summary
When a boat comes abeam of a mark but is outside the zone, and when her change of course towards the mark results in a boat that is in the zone and that was previously clear astern becoming overlapped inside her, rule 18.2(a)(2) requires her to give mark room to that boat, whether or not her distance from the mark was caused by giving mark-room to other boats overlapped inside her.
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Facts:
Five boats were sailing directly downwind to a leeward mark to be left to port. Four of them were overlapped in line with A nearest the mark. The fifth boat, E, was clear astern of A, B and C when those three boats reached the zone. When E reached the zone, D was outside the zone and clear ahead of E. When D came abeam of the mark and turned to round it, E became overlapped inside D. E rounded the mark behind A, B and C but inside D, which was able to give mark-room to E.
Question:
Was E entitled to mark-room under rule 18.2(a)(2) from D?
Answer:
Yes. In order to leave room for A, B and C, the three inside boats with their booms fully extended, D had to approach the mark on a course that brought her abeam of it outside the zone. When E reached the zone, D was outside the zone and D and E were not overlapped. Therefore, rule 18.2(a)(2) applied between D and E. E was entitled to mark-room under that rule, which D was able to give.