How would you decide this?

Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes highlights specific aspects of the racing rules in a fun format designed to help you become more familiar with The Racing Rules of Sailing. Here’s Quiz 24:

Question:
Two 18-foot boats, L (a leeward boat) and W (a windward boat), are approaching on starboard tack the left-hand end of the starting line, which is a 16-foot powerboat. When W is three lengths from the end of the line, L becomes overlapped on W to leeward from clear astern. There are six seconds to go before the starting signal. L slowly luffs and W keeps clear.

As L reaches close-hauled, the starting signal is made. L is a boat length from the powerboat and will not clear it sailing close-hauled. She luffs to head to wind, shooting up and around the powerboat, and then bears away to a close-hauled course. W keeps clear through- out, and protests L for sailing above close-hauled after the starting signal. You are on the protest committee: how would you decide this?

For the answer, click here.