Please select your home edition
Edition
Musto 2023 Hikers LEADERBOARD

illbruck Team Launches AC Campaign

by Stuart Streuli on 4 Nov 2000
One of the most recognized names in grand-prix ocean racing
officially joined the chase for the 2003 America's Cup on Wednesday
when Michael Illbruck announced his company's intention to roll their
current Volvo Ocean Race campaign into a run at sailing's biggest
prize.

Illbruck, the CEO of illbruck GmbH, a worldwide plastics
manufacturer, said that the master plan for this dual-pronged effort
involves their ongoing all-out assault on the 2001-02 Volvo Ocean
Race, a one-boat, $20-million campaign for the 2003 Cup, and then
a more involved effort for the succeeding America's Cup contest.

"It's just simply impossible to say we're going to really go for this in
2003," said Illbruck during a teleconference on Wednesday. "We
want to do a very, very good job, but we think that's quite
impossible. But our view is on the 32nd America's Cup [most likely in
2006], which is what we really want to do. We're in this for the long
run."

John Kostecki, currently in charge of the illbruck-Pinta Volvo
campaign, will also head up the group's America's Cup effort. In fact,
Kostecki said that developing and keeping together a core group of
sailors, designers, and support staff was one of the reasons why
rolling the Volvo campaign into a pair of America's Cup campaign
made so much sense.

"We have a great, complete team," said Kostecki. "From design,
sailing, public relations, meteorology, all the different aspects that it
takes to have winning team in either the Volvo or the America's Cup.
We faced some difficult decisions in May, June, and July of this year
because many our top members were being actively pursued by the
other America's Cup syndicates. When we crossed the finish line in
June 2002 in Kiel, Germany, we were looking at the possibility that
our team was going to break apart. We have unique chemistry, an
all-around team. We didn't want this great team to disband after the
end of the Volvo race."

Currently, the core of this team includes the nine sailors that have
been chosen for the illbruck Volvo crew. Trimmer Ross Halcrow and
navigator Juan Vila are among the crewmembers. Only one of these
sailors, bowman Toni Kolb, is German. For the Cup campaign, Illbruck
said they plan to tap into the sailing potential in Germany and most,
if not all, of the research and design technology will come from
German companies, including the German equivalent to NASA. The
America's Cup Class boat, like their new Volvo 60, which is slated for
launch in late March 2001, will be built at the illbruck plant in
Leverkusen, Germany. However, at this time it appears that
Germany's best-known sailor, triple Olympic gold medalist Jochen
Schuemann, will not be a part of illbruck Challenge's 2003 Cup
campaign. Schuemann has reportedly signed on with Bertarelli's
Swiss syndicate.

The two America's Cup campaigns certainly give the illbruck team a
long-term focus, but for now, Kostecki and his crew are
concentrating solely on the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race, which
departs from Southampton, England, on Sept. 23, 2001. The crew
will spend the next few months training in Australia and New
Zealand, including racing in the upcoming Sydney-Hobart Race and
forays into the Southern Ocean south of New Zealand.

Related Articles

NYYC International Women's Championship update
Teammates and Competitors Join Forces The strength of bonds forged in competition is a common theme among the second group of skippers and teams invited to compete in the 2026 New York Yacht Club International Women's Championship.
Posted today at 2:22 pm
Vaikobi UK Finn Nationals at the WPNSA
Lawrence Crispin wins his first title since returning to the class Former Laser World Champion Lawrence Crispin won his first Finn National Championship after returning to the Class nine years ago, having previously won Weymouth Olympic week in the Finn in 1986.
Posted today at 2:02 pm
The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board.
Posted today at 1:30 pm
Osprey Nationals at Mumbles
Some epic and at times fruity sailing in Swansea Bay With the terrible weather of recent Osprey National Championships successfully banished this time around the competing 36 teams were treated to some epic and at times fruity sailing in Swansea Bay hosted by the brilliant Mumbles Yacht Club.
Posted today at 12:55 pm
RS500 Rooster National Tour Gurnard
A familiar sense of déjà vu from last year Saturday morning at Gurnard Sailing Club on the Isle of Wight started with a familiar sense of déjà vu from last year: The wind just topping the feasible strength to start the RS500 Open and Club Championships.
Posted today at 12:05 pm
K1 Midlands Traveller Series at Rutland
The 'Beat Your Predicted Place' scheme is still proving popular Rutland Sailing Club were the hosts for the third of the Ovington open meetings in the K1 Midlands Traveller Series on 5/6th July 2025 which was shared with the F1 National Championships.
Posted today at 10:50 am
Sailing's Glitterati prepare for the Admiral's Cup
The depth and quality of talent is truly breathtaking. The 2025 Admiral's Cup is shaping up to be one of the most compelling editions in the event's storied history, featuring a glittering constellation of the sport's elite.
Posted today at 9:55 am
2025 EurILCA Europa Cup at Warnemünde Day 3
Ole Schweckendiek leads ILCA 7 fleet into the final day The third and penultimate day of racing at the 2025 EurILCA Europa Cup GER concluded yesterday in Warnemünde, Germany, with two new races completed by all fleets, except for the ILCA 6 silver group, which managed to complete only one.
Posted today at 9:32 am
Notts County Sailing Club Annual Regatta
Over 50 dinghies took part over the weekend There was a large entry for the Notts County Sailing Club annual Regatta sponsored by Sailing Chandlery with over 50 dinghies entered to the Commodore's Cup, National 12 Vintage Championships and Novice racing and 50 at the Saturday social evening.
Posted today at 9:22 am
British Dragon South West Championship
A spectacular warm-up for the 2025 Edinburgh Cup Torquay delivered a spectacular warm-up for the 2025 Edinburgh Cup, as 13 Dragon teams took to the waters of Tor Bay for the South West Championship, a two-day regatta packed with shifting breezes, tactical gambles, and top-class racing.
Posted today at 8:59 am