The partnership of West Mersea’s Saskia Clark and Penny Clark continued to develop as the British pairing secured a top ten finish in the women’s 470 class at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik in Holland.

Having only started sailing together at the the start of the year, the duo have been making progress towards their overall aim of success at the London Olympics in 2012 and finished ninth in a high-quality field of Olympic-class sailors.

West Mersea Yacht Club member Saskia and helm Penny made a strong start to the regatta with third, second and fifth-placed finishes in their opening three races, however, a 16th place was followed by a failure to finish in their fourth outing and 12th and 15th positions in their last four races.

It was enough to see them in the final medal race, though, where they were seventh to seal an overall ninth place in the standings, one ahead of fellow British sailors Hannah Mills and Katrina Hughes.

The overall title went to the Japanese boat of Ai Kondo and Wakako Tabata, with France’s Emmanuelle Rol and Helene Defrance taking silver and Americans Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving in third.

The Dutch finish saw Penny and Saskia in seventh in the overall ISAF Sailing World Cup standings after five events, with the next one at Kiel Week at the end of this month.