ALEX Rogers racked up eight wins to claim the overall prize at the International Paints Poole Regatta.

Rogers, who won the Flying Dutchman class, was even able to discard a third place on his way to the honour.

The event was action-packed with exciting racing for a massive list of classes, with the weather varied, yet mostly dry and often with sunny skies.

The IRC Southerns were included in the programme with Jim Macgregor’s Premier Flair and Jackie Dobson’s J 130 Jeronimo battling for first place. Macgregor - father of Olympic match-racers Lucy and Kate, was the eventual winner.

Andrew Pearce brought his stunning new Kerr 40 Magnum to the regatta and was in contention, too, but an electrical fault causing a fire spoiled his weekend.

Fortunately, the fire was extinguished and Magnum was able to return home to The Solent under her own steam.

The IRC Class Two was won by Ian Braham in Enigma, while Poole Yacht Club’s Ian and Lynn Foster took the IRC 3 prize.

The Flying Dutchman was a welcome new visitor with crews coming from as far as Germany on the line. Poole-based Rodney Patterson’s ex-Olympic FD, Superdocious, also made an appearance in its former home town.

In the J24 National’s, Serco, owned by Bob Turner and helmed by Nathan Batchelor, beat Parkstone’s Duncan McCarthy in Madeline by one point.

But there were mixed fortunes across the Sonata fleet, racing for their Southerns title.

Poole’s Joe Cross was in the lead after two days’ racing, but he blew it on Monday, leaving two bullets to dad Kevin and the title to Poole YC’s Owain Peters.

On Monday, Windguru was spot-on, predicting a fading wind from a gusty 14 knots to a patchy five or six knots, leaving two races for most while still allowing the fleet to return early for a superb prize-giving held at the Royal Motor Yacht Club.

The regatta is a biannual event and is organised by the Combined Clubs of Poole with the major sponsor of International Paints.

International Paints Poole Regatta, 2.4: 1 S Bullmore 2 B Hill 3 S Hill Flying 15: Tempus ffugit (C Gorringe) 2 Accelerando (P Keates) 3 Silhouette (M Riley).

Flying Dutchman: 1 Alex Rogers 2 Ernst Greten 3 Tony Lyall.

IRC 1: Premier Flair (Jim Macgregor) 2 Jeronimo (J & R Robson) 3 Esprit (N Vardy).

IRC 2: 1 Enigma (I Braham) 2 Pavlova II (M Walker) 3 Cisne (D Collins).

IRC 3: 1 Kudos (I & L Foster) 2 Menace (T Rees) 3 Chablis (R Freemantle).

J24: 1 Serco (Turner/Batchelor) 2 Madeleine (D McCarthy) 3 Hedgehog (D Stansbury).

MOCRA: 1 Buzz (P Cotton) 2 Humdinger (J Beech) 3 Li’l Annie (M Hughes).

R19: 1 Rapier (J Peach) 2 Rant ‘n’ Rave (S Redhead) 3 Ragamuffin (P Chaldecott).

Redwing: 1 T Byrne 2 R & H Culpan 3 M Davies.

Shrimper: 1 Isolde (P Atha) 2 Roatan (P Fontes) 3 Black Magic (M Bell).

Sonata: 1 Frankie (O Peters) 2 Selene (K Cross) 3 Presto (J Cross).

Tall Ships: Challenger 4 beat Challenger 3 2-0.

XOD: 1 Lara (McNeill/Tredea) 2 Morven (M Tombs) 3 Ariel (H Deavin).

Locally Rated Cruisers Class 1: Diety (B Thompson/I Graham) 2 Shebeen (K Morgan) 3 Wicked Wych (P Shelton).

Class 2: 1 Opus (M Reynell) 2 Minx (C Hawkes) 3 Dream On (N Cordy).