Thursday, March 17, 2011

CONTESSA 26

Boat: CONTESSA 26

Builder: Jeremy Rogers Ltd.

Designer: David Sadler

More: CONTESSA 26 Specifications

News:

Volvo Ocean Race - illbruck news - Day 9


Author: Jane EaglesonLatitude: 38 09.84 S
Longitude: 165 53.56 E
Course: 068
Speed: 17 knots

Our Skipper John Kostecki reports live from On Board - Day 9

We have had another high speed day of downwind sailing today in the Tasman Sea on the mighty Volvo 60 illbruck. Our overall average speed for the entire trip so far has been over 14 knots. This is faster than any Whitbread/Volvo Race legs in the past. It has been a fast trip!

This trip has been excellent so far. It is great to have a full crew working together on different watches, improving each day. The boat has held up under some difficult conditions thanks to our shore crew. Things that we learn each day we immediately write down in our wetnote books and send lists back via email to our shore crew or boatbuilding team in Leverkusen, Germany.

This has also been great for our preparations for the Sydney-Hobart Race. We will be competing in the Sydney-Hobart race starting on December 26. We are fine tuning the boat, learning to trim our 18 different sails and working on our weather routing systems. Everything is coming together!

We are currently 380 miles from Cape Reinga, the most Northern point of New Zealand. Once we get around Reinga, we have 180 miles to go down the east coast of New Zealand to Auckland. Once in Auckland, we will moor the boat in the Viaduct Basin at one of the America's Cup compounds. We will have over a week to rest, recap, and repair before leaving again for Sydney.

I have just finished a refreshing 4 hours on deck and I am looking forward to a few hours sleep before getting up on deck again.

John Kostecki
Skipper

For more information, visit the illbruck Challenge website

or visit:

  • YachtsandYachting.com Volvo Ocean Race Information Page
  • www.VolvoOceanRace.org

See also: CONTENTION 33 for sale