STEVE Waite secured a double success from a depleted field at a windswept leg of Highcliffe Sailing Club’s Autumn Series.

Gusts of up to 20 knots greeted the hardy few competitors, which included series frontrunners Lorrian Wells and John Phelps, who turned out for race nine and 10 of the series.

Sharp, sudden gusts increasing in wind strength made conditions difficult for the larger boats as Matt Bates and Kevin Chapman (RS 400) failed to finish the first race and Emma Horn – ramping up her preparations for the BUCS National University Sailing Championships in Plymouth – and Mary Henderson (RS200) lagging well behind the fleet.

Waite (Solo) was first across the line with Hamish Scott-Dalgleish (Laser) second Phelps (Laser) third. Wells (Laser Radial) took second position in the corrected results.

The second race saw the fleet reduced further as Bates and Chapman retired but Horn and Henderson had clearly got it together for the second race and crossed the line first.

Once again, however, Waite was close behind and took the win on corrected results, his fifth success of the series which lifted him to fifth in the overall standings.

Series results so far: (top six) 1 Lorrian Wells (Laser Radial) 25 pts, 2 John Phelps (Laser) 35, 3 Chris Perry (Laser 4.7) 43, 4 David Burrows (Laser) 47, 5 Steve Waite (Solo) 64, 6 Alex Gibson & Jane Gibson (RS200) 76.