Gales in the Solent subsided last weekend to give the competitive fleet of the Hamble Winter Series one of their best races of the season so far with the Ker 11.3m El Gringo taking honours in the IRM class.

After four weeks of strong to gale force winds the 250 yachts taking part in the series were greeted with a gentle north-westerly breeze making course setting a straight-forward exercise for race officials.

A strong west-going tide made the downwind legs highly tactical for all the Black Fleet classes and a failure to listen to race instructions caused extra problems for some competitors in the Sigma 33 class who, contending with a failing wind and building tide, headed for the wrong finish line and only Richard Smallwood in Scaramouche of Southampton managed a legitimate result.

Hamble-based Nick Hartshorn, sailing his Ker 11.3 El Gringo, won both the IRM races and in the large IRC 1 class Shaun Frohlich in the IMX-40 Exabyte2 went into the overall lead with a second race win.

The J-109 Waverider, owned by Mike Bennett, elected to race in the IRC Class 2 rather than the Bowsprit Class and the decision paid off as the boat starts to dominate IRC 2.

With 19 entries, the Sigma 38 fleet is proving to be very competitive. Red Arrow, the RAFSA entry, took an early lead to reach the windward mark first but was later overtaken by both Highland Spirit (V. Hayter) and Torbellino (Rob Craigie).

On the Sportsboat course Gregor Logan sailing the Mumm 30 Highlander III had a second and a first in his class, while Ian Atkins, Bluefin, won both races in the Cork 1720 class.

Ian Southworth, Chilli Chaser managed a second and third this week and is climbing the overall table.

Class Winners: IRM: Race1 & 2 - El Gringo Nick Hartshorn; IRC 0 - Predator of Wight Derek Saunders; IRC 1 - Exabyte(2) Shaun Frohlich; IRC 2 - Waverider Mark Bennett; IRC 3 - Dick Dastardly Tim Rees, Guy Nicholls; IRC 4 - Murphy's Law A. Cartwright; X-332 - Carabistoulles II Edouard Wylleman; Bowsprit - Judgement Day Nigel Brooke; Sigma 38 - Highland Spirit Vincent Hayter; Sigma 33 - Scaramouche of Southampton Richard Smallwood; Mumm 30: Race 1 - Warp Factor VI Robin Fielder; Race 2 - Highlander III Gregor Logan; Cork 1720: Race 1 & 2 - Blue Fin Ian Atkins; Sportsboat: Race 1 - Seeing Red Philip Cornick; Race 2 - ER Tom Kilby; Hunter 707: Race 1 - Tartiflette Wendy Laynton; Race 2 - Charlie Fish Iain May.