Originally Posted by TEAMVMG
Its odd that a port tacker who is laying the leeward mark always has an overlap on a starboard tacker just breaking the 3 boat-length circle ... EVEN IF HE [the port tacker] IS A MILE AWAY!


Well, it's certainly not intuitive, which is why most people get it wrong until they get it drilled into them at a rules seminar (that linked drawing usually does the trick), or deals with it in a protest.

Realistically, a boat a mile away has an inside overlap that doesn't matter, because the STBD boat would be long gone by the time he gets there. It only really matters for the closer boats.

Mike