Looking back, the only place above that I mentioned "obligated to tack" was in reference to taking too much room to tack due to issues on the boat.
I will agree that "obligated to tack" doesn't appear in the rules, but stick to the interpretation that mark room does not give a boat ROW, and is limited per the definitions.
Of course, Rule 18 does not change which boat has right-of-way (although it used to). My entire purpose for starting this thread was to encourage people to view the rules in terms of obligations rather than rights.
When Rule 18 obligates a boat to give another boat mark-room, it does not, nor does the definition of "mark-room" impose any additional obligations on the boat entitled to mark-room. "Mark-room" is a burden placed solely on one boat.
A boat entitled to mark-room may freely sail outside of that mark-room without breaking any rule. She simply is not protected by rule 21 if she does so.
In previous posts, you said:
- "In both cases, you are obligated to tack and round the mark",
- "If you're entitled to mark-room over an outside/leeward boat, you can't sail away from the mark just for strategic reasons",
- "it's the inside boat that is entitled to mark room, and is therefore limited per the definition of mark room",
- "I could buy that the inside boat can slow down but not tack within the reasonable space considered as mark room, but I don't think they can continue on past the mark room space", and
- "At some point, mark room ends, and the leeward boat can head the windward to up beyond head to wind".
If you aren't arguing that W is obligated to tack, what are you arguing for?
