RedactedNarrative: On Saturday December 30, 2017 at approximately 1250 hours, I, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer and FWC Officer responded to a reported Boating Accident in Biscayne Bay in Miami Dade County, Florida. The Boating Accident was reported as involving two (2) vessels in the area of the annual "Orange Bowl Youth Regatta", which is west of the Intra Coastal Waterway (ICW) in the vicinity of Dinner Key.
  
  We arrived to the area of the regatta and made contact with the vessels involved at approximately 1335 hours. We identified one of the vessels involved as a 20 foot white Sea Craft center console motorboat (V2, the struck vessel). The striking vessel (V1) was established to be the reporting party, and was identified as a 40 foot navy blue Sea Ray Sun Dancer cabin motorboat.
  
  V1 was a United States Coast Guard Documented Vessel, bearing documentation number DO1163380. Owner/ Operator V1 reported the Boating Accident and waited just outside the regatta area for Law Enforcement to arrive. V1 was evaluate to have minor damage to the starboard bow freeboard above the waterline. The damages can be described as directional scrapes along the starboard side of the hull beginning at the keel, and extending approximately 3-4 feet toward the stern. The scrapes are located below the rubrail and above the waterline. The scrape marks are minor gauges to the navy blue paint and gelcoat of the starboard bow. No injures were reported on board
  
  V2 was a Florida Registered Vessel bearing FL 7173 DL. V2 was evaluated to have significant damages to the port side at midship, and damages to the windshield, center console, and leaning post. The midship port side gunwale sustained cracking and blue paint transfer. The windshield was cracked from a significant impact, the handrail was severely bent toward the starboard side, the center console and leaning post were both forcibly displaced from their positions, and the fastening hardware between the center console and leaning post and the deck were stripped from the fiberglass. Operator2 sustained a minor laceration/ abrasion to his left foot, likely caused from sharp debris strewn about the deck after the collision.
  
  Operator1 provided a Sworn Written Statement which stated that he was traveling slow speed northbound at a distance of 1-2 miles away from the Regatta when V2 approached him,  circled him several times, and demanded Operator1 to turn around. Operator1 refused to turn around because he stated that doing so would be dangerous with the group of sailboats nearing him. V2 then accelerated to get in front of V1, and rammed into the bow of V1.
  
  Operator2 provided a Sworn Written Statement which stated that he was operating V2 as a safety boat for the "Orange Bowl Youth Regatta". Operator2 stated that he approached V1 to tell him to stay away from the regatta area. Operator2 stated that he "rounded" V1 twice, then put himself (in V2) approximately 25 yards in front of V1, in V1's course to make him stop, and at this point, V1 collided into V2 and "almost sunk" V2.
  
   Based on the physical evidence, as well as the verbal and sworn written statements, my findings are that the bow of V1 struck V2 at the port side midship, causing the damages previously described. The injury sustained to Operator2's foot was caused by sharp debris caused by the collision, but the actual injury occurred after the point of collision. 
  
  Operator1 was issued a Uniform Boating Citation for Careless Operation of a Vessel for failure to utilize due care and regard while operating a vessel in congested waters, and failing to make efforts to avoid a collision.
  
  Operator2 was issued a Uniform Boating Citation for Violation of Navigation Rule #8 Resulting in an Accident for failure to take action to avoid collision, and a Uniform Boating Citation for Violation of Navigation Rule #13 Result
  