“The overlap broke — so I shut the door”
The situation
Blue is the outside overlapped boat as the two reach the leeward-mark zone, so she owes Green mark-room. Coming in, Blue drops back, the overlap breaks, and Blue closes the door at the mark, sure she now owes nothing. The boats touch and Blue protests Green for forcing in.
By the mark the overlap is gone and Green is effectively astern, so Green has no inside rights and barged in — Blue's protest looks correct.
The question
The overlap really did break — doesn't that release Blue?
The ruling
No — Blue is penalized. Mark-room is locked in at the moment the first boat reaches the zone, and if a boat was overlapped outside then, she must keep giving mark-room even if the overlap later breaks (rule 18.2(a)). Blue owed Green room for the whole rounding; closing the door was the foul. Green, taking the room she was still owed, is fine. The broken overlap is a trap — the clock that matters stopped at the zone.
Overlapped outside at the zone? You owe mark-room the whole rounding — a later broken overlap doesn't free you (rule 18.2(a)).
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 18.2 — Mark-Room — Overlap Breaks.
Related cases
- The overlap breaks before the mark · Leeward Mark
Blue is the outside overlapped boat as they reach the zone, so she owes Green mark-room. Then Blue drops back and the overlap breaks before they get to the mark.
- Inside overlap at the leeward mark · Leeward Mark
Two boats run down to the leeward mark on the same tack. As the first of them reaches the three-length zone, Green is the inside overlapped boat (closer to the mark) and Blue is outside.
- Clear ahead at the zone · Leeward Mark
Running down to the leeward mark, Green is clear ahead of Blue as the first of them reaches the three-length zone. Blue then lunges for the inside at the last second.
- Overlap obtained too late · Leeward Mark
Blue is clear astern as Green reaches the zone, then ranges up and gets an inside overlap once they're already inside the zone, and calls for room.
Related guide
- What is mark-room? Rule 18 explained simply
Mark-room is the room an inside boat is owed to sail to and round a mark under rule 18. Learn the zone, who owes it, and the common reversals.