illbruck Challenges new crew includes Britains Ian Moore
by Jane Eagleson 25 Jan 2001 13:39 GMT
Four additional race crew have been named to the illbruck Challenge Volvo Ocean Race sailing team, following an intensive training and racing session in the Southern Ocean, illbruck Challenge announced skipper John Kostecki.
Named to the race crew are Richard Clarke, helmsman/trimmer; Jamie Gale, mast; and Ian Moore, navigator. In addition, former sail coordinator Noel Drennan is now part of the race crew as helmsman/trimmer. The illbruck Challenge Volvo Ocean Race sailing team now has 13 crew members signed on for the round-the-world race.
"Our crew sailed together for almost 7,000 miles in the Southern Ocean over the past few months, providing a true test of skill and teamwork in a range of conditions," Kostecki said. "We also competed in the Sydney to Hobart Race and then from Hobart onto Auckland, giving us the chance to work together in race mode. I am psyched that we have not only such a talented team of sailors, but a great group of guys that work well together."
Clarke, a native of Canada, is a three-time Olympic campaigner in the Finn class. A Finn gold medallist in the 1999 Pan American Games and seven-time Finn North American Champion, Clarke is switching gears to big boat offshore racing.
Drennan, 17 years with North Sails, is a 17-time veteran of the Sydney to Hobart Race and the No.1 ranked helmsman on the Etchells world rankings from 1997-2000. He was sail coordinator for the 2000 Stars & Stripes America's Cup campaign.
Gale, a native New Zealander, competed in the 2000 Olympic Games in the Star class and 1996 Games in the Soling class. A veteran of three America's Cup campaigns, Gale was part of the winning 1995 Team New Zealand program.
Moore, originally from Ireland, has earned a reputation as a respected navigator and tactician in world-class offshore events such as the Fastnet Race, Admiral's Cup and Newport-Bermuda Race. Holding a Masters Degree in Naval Architecture, Moore designed high-speed catamarans before becoming a professional sailor.
The new crew named today join illbruck Challenge Volvo Ocean Race team members Stuart Bannatyne, watch captain; Stuart Bettany, bow; Mark Christensen, watch captain; Ray Davies, helmsman/trimmer; Dirk de Ridder, trimmer; Ross Halcrow, trimmer; Tony Kolb, bow; and Juan Vila, navigator.
The illbruck Challenge is a competitive international sailing programme that has, over the past 30 years, earned success at many of the world's top regattas. The illbruck Challenge is now pursuing the world's two pinnacle sailing events: the Volvo Ocean Race, the world's premier ocean race, and the America's Cup, the world's top match racing event. The illbruck Challenge is representing the Dusseldorfer Yacht Club in Germany's first-ever Challenge for the America's Cup, the competition for the oldest international trophy in sport.
illbruck GmbH is a privately held international company with autonomous business units including Automotive, Sealant Systems, Sanitary Technology, Architectural Surfaces, and Filtration Systems/Insulation Systems. Founded in 1952, illbruck has 35 locations in15 countries worldwide and is headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. The illbruck Challenge embodies the philosophy of the illbruck company: success through motivation, flexibility and team spirit. The illbruck Challenge is the image medium and primary vehicle for illbruck's global and internal corporate identification.
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