Shutting the door at the pin
The situation
Lining up for a pin-end start, Ari is the leeward boat — right next to the pin — with boats stacked up to windward of her. To keep them off the favoured pin, she luffs up and holds them out.
The question
Can Ari luff the windward boats up to hold them out of the pin, and is there any limit?
The ruling
Yes — as the leeward boat Ari has right of way and the windward boats must keep clear (rule 11). Because she's between them and the pin, they can't get to it without going through her. Before the starting signal there is no 'proper course', so rule 17 does not limit how high she sails — she can luff right up to head to wind. But rule 16.1 still applies: when she luffs she must give the windward boats room to keep clear, not slam the helm over. And the pin is a starting mark, so no boat is owed room to squeeze between her and the pin (rule 18 is off at a starting mark).
Leeward boat owns the pin — you can luff hard (no proper-course limit pre-start) to hold boats out, but must still give room to respond (rule 16.1).
Opens the situation on the boat-length grid — scrub it and see exactly how the boats meet. Free, no account needed.
Rules cited
See the underlying rule: Rule 11 — Shutting the Door at the Pin.