Somebody sanity-check this for me. If you follow all the links to Dave Perry's "game-changers" you will see that they also changed rule 18 to NOT make the inside boat on port a "right-of-way" boat anymore, it is simply entitled to "mark room" (again, if it can be given).

I would see this as a serious clarification that would limit the ability of the port boat to take out a starboard boat at the port gate mark (looking upwind). Since the port boat does not have "right of way" it should not be entitled to this new ability to go as far as they want before they turn to round the mark.

If this is true, this wouldn't actually change too much, because even though the port boat used to be called a right-of-way boat, it was essentially limited to room to gybe and round the mark (if inside of a starboard boat), and was expected to make a seamanlike rounding (meaning, no driving to China).

EDIT: I very clearly recall attending a Dave Perry seminar when these rules first came about, and gates were becoming popular (circa 2000). He went on and on about the fact that if you were inside on port, you had to round in a seamanlike manner. If you were inside on starboard, you were entitled to a tactical (enter wide, exit close) rounding. This was a major point of discussion that probably lasted for 45 minutes, and was brought up over and over through the course of the day, including some group exercises. Again, I think the verbiage of all the new rules taken together really have the same intent in this area (aka: DON'T PANIC!!!).

Mike