In that case, I would have ducked him, I always like to over stand the layline just a little bit on the final approach, just in case there is a header, maybe I won't need another tack where the other guy will. And if you get in a lift, you can bear off just a little and go faster into the mark. Pinching to make the layline is very slow in cats. Overstanding and then going really fast into the mark usually pays off better.