no you have it backwards... before the start.. you can only take them up to close hauled... after the start you can luff them to head to wind.
See above for proper course...
really? I know you have a lot more experience than me, but I thought I had that one down!
edit: just tried to look it up and didn't find anything specific about it and didn't see anything about prior to vs after the start
The relevant rule is 17:
ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE
If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull
lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above
her proper course while they remain on the same tack and overlapped
within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails
astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap
begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.
So if you are racing and try to overtake from underneath (lee side) you cannot luff someone up. If you are being overtaken to windwards, then you can luff the windward boat up (provided you give them room to keep clear).
There is no 'proper course' before the start - so you can luff a boat head to wind. Once the gun goes off, your proper course is close hauled.
I'm not sure if Mark is not just yanking your chain.
Chris.
Chris.
