it also doesn't make for a safe situation if yellow can push green beyond her gybe layline (into oncoming mark rounding traffic) at a right hand gate mark (right as viewed from the approaching boats).
The scenario didn't include boats coming from the left on port tack. If there were, then they would be owed mark room by both Green and Yellow and both would be obligated to jibe to provide it.
Realize that at 10 kts. (fairly slow for an F-18 downwind), the boat will travel 3 hull lengths in about 3.5 seconds. That's not a lot of time - and it doesn't include the pole overhang (which counts for the overlap, but not for the zone).
Did you mean to say that yellow was the inside boat here? That goes against what everybody has been saying...the common thought was that green is treated as the "inside" boat in this situation (which I contend is more like "will be the inside boat") all the way to even before they gybe for the gate.
Yes, Yellow is the inside boat. She got to the zone first and "owns the zone" - but only in this instance the way I drew it in Boat Scenario. A little bit of distance either way could change things drastically.
