The new 2001 - 2004 ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing specify:
"boats of hull length less that 6 metres need not display the flag, and if the other boat is beyond hailing distance the protesting boat need not hail but shall inform the other boat at the first reasonable opportunity."

The IODA Executive does not believe that this new Rule is appropriate for the Optimist Class.
Part of the process of learning to race is learning when (and when not!) to protest. Under the new Rule it would be more difficult for a protest committee to establish that a boat had protested at the correct time and not after consulting a coach or a parent.
For this reason, and to identify boats protesting before they have had time to consult such people, IODA advocates that at all Optimist regattas the Sailing Instructions include the following words:

"Protests and Requests for Redress.
"Boats are not exempted from displaying a red flag according to the second sentence of RRS 61.1(a). (Amends RRS 61.1(a) (2).
"A boat required to display a flag shall do so until she is no longer racing, and shall inform the RC of the boat being protested immediately after finishing. (Amends RRS 61.1(a), third sentence.)"

The agreement of the ISAF has now been received for the following revised CR 2.8

"The Optimist Class is Category A.
As approved by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), any National Owners Association with the consent of its Member National Authority (MNA) may permit full or restricted Category C for boats of that nation sailing in their national waters.
Such advertising may relate to the ownership of the boat (i.e. may be restricted to club owned boats etc only)"

Queries on the application of this rule (from the secretary or president of the N.O.A. or MNA only, please) should be addressed to the secretariat.