Prater,
First let me say that my goal here was to praise Raatha not cry foul about your actions. I didn't mention you or the other captains name on purpose as it would have detracted from the compliment I was trying to pay Raatha.
Second, and to the meat of what you are saying:
I would have accepted the fight with you and the connie without the Santi. I was running with the potential fo escape, I had a long lead on you and was down wind. It may have been possible for me to run or turn and fight. However, once the Santi joined:
I asked for a fair fight and Raatha agreed I didn't see any objection from you or the other captain in chat. Raatha asked me to drop sails to begin the battle at beam-reach facing one another you did not object I stopped stern facing you Raatha and I faced off You and the connie sat watching as Raatha and I squared off, didn't fire though you had ample time. You both watched as Raatha and I exchanged at least three broadsides each You didn't engage me until you and the connie were in position to stern rake not a stern chase but broadsides into my stern. You attacked without saying in chat that you had not agreed to the fair fight or even that you would attack While it's true neither you nor the Connie explicitly accepted the terms of 'fair fight' it is not unreasonable for me to assume acquiescence with the proposal given (#1-7) and especially #2, #3 & #6
If you did not accept the terms that the honorable thing would have been to stop me from dropping sails or to propose that we both leave the battle and start again. I get your frustration, it was a cool chase and you and your captains did it well. If there weren't so many other SOLs of your fleet with you I may have engaged much earlier. In the area there were at least 2 Santis, 2 Pavels and the Consti. At one point you were sailing as a fleet and I couldn't be sure that I wouldn't be attacked by four or more ships of the line.
Ganking is part of the game, if no one agreed to the fair fight I would have continued fighting running and playing without complaint. I have never complained about being ganked as I understand that it is a risk you take when you leave harbor. My complaint is the less than honorable actions once something else was agreed to.
Respectfully,
Yamms