Jake was 50-50 whether he could make it. With only fleeting seconds to decide he considered whether he could make it at all. If he had a little more time (which he probably did not) he might have gone a step further and weighed the consequences of crossing Starboard's bow and failing. My contention was that it was worth the risk. The failed attempt left him in a better condition than tacking away, jibing, ducking the fleet, and sucking hind tit.

What if he crossed and crossed cleanly? He'd be in first, justifying the risk cuz that's how God planned it all along! Risk and reward. Sail fast, take chances, safety third. Nice guys finish last. Second place is "first loser". Racing has lots of such sayings that I did not originate. Watch NASCAR. Do you see any nice guys out there winning races? "Excuse me, ma'am, why don't you go on in front of me?" I don't think so. Winners make hard decisions to win, you all know that.

I thought it's 720 only if you make contact. I never suggested risking contact, only that if you're at 50-50 you should roll the dice to get the clean cross but plan for a negative outcome. Winners want the ball and go for it every chance they get. No matter how it comes out, aggressive intimidation wears down the opposition.