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The illbruck Challenge relaunched its
web site with a new design and the new domain name. The
more streamlined and user-friendly design will provide up-to-date
information and dynamic photography for general sailing
fans, media, illbruck company employees and customers following
the illbruck team throughout the Volvo Ocean Race, starting
Sunday September 23.
The enhanced site includes new features for both the general
public visitor as well as for professional media. The public
site includes unique sections dedicated to each of the two
Challenges now underway: the Volvo Ocean Race and the America's
Cup. In the America's Cup section, visitors can follow the
progress of the first-ever German America's Cup boat when
construction of the boat begins later this year. |
Glenn
Bourke joins Ilbruck Team
(04/10/01)
(source
: yacht.de)
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| Fresh from the Cruising Yacht Club of
Australia , Glenn Bourke starts work for German Illbruck
Challenge on May. Bourke who has previous America's Cup
experience with 1995 One Australia (as tactician) and Kookaburra
(1986-87) syndicates, becomes director of the Team. |
Another
Panel Case ? (03/21/01)
(source
: Pegis
on Delphi forum)
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| According to the rumor mill,
lawyers for Prada and TNZ are challenging sail designer
Rob Hook. Hired by Illbruck (German team) to do their Volvo
sails and OneWorld (Seattle) to design their America's Cup
sails, Prada and TNZ have taken issue with the arrangement
saying it breaks the AC rules against teams sharing designers.
Arbitration is expected soon.
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The illbruck Challenge continues its
America's Cup preparations with the launch of its match
racing program in Laboe, Germany and the signing of its
Volvo Ocean Race crew for the America's Cup, illbruck Challenge
skipper John Kostecki announced today.
In addition, two German sailors were signed to the team
this week. Joining the illbruck Challenge team are Gunnar
Knierim and Arne Wilcken of Kiel. Both competed for many
years with illbruck's "Pinta" campaigns and were both with
the winning German Admiral's Cup team in 1993. "I have raced
with Gunnar and Arne many times in the "PINTA" programs
and during our Volvo Ocean Race training in Europe," Kostecki
said. "They are both solid sailors and a great addition
to the team."
Some of Germany's top sailing talent, including 3 of the
5 German male Olympic medallists from Sydney, are training
with Henriksen in Laboe, close to Kiel in northern Germany.
Taking part in the match race program are Gunnar Bahr and
Ingo Borkowski, Olympic Soling crew for Jochen Schuemann.
Their credentials include one-time European Champion in
fleet race Soling, one-time World Champion in Soling match
racing and silver medallists at the Sydney Olympic Games.
German sailing talent Marc Pickel, the former European Star
champion who represented Germany in the Star class in the
Sydney Olympic Games, finishing 12th overall, and three-time
Tornado World Champion Roland Gaebler, who earned an Olympic
bronze medal representing Germany in the Tornado Class in
Sydney, are now training with the illbruck Challenge match
race team.
The match race team is training for their first regatta
later this month in Portugal. Match Race Team Manager Morten
Henriksen is coaching the team and also trying out potential
recruits for the America's Cup sailing program. |
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The Illbruck Challenge America’s Cup Design
Team this week began testing models in the towing tank at
the Hamburg Ship Model Basin, marking a fundamental step
in the design of Germany’s first America’s Cup racing yacht.
This is a major milestone in the design our first America’s
Cup boat,“ said Michael Richelsen, design director for the
illbruck Challenge. „The towing tank is a reality check
as to where we are in the design process. By testing our
ideas on one-third scale models, we can validate our computer
findings. The Hamburg Ship Model Basin is a leading edge
facility where we have the benefit of German’s top scien-tists
and experts.“
In addition to the research being conducted at the Hamburg
facility, the design team is also testing the same model
but in a smaller scale of 1:20 at FH Kiel. Design concepts
for both appendages and hull shape such as keels will be
tested in the towing tank on one-third scale models of actual
International America’s Cup Class (IACC) yachts. Tank test
results will be used to refine and validate design ideas
that are developed with both Velocity Prediction Programs
(VPP) and Com-putational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) computer codes.
The tank tests allow the design team to measure the effects
of speed and wave variations on a range of design configurations,
recording drag and side force on the models. The one-third
scale models are towed at a variety of speeds, heel angles
and leeway angles through the tow basin.
Richelsen heads the design and technology program, drawing
on his experience as Director of Design Systems at North
Sails and his deep involvement in various America’s Cup
campaigns since 1983, most recently with AmericaOne. The
team includes yacht designers Friedrich Judel and Torsten
Conradi as well as scientists and experts in VPP, CFD and
structural composites. Scientists associated with Team’s
leading research and development facilities including Germanischer
Lloyd, FH Kiel, and Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt
(DLR), the German national center for air and aerospace
research, are working exclusively for the illbruck Challenge.
Tank testing and CFD work will be done both at FH Kiel,
a technical university, and HSVA. The illbruck Challenge
design office is located in Hamburg, Germany, centrally
located to the team’s tank testing facilities and re-search
partners. The America’s Cup race boat will be built in Germany.
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Additional
Members to Illbruck Team (01/24/01)
(source : illbruck
Challenge)
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| 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 skipper John Kostecki
announced today. Named to the race crew -
who could also play a role in the America's Cup set-up -
are : |
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the canadian Richard Clarke, helmsman/trimmer
(a three-time Olympic campaigner in the Finn class,
Finn gold medallist in the 99 Pan American Games and
seven-time Finn North American Champion, He is switching
gears to big boat offshore racing) ; |
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the new zealander Jamie Gale, mast
(competed in the 2000 Olympic Games in the Star class
and 1996 Games in the Soling class, He is a veteran
of three America's Cup campaigns and was part of the
winning 1995 Team NZ programe) ; |
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the irish Ian Moore, navigator (who
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,
he holding a Masters Degree in Naval Architecture
and designed high-speed catamarans before becoming
a professional sailors ) ; |
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the american Noel Drennan,
former sail coordinator is now helmsman/trimmer (17
years with North Sails, is a 17-time veteran of the
Sydney to Hobart Race, the No.1 ranked helmsman on
the Etchells world rankings from 97-2000 and was sail
coordinator for the last Stars & Stripes campaign). |
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| 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. |
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Additionnal forces come as
the team announces the signing of one of the world's top
match racer, Morten Henriksen, to oversee the building of
a competitive match racing team while John Kostecki concentrates
on the Volvo.
Henriksen will recruit German talent in building a competitive
illbruck match racing team for the World Match Racing Circuit.
This will allow new recruits with limited match racing experience
to train in the one-on-one format of racing used in the
America's Cup while also providing the seasoned team members
the chance to sharpen their skills. The match racing team
will be joined by Kostecki and other illbruck Challenge
race crew as the schedule permits.
The illbruck match racing team will compete on the international
circuit while the illbruck Volvo Ocean Race crew is competing
in the around-the-world race. Henriksen will continue in
a coaching role with the illbruck race crew following the
completion of the Volvo Ocean Race in June 2002 when the
entire sailing team will then focus together on training
for the America's Cup.
"Morton is a great addition to the team," said Kostecki.
"Not only is he one of the most respected match racers in
the world, he is is also a talented and respected coach.
While our round-the-world race crew focuses on delivering
the best possible performance in the Volvo Ocean Race, Morten
will be building a strong match racing team. By the time
the Volvo Ocean Race is over, we will merge all of our sailing
talent for the final stage of America's Cup preparation"
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German challenge
accepted (12/21/00)
(source : SailSail.com)
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The Royal New Zealand Yacht
Squadron has formally accepted the America's Cup challenge
from the Duesseldorf Yacht Club. It is the first challenge
from a German yacht club in the 150-year history of the
world's oldest sporting trophy.
The Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Peter
Taylor, said the recent clarification of the "arm of the
sea" clause by the America's Cup Arbitration Panel had cleared
the way for acceptance of the Illbruck Challenge from the
Duesseldorf Yacht Club on the Rhine River.
Challenges for the 31st America's Cup regatta have
now been formally accepted from five yachts clubs
in four different countries
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Prada
Challenge, (Punta Ala Yacht Club, ITA) ; |
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Oracle Racing,
(Seattle Yacht Club, USA) ; |
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Stars &
Stripes, (New York Yacht Club, USA) ; |
| - |
Swiss
Challenge, (Société Nautique de Genève,
SUI) ; |
| - |
Illbruck
Challenge, (Düsseldorfer Yacht Club, GER). |
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It's official. The first-ever German challenge, the
Illbruck Team, headed by the Illbruk family (Germans yachting
fanatics who made their millions in the plastics industry),
will represent the Germany in the 2003 America's Cup,
with American John Kostecki (tactician for Paul Cayard's
AmericaOne syndicate in the last Cup) as skipper.
The not very well-kept secret of the German-based America's
Cup syndicate backed by Mickaël Illsbruck was formally
announced today during a press conference at the international
water sports exhibition "hanseboot" in Hamburg.
The Illbruks have always had an affinity with New
Zealand - hiring Kiwi stars such as Russell Coutts and
Peter Lester to sail the Pintas, which were often built
in Auckland. Now they have turned to other New Zealand
sailors for their round-the-world campaign in the Volvo
Ocean Race and the America's Cup.
With a cluster of Kiwi sailors and an American skipper,
the Illbruk syndicate have paid their entry fee, booked
a base in the Cup village and say that they are definite
starters for October 2002.
The technology, sailing and management teams assembled
for the Volvo Ocean Race will remain in place for the
America's Cup, providing a seamless integration of the
racing programs.
American John Kostecki is the Illbruk skipper in both
ventures. "When the last America's Cup finished, we had
90 per cent of our team for the Volvo race, then everybody
started getting approaches from all these other America's
Cup teams," Kostecki said. "It was looking like we would
cross the finish line in Kiel in June 2002 and the team
would break up to go all over the place. "I explained
that to Michael Illbruk and he didn't like the sound of
it. He figured we had a unique team, and it seemed logical
that we stay together and do an America's Cup."
Former Team New Zealand trimmer Ross Halcrow (with 1995
Cup winner Team New Zealand, Halcrow was trimmer both
with the 1999-2000 Young America Challenge and the 1992
New Zealand America's Cup Challenge) has been part of
the Pinta team for the past 10 years.
In addition, the new illbruck Challenge race crew for
the America's Cup includes Ray Davies and Dirk de Ridder
will compete in the illbruck Challenge in both the Volvo
Ocean Race and the America's Cup. Both Davies and de Ridder
were with Kostecki in the AmericaOne campaign.
New Zealanders Stu Bannatyne and Mark Christensen - watch
captains on the Volvo boat - and Stu Bettany look certain
to follow. Olympic Star sailor Jamie Gale will try out
for the team next week when Illbruk sail their round-the-world
boat from Perth to Auckland.
Dane Michael Richelsen, Illbruck Challenge Director of
Design/Research and Development, will head the design
and technology program. Richelsen will draw on his experience
as Director of Design Systems at North Sails and his deep
involvement in various America's Cup campaigns since 1983,
most recently with AmericaOne. Richelsen is building a
team of yacht designers, scientists and experts in Velocity
Prediction Programs (VPP), Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) and structural composites. Yacht designers Friedrich
Judel and Torsten Conradi from the design firm of Judel/Vrolijk
are already on the team, as is sail designer Patrik Erlandson
from North Sails Sweden.
Five-time America's Cup veteran Chris Bedford heads up
the meteorology team. Bedford will liaise with all members
of the team, collecting data and developing weather forecasts
that will support racing activities."
Scientists associated with Germany's leading research
and development facilities including Germanischer Lloyd,
FH Kiel, Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA) and Deutsches
Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), the German national
center for air and aerospace research, are working exclusively
for the illbruck Challenge. Tank testing and CFD work
will be done both at FH Kiel, a technical university,
and HSVA, a leading European tank testing facility. The
illbruck Challenge design office will be located in Hamburg,
Germany, centrally located to the team's tank testing
facilities and research partners.
Because the Illbruk Challenge will have only four months
to work solely on the Cup campaign, Kostecki and Illbruck
said this first challenge will be a low-key one.
"Our America's Cup campaign will start with a one-boat
program for America's Cup XXXI in 2003 with our eye on
victory in America's Cup XXXII. The powerful performance
it will take to win the America's Cup is not something
that comes overnight. We will take a long-term approach
to winning the America's Cup". The America's Cup race
boat will be built in Germany as will the boat for the
Volvo Ocean Race. The team's new Volvo Ocean 60, designed
by Farr Yacht Design, is now under construction at the
illbruck plant in Leverkusen, Germany. Killian Bushe,
a veteran in composite construction of Whitbread and America's
Cup boats and a range of other offshore racing boats,
is the lead boat-builder of the illbruck Challenge.
The Illbruk Challenge will fly the Dusseldorf Yacht Club's
burgee. The Yacht Club, founded in 1908, has a membership
of more than 480 and is a shareholder and organizer of
the well-known annual North Sea Race Week. "The Duesseldorf
Yacht Club and its members are proud to launch Germany's
first America's Cup Challenge," said Commodore Strosek.
"We are delighted to be represented by this distinguished
team of sailors. The Illbruck family has sailed from this
club for many years; we are pleased to continue the tradition
by partnering with them for this significant milestone
in German sailing history," Strosek said.
The illbruck Challenge team will continue its Volvo preparations
with a Southern Ocean training session starting next week
in Fremantle, Australia. The team will depart from Fremantle
for Auckland, New Zealand November 20. The team will then
compete in the Sydney-Hobart Race in December. Training
for the America's Cup will begin upon conclusion of the
Volvo Ocean Race in June 2002 from the recently secured
illbruck base, the former America True base, in Auckland's
Viaduct Basin
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