jiel wrote:the mark-room definition precises : "room to sail to the mark when her proper course is to sail close to it". So, the definition does not say that the PC is always to sail to the mark.
No the proper course is not always to the mark. But we have agreed that I was on a proper course (case 134), sailing optimum VMG on port tack with genua. And this heading is taking me close to the mark, which makes me qualify for room to sail too the mark. If I had passed the port layline to that mark, it would have been a different story, and I would of course not had right to room anymore.
It is evident if the boat has passed the mark because in such a case, the boat has left the mark and there is no more mark-room at all.
When a boat has left the mark clear astern, 18 is usually turned off. But 18 is reapplied under the same conditions if the boat later again has to deal with the mark (there are calls telling this).
I feel a sort of dissymmetry when umpiring rule 18. On one hand (18.2(a)) when a inside boat is under rule 11, I found the forum discussions were very severe with the inside boat. On the other hand, when it is the rule 18.2(b) which is involved (and used to trap), then the umpiring discussions look very benevolent with the trapper. What do you think?
Maybe it's dissymmetry, but it's the way the rules are written, and we can use them as the toolbox they are. But I don't really think it's
that dissymmetric, as under 11/18, the boat will only be penalized if sailing too far from the mark. If sailing tight, never pen under 11. Then with 18.2b, the same boat under 11 can trap a leeward boat by sailing close to the mark. So it's kind of logic anyway. That said, the rules are not made with TR in mind, so we can't expect them to be consistent for team racing situations.
Harald