Or you could have tacked as soon as he did and hope he had misjudged the layline. If he was right, he beats you, if he overstood, you should be ahead to the finish. If there is a lift on the way in, you get some help. If there is a headder, you lose.

You were going to lose anyway unless you could have blocked his tack. But, if you had ducked him, sailed on a little bit, then tacked, and you both got into a headder and he couldn't lay the mark, then you would have won.

The lee bow thing will work but it has to be done early enough so you are up to speed when he comes in, or he will roll right over you. It's much harder to judge that in cats than mono's because the rate of closure is much higher than in mono's, but if done perfectly, it can work.

I think your initial tactic was the best, try to get in a position to block his tack, but you almost have to put him on your lee bow to do that when he is going onto starboard, as soon as his sail fills, you have to give way. Works much better if you are the one on starboard and he's going onto port.

He was probably "cool about it" because you capsized and he beat you. If you had ducked him, tacked and then beat him, he might have claimed he had to luff and give way to you as you ducked too close. I've heard this before, which is why I always answer, "Hold your course!" when a guy yells, "Starboard!". Then he knows that I see him and I'm going to cut it as close as possible, keeps him from worrying about a collision.

How far away from the mark were you when this happened?