The International Sailing Federation has cleared the New Zealander Simon Daubney of a doping charge.

The former member of the Swiss America's Cup-winning syndicate Alinghi who left the Swiss team in September after he helped it successfully defend the cup this summer, was tested positive in June for two metabolites of cocaine but not cocaine itself.

The federation backed up an earlier ruling by the Swiss Olympic Association, which said that the Daubney had "not infringed the anti-doping rules and that the chamber has withdrawn any sanctions."

The sailor, who faced a two-year ban from competition, had denied he had knowingly taken a banned substance and believed another person might have spiked something he drank with banned substances.

After resigning from the Alinghi squad, Daubney said he hoped to return once his name was cleared.