To further explain, if boats are coming from two different directions to the same mark there is no visible overlap but one boat will be in the 3 boat length zone first, that boat then has all the rights and sets the length of the 3 boat zone. It is a very good rule change it allows different size boats the safety needed on the course. If a 8ft BIC open with a small kid comes to the mark from an odd direction against a whole fleet of F18's but is rounding the mark the correct way. The mark rights circle will be 24ft and everyone must give that boat rights. But if the F18 gets to 54ft before the BIC gets to 24ft then the F18 has the rights. I'm obviously quoting an improbable race scenario here so don't jump on me I'm just trying to get the new rule accross
Where is this rule coming from?
Here is the 2013-2016 version of rule 18.2:
18.2 Giving Mark-Room
(a) When boats are overlapped the outside boat shall give the inside boat mark-room, unless rule 18.2(b) applies.
(b) If boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room. If a boat is clear ahead when she reaches the zone, the boat clear astern at that moment shall thereafter give her mark-room.
(c) When a boat is required to give mark-room by rule 18.2(b),
(1) she shall continue to do so even if later an overlap is
broken or a new overlap begins;
(2) if she becomes overlapped inside the boat entitled to mark-room, she shall also give that boat room to sail her proper course while they remain overlapped. However, if the boat entitled to mark-room passes head to wind or leaves the zone, rule 18.2(b) ceases to apply.
(d) If there is reasonable doubt that a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be presumed that she did not.
(e) If a boat obtained an inside overlap from clear astern or by tacking to windward of the other boat and, from the time the overlap began, the outside boat has been unable to give mark- room, she is not required to give it.
