Quote
our judge set the gate with only three boat lengths between the marks...


Ask your judge when two boats are approaching the gate on opposite tacks, and they each want to round without gybing (round the gate mark in front of them), and they're both within their respective two-boat-length-zones (because they overlap) which one is the inside boat and which one has to give the other room.

He'll set the marks farther apart next time.

Regards,
Eric