Sailing: O'Leary and Milne secure Beijing spot
Source: Irish Independent (Original Article)
PETER O’LEARY of Cork and Stephen Milne of Belfast Lough have done enough in their first five months of racing the Olympic Star class to be selected for the Beijing Olympic Games.
There are times when the long grind towards Olympic selection is right up there with drying paint in the excitement stakes, but the venerable Olympic Star has got the pulses racing.
This unique international class puts the focus on Florida for its major events early in the year. And this time round Ireland looked like a serious contender.
All three crews — Maurice O’Connell and Ben Cooke, Max Treacey and Anthony Shanks, and O’Leary and Milne — were getting good results. The new O’Leary-Milne team, in particular, were hitting superb form, despite a dismasting in one rough race.
In a cruel irony, it was the Treacey-Shanks duo from Dun Laoghaire who actually scored highly enough to secure Ireland a place. But getting that national place didn’t necessarily secure the ticket to Beijing.
The Irish sailing Association’s Olympic selectors, chaired by Colm Barrington, reserved the option of alternative nominations, and they’ve gone for the soaring talent of O’Leary and Milne, rather than the long haul achievement of Treacey and Shanks.
Notorious
That said, it has to be remembered that the Olympic sailing venue is notorious for its light summer winds, whereas the Irish teams in the Star racing in Florida were thriving in notably big breezes.
But even so, this formidable combination of top talent from Cork Harbour and Belfast Lough has given hope of being a dream ticket.
On a spring evening in Malahide YC’s clubhouse this week, Olympic medallist David Wilkins reflected on the fact that this small club had been such a hotbed of talent in its 50 years of existence.
Indeed, he was able to give friendly advice on the demands of Olympic sailing to MYC member Ciara Peelo, who is Ireland’s selection Free Credit Cards for the Laser Radials in China.
Yet …continue reading