behind the line. The race committee signals an individual recall, and subsequently scores X as OCS (On the Course Side) because she did not return to the pre-start side of the line and start thereby breaking the rule 28.1, Sailing the Course. X requests redress under rule 62.1(a), Redress. At the hearing, X claims that the race committee has erred in that her hull was behind the starting line at the starting signal, and her crew’s hands were not in a normal position at the time. You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this?