illbruck Challenge Sails Maiden Voyage with New Race Boat
by Jane Eagleson 22 May 2001 21:34 BST
illbruck Challenge syndicate chairman Michael Illbruck and skipper John Kostecki shared the helm of the new illbruck during the maiden voyage this weekend of the team's race boat for the Volvo Ocean Race. The illbruck Challenge team launched the new custom-built illbruck Volvo Ocean 60 from
their training base in Charleston, S.C.
The team took the new boat through the paces with one of the illbruck Volvo 60 training boats in the Atlantic Ocean off Charleston. Threatening rain showers held off as the boats sailed in a fresh 15-18 knots and moderate seas. The launch was celebrated with a brief dockside ceremony and a
family barbecue at the base in Charleston on Sunday.
"Today marks another major milestone in the program," said Michael Illbruck. "For four years, we have planned for this. We watched the boat take shape during the months of construction at our company facility in Leverkusen, Germany. To be here with the team for the first day of sailing
has been fantastic. I'm proud of the team and all of the work they have done to get to this point," Illbruck said.
"We are really happy with the new boat," Kostecki said. "The boat feels great and is performing well right out of the box. While there is still work to do to make our new boat race-ready, we are exactly where we wanted to be four months away from the start of the Volvo Ocean Race. We will
continue to optimise the new boat here in Charleston, tuning her up with our two training boats until we realize the full potential of our next generation Volvo 60."
illbruck Challenge is a competitive international sailing programme that over the past 30 years has 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 Duesseldorf Yacht Club in Germany's first-ever Challenge for the America's Cup, the competition for the oldest international trophy in sport.
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