Competition in the Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series in England continued over the past few weekends. April 10th weekend: Crews and skippers alike had their work cut out with a SE to ESE wind of 19-24 knots, gusting 28-29 knots and a big spring tide in the Solent, the fourth day of the Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series. Racing did not go ahead for the White Group because of the conditions. April 19th: It was tight racing for the first weekend of the Crewsaver Warsash Spring Championship as 110 boats were competing with around 850 people on the water. A NNW wind dominated in the Solent over the weekend racing. Saturday was largely grey and cold with the wind generally 8-10 knots, dropping away for a time during race three to 5-7 knots and coming up to 12-15 knots at the end of the afternoon. Sunday bought sunshine but a very light breeze from between the W and NNW. Fluky and between 3-7 knots. White Group saw the first Black Flag of the year raised when the 24 strong J/70 fleet was too eager to start in the third race, and the middle of the fleet pushed out over the start line. The Group raced four races on Saturday but the faltering wind meant only one race could be run on Sunday despite moving the start inshore from Hamblewinterseries.com to the Royal Southern buoy. Russell Peter’s BOB is leading the J/70 class with just 13 points, winning two races in the process and having all top five finishes. Second is the J/70 Worlds Corinthian champions Simon Ling’s TEAM RAF BENEVOLENT FUND SPITFIRE, and third is Ian Wilson’s GILL RACE TEAM. Rounding out the top five is Jon Calascione’s HARLEQUIN in fourth, and in fifth is Nick Phillips’ CHAOTIC. April 19- Part 2: Competitors searched for wind on day five of the Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series. The forecast NNW wind of 5-10 knots shifted around 105 degrees extreme to extreme, causing the first race (and in the end the only race) of the day for White Group to be AP’d as the wind had shifted dramatically to the left. The White Group course was moved inshore from a start at Hamblewinterseries.com buoy to a start from Royal Southern buoy, and the racing was able to finally get underway. But with the wind dying steadily, competitors found themselves struggling around the windward mark because of the strong tide. In the J/70 class, COSMIC (Patrick Liardet) is holding on as series leader with just 15 points in nine races counted. INJUNCTION (Steve Venables) is holding onto second place after posting three bullets in three of the last four races. Andrew Barraclough’s JENGA 8 is sitting tenuously in third position with 34 points, just four points clear of Nick Denney’s JALAPENO in fourth. Fifth overall is Doug Struth’s DSP. For more Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series and CrewSaver Spring Championship sailing information, visit http://warsashspringseries.org.uk/2016/index.htm.