In one of the last races of the year, one of the competitors said that new rule changes were going to restrict boats from coming to the top mark on port within the boat length overlap limit. The inference was that boats coming in on port would actually have to bear off to below two boat lengths of the mark before they could cross starboard boats and tack.
Has anyone heard of this?
as far as i can see, the only thing prohibiting a port tack boat tacking inside the zone in front of a starboard tack boat is rule 16.2 which allows the starboard boat to 'hunt' the port tack boat
Yea. I think the guy was flat out wrong. Maybe he was just trying to psych us out so we wouldn't try to tack under him at the mark. He's that kind of guy. Anyway, that hunt rule makes approaching on port in a big fleet scarey as hell, doesn't it?