Just responding to your general statements regarding hard luffing.

Relative to the video -

Wave luffed appropriately. Stray Cats had opportunity to respond in a seamanship manner. I contend that Stray Cats was not standing on guard for an instaneous luff as your opening statement asserts is required by any boat that is passing to windward. The skipper was in fact straightening out the sheets with both hands when the luff came.

Also, if Wave luffed a little earlier, they could have luffed even harder.

Finally, did Wave really need to luff? It seemed as though there was no room at the pin with the N20.