The CYCA-based International Etchells Fifteen, owned by David Clarke and Andrew Smith, has finished at the top of the Sydney Fleet’s World Qualifying Series, winning four of the regattas sailed on the Harbour since September.

The 12 heat series was cut to ten on Saturday when Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron abandoned the last two of the scheduled three final World Qualifier heats because of galeforce winds on the Harbour.

Fifteen, with skipper David Clarke and his crew of Andrew ‘Spot’ Smith and Sean Leonard, won four of the ten heats, finished second in two others and also notched up a third to top the series by a massive margin.

The World Qualifying Series is to select the top ten boats eligible to represent the Sydney Fleet in the 2009 International Etchells World Championship to be sailed on Melbourne’s Port Phillip next March.

Fifteen finished with a net 22 points, with the next boat, Matt Whitnall’s dot from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, on 39 points.  Four more CYCA-based boats followed: Rupert Henry Fathom and North Sydney Station, owned by Ed and Will McCarthy and Michael Coxon, Bushfire (Jervis Tilley) and Humpback (Stephen Barlow and Peter Gardner).

Although born in Australia, David Clarke was brought up and learned to sail in New Zealand.  He was a member of the crew of the New Zealand America’s Cup Challenger in Fremantle in 1987, but stayed on in Perth, marrying and having a family.

Since moving to Sydney in 1998 in his profession as a patent attorney, Clarke sailed Etchells regularly for various owners,  but last year bought his own boat in partnership with Andrew Smith.  They recruited Sean Leonard, who was also at the America’s Cup in Fremantle, to make up a highly successful team which now has its sights on the 2009 Worlds in Melbourne.

The International Etchells next weekend will contest their NSW State Championship, conducted by the Gosford Sailing Club on Brisbane Waters where the local Fleet includes a newcomer to Etchells racing in Tom Slingsby, the back-to-back current Laser World Champion and Olympian. – Peter Campbell