71 NATIONAL AUTHORITY DECISIONS

71.1 A person who has a conflict of interest or was a member of the protest committee shall not take any part in the discussion or decision on an appeal or a request for confirmation or correction.

71.2 The national authority may uphold, change or reverse a protest committee’s decision; including a decision on validity or a decision under rule 69. Alternatively, the national authority may order that a hearing be reopened, or that a new hearing be held by the same or a different protest committee. When the national authority decides that there shall be a new hearing, it may appoint the protest committee.

71.3 When from the facts found by the protest committee the national authority decides that a boat that was a party to a protest hearing broke a rule and is not exonerated, it shall penalize her, whether or not that boat or that rule was mentioned in the protest committee’s decision.

71.4 The decision of the national authority shall be final. The national authority shall send its decision in writing to all parties to the hearing and the protest committee, who shall be bound by the decision.