Ellen MacArthur wrote:
"Jeff" wrote
| You could claim that the Opti should have held its course,
| but if that's what you were looking for you should have worded it
| differently.

I do claim the Optimist should have remained on course. The sailing rules
require it to stay on course. That's what stand on means. It means to stay on
the same course and speed. It was on starboard tack.
My wording was as clear as I could make it. It was clear enough for any
sensible person. You can nitpik anything if you've a mind to...

Cheers,
Ellen

Perhaps a bit of nitpicking, but if that's "as clear as you can make
it" you don't have very good command of the language. If the boats
were a certain distance apart, then the Opti is under no obligation to
hold course. Also, if they are close and "in extremis" the the Opti
must act to avoid collision. The rewording of the '72 rules also says
the standon vessel can alter course earlier if it thinks the giveway
vessel in not taking appropriate action. Thus, there's actually a
relatively small window (if any!) where you could claim the opti
*must* hold its course. Further, by saying the cat bore off and the
opti headed up, you open the possibility that the cat bore off first.
If I was in the opti I would probably head up the instant I sensed
the cat was bearing off.

Unless you can state the problem so that it clear you're talking about
the standon obligation, you should pick a different scenario.