The ISA recommended Peter O'Leary & Stephen Milne to the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) as Ireland's representative in the Star class for the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

On Monday 19th May 2008 Anthony Shanks & Max Treacy formally lodged an appeal of the nomination with the ISA, within the defined deadlines.

The ISA Nomination Document lays out a clear process and criteria that allows the ISA to recommend to the OCI the sailors who are most likely to achieve the ISA Objective for this year's Games.

This document was developed after the 2004 Athens Olympics with the support and agreement of the sailors and the OCI. In the Star class there were three teams in contention for selection for this year's Olympic Regatta: Peter O'Leary & Stephen Milne, Max Treacy & Anthony Shanks and Maurice 'Prof' O'Connell & Ben Cooke.

According to the ISA Nomination Document the appeal, in the first instance, should be considered by the ISA Olympic Steering Group (OSG) who would submit their subsequent decision to the ISA Board. The ISA Board should then refer the appeal to an ISA Tribunal, which is constituted in accordance with defined ISA rules & procedures.

The sailors also have a right to appeal to the OCI or to the Court of Arbitration in Sport, following their initial appeal to the ISA.

In the interest of all concerned, and with just ten weeks to the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, the ISA's absolute priority is to resolve this situation as quickly and as fairly as possible.

Therefore, the ISA has agreed with all parties, to bypass the ISA Tribunal process and allow the appeal to go directly to the OCI for resolution.

The nomination of Peter O'Leary & Stephen Milne or any other team cannot therefore be confirmed until the appeal process has concluded.