Two cats, a Prindle 19 solo without spi (yellow) and a F16 solo with a spi (me, blue).

I'm under spi for the whole scenario. The wind is fairly light.

We round a mark and we have a reach to the next one (position 4 and 5 has us pointed directly at the next mark). I'm faster and I'm catching up so I go up a little to go over him. Right as I start passing him he suddenly goes up while at the same time screaming "up up up". At this point I'm overlapped so I can't duck away anymore, I'm forced to go up and my spi starts flapping (position 7).

He changes course again to the mark, I follow and as soon at my spi catches some air again I'm overlapped, but this time a little further away. He tries the same maneuver but I can go high enough to pass his bows and go ahead of him. I then power up and disappear.

Do I have ground to protest? There was no contact, but at times less than an inch between us. With the wind any higher I would have probably capsized with the spi up going upwind. Due the the size of the sails on the Prindle it would have taken me forever to go under him hence my choice to go over.