Gybing at the Mark

An inside overlapped boat that must gybe at the mark may sail no farther from it than needed — no swinging wide to set up the gybe.

When an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must gybe to sail her proper course at a mark, rule 18.4 says that until she gybes she shall sail no farther from the mark than needed to sail that course. So she can't swing out wide to set up a smooth gybe and push the outside boat around — she stays tight to her proper-course track and gybes at the mark. (Rule 18.4 does not apply at a gate mark.)