STAR WORLDS - MIAMI

davedots · Sailor Joined: Apr 11, 2007 Posts: 10

The Star Worlds iare on in Miami in a couple of weeks time.

Video links will be available to view the Irish attempts to qualify for the 2008 China Olympics on the following sailing web site.

www.sailing-tv.tv

ArgieBargie · Sailor Joined: Nov 07, 2007 Posts: 8

So that is a very solid performance by Treacy and Shanks getting the job done with very little practice. great performance by peter too but maybe a little inconsistent to justify selection this time around, a bit easier to get bullets when there is no pressure on you and corners can be hit. Prof I assume is out of the reckoning.........
looks good for 2012

davedots · Sailor Joined: Apr 11, 2007 Posts: 10

Peter O'Leary & Stephen Milne have been recommended to the OCI as Ireland's representatives in the Star class at the 2008 Olympics. On 1st May the ISA board unanimously accepted the recommendation of the Olympic Sailing Group (OSG) to nominate O'Leary & Milne following their exceptional campaign.

The OSG met on 30th April to select a crew for the Star class following the recent successful Star World Championships in Miami USA at which Ireland secured a nation place at the 2008 Olympics.

Colm Barrington, Chairman of the OSG, commented "The three crews in contention for the place demonstrated enormous skill and great determination in their campaigns. While it is very disappointing for the 2 crews who miss out, the OSG unanimously selected O'Leary & Milne. They have demonstrated that they have the best chance of success in the Olympic regatta in 2008".

James O'Callaghan, ISA Performance Director, stated "Obviously we were delighted with the performances of all three crews throughout the campaign. They all knew the selection process in advance and the competition between them drove them all to strong performances."

* This is a very controversial decision by the ISA and we are going to appeal it because we truly believe that our record stands for itself.

Without reflecting on any other sailors, Anthony and I won outright on the water, we alone qualified the country, we are the highest placed Irish Star sailors in the World Rankings, we won the nominated events by an indisputable margin, we were 4th in the Grade 1 Spring Europeans last year against virtually all of the current nominated countries for the 2008 Olympics, we are the only Irish sailing team this year across all classes to have attained the status of 'World Class Athletes' with the Irish Sports Council.

We are still in shock and cannot believe that the ISA could make this decision.

Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks

sailor2003 · Sailor Joined: May 08, 2008 Posts: 4

I thought that regardless of your good performance O'Leary and Milne would have Qualified the country anyway?? is that true??

ArgieBargie · Sailor Joined: Nov 07, 2007 Posts: 8

No, thats incorrect altho the ISA seem to be trying to spread that story through the media

mono · Sailor Joined: May 12, 2008 Posts: 1

As I understand it, the following is the position,
There were 4 country slots available at this years worlds, and they were taken as follows,

4th overall Marazzi Switzerland
12th overall Lavorovic Croatia
14th overall Tracey Ireland
16th Overall Spitzhaer Austria

The confusion surrounds the fact that Ross Mc Donald from Canada Finished in 15th position overall, but he was being crewed by Steve Mitchell from the Uk and thus Canada could not get a country place. Therefore if Tracey had not qualified the country, O Leary and Milne in 17th position, would have qualified the country . That is as I understand it.

Susan · Sailor Joined: Feb 25, 2008 Posts: 3

All olympic contenders for sailing are fully aware of the rules regarding selection before putting themselves forward. The facts of the matter are that it is not necessarily those qualifying the country place get to go to the olympic regatta. This was well known to Treacy and Shanks, O'Connell and Cooke and O'Leary and Milne. The main aim is that Ireland is represented by the best possible team who have demonstrated the most potential. Since the winning of a silver medal by David Wilkins our olympic results have been, putting it mildly, indifferent, and in some cases dreadful. Of course, to get to the olympic rergatta at all is a wonderful achievement in itself. The O'Leary/Milne combination by showing they could win races at both the Baccardi Cup and the 105 entry at the Star World Championship, both practically the same fleets, plus a fifth position and not to mention lying fourth when they lost their mast, demonstrated beyond any shadow of doubt they would indeed be very hard to be overlooked by selectors for the place. Of course Beijing is an unknown quantity regarding wind and other conditions and who knows what may happen.

Treacy and Shanks may have put in a solid performance but they did not demonstrate the ability to win races when it mattered and the young on fire team were in my opinion correctly selected.

ArgieBargie · Sailor Joined: Nov 07, 2007 Posts: 8

sorry but that is totally wrong.

Winning races did not count for anything at that stage, qualifying the country is the only thing that mattered and only one team did that. It is relatively easy to win one off races when there is no pressure on especially when the wind turns inside out, you roll the dice and you go from 15th to 1st. Inconsistency wins you nothing in this sport.

If Spizauer had not sailed the Japanese down the fleet (knowing that Peter could not overtake him in the overall standings) then there is still no way Peter could have qualified the country if Treacy and Shanks had not been there. The Japanese would have been going not Ireland

Stop being so naive and looking at the simplistic view.

The whole thing stinks through and through

Susan · Sailor Joined: Feb 25, 2008 Posts: 3

You obviously don't believe in accepting the rules of a competition. RULES ARE RULES and the position is that there was to be a selection criteria applied no matter who had qualified the country. I reiterate, each team going into the competition in the Star Class, and all the other classes, was well aware of this situation. There is nothing one off about winning races in top level series and there is no more top level racing than that of the Star Class.

How dare you tell me to stop being naive. There is nothing stinking about the situation except that the sport in Ireland has been brought into disrepute worldwide by all this being raised outside the proper forum by running to the media before going through the appeal process if anyone felt it necessary. This all resulted in unseemly arguments in public. Argie Bargie is probably a good way to describe it!! The appeal process is now being availed of at last so it might stop the flow of rubbish from people who are not qualified to make such pronouncements but can only talk about ifs and buts. There is nothing simplistic about accepting the rules beforehand and then refusing to accept them afterwards when they don't suit.

It is never relatively easy to win races in the Star Class and that is why all the Gold medalists and Olympic champions get into the class to take on the best and hope to emerge a Star Class World Champion.

Prof O'Connell missed qualifying the class by one place last year. if he had qualified then he would not have had any guarantee of representing Ireland so why are Treacy and Shanks any different.

All selection committees or team managers, such as, say in the case of rugby, have to make difficult decisions and this decision by the Olympic Steering Group to go for those they considered to have the best potential to win races was indeed brave.

ArgieBargie · Sailor Joined: Nov 07, 2007 Posts: 8

I will repeat it, stop being naive. I agree the rules are the rules and I think we will find that they are not being followed in this case and not in the way you are thinking. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye and we will find that out soon enough. Lets see if the ISA play by their own rules and then you can talk about the rules. Max and Anthony are going through the proper process but I am doubtful the ISA are doing the same.

I agree they all knew the case was that the person who qualified the country would not necessarily be the one to go but how can anyone say that Peter is clearly in the best position to get the best result for the country. Neither team is any different from Prof and I have never said they are.

I think you will find its the ISA who have run to the media well before any nominations should be declared. They know they are going against the rules declaring a nomination when there is an appeal in progress.

I agree also that it is difficult for selection committees but in this case they have made it difficult for themselves by getting caught up in the hype of Peters race win in the last race (read their press release on their own site re the last day of the Worlds if you dont believe in bias).

Again you are getting caught up in this winning races hype. Coming 1st in one race and last in the next is not going to get you regatta wins or any top slot.

Read the definition of Relatively.

There is no more difficult fleet than the star and that is why Max and Anthonys acheivement of getting the job done and qualifying the country is so great. Imagine what they can do with the shackles of qualification off and no pressure, just like Peter has had when getting his great individual results.

Dane Ralston

Susan · Sailor Joined: Feb 25, 2008 Posts: 3

I don't know what you are trying to insinuate about the ISA but you obviously don't have much respect for the fact that they are the National Authority for the sport in this country. They are trying to find the candidate with the best potential. Do check out the record of Peter O'Leary's achievements. The list is endless. It wasn't the Authority went running whinging to every website and newspaper they could find before instigating an appeal. You are obviously of a one track mind and unable to deviate, much like a blinkered horse. There is no point in trying to argue with dogged refusal to accept facts including the beating of the current Star World Champion and many other world names at the World Championships so as far as I am concerned I won't waste my time on you any longer. In fact I wonder what you really know at all about sailing in any class or discipline.

ArgieBargie · Sailor Joined: Nov 07, 2007 Posts: 8

The only press release T&S have sent out did not read like a whinge to me or to any other people I know.
sorry love but I am only dealing with facts here and if you are so sure of everything you say give us all your name. You seem to be letting emotion get in the way of judgement.
every acheivement you put to Peters name (which I agree is very impressive in such a short time), Treacy and Shanks have acheived and more.
I will repeat, the facts will speak for themselves.
Wink

Dane

ArgieBargie · Sailor Joined: Nov 07, 2007 Posts: 8

Where does the ISA get off telling anyone that will listen that the Appeal of one of its olympic nominations is merely a formality and will not alter their decision.

Unlimited Arrogance.

sailor2003 · Sailor Joined: May 08, 2008 Posts: 4

Simple fact!

Peter lost his rig and had a bad day due to tuning a new mast. He finished only 3 places behind Max. Max had no such problems. Hence Peter being a better sailor and a better chance for the country. Although Max may have qualified the country that didn't give him the place. They could have even picked Prof O'Connell or Max if they wanted to but they didn't, that is the steering committee's decision so lets get behind Peter for the Olympics and stop unsettling their training with this ''ArgieBargie''!!

Getreal · Sailor Joined: May 19, 2008 Posts: 2