I was pretty ticked off at the time - but we laugh about it now. You just really have to watch your overlaps at the zone in that kind of mixed fleet and making some vocalizations doesn't hurt either. Running down a gaggle of J24s at C-mark while they're dorking around with a gybe drop of that ancient symmetrical spinnaker is P.A.I.N.F.U.L! ;-) Talk about a pinwheel!
I got in some hot water one time at the Reggae regatta one time at the A mark. Managed to sneak in a short tack right at the layline about 3 feet in front of a J24 just outside the at the time 2-BL circle. He was inches off my rear beam and yelling at me the whole time even though I was in the clear. No contact was ever made and after we turned the mark we sped away quite easily.
The guy came up to me later and apologized and said that I was in my rights to do that but he was in the lead of his fleet for the first time of the day and his temper was hot.
That same regatta we were on the same course as the Opti fleet and dear god you've never known terror like seeing dozens of Optis lined up like ducks during their start across the line you're coming downwind in 15 knots to finish at. I thought for sure a kid was going to die that day.
