illbruck Challenge Christens Boat for Volvo Ocean Race

by Jane Eagleson on 3 Apr 2001 The illbruck Challenge christened the team's new race boat for the
2001-2002 Volvo Ocean Race in a ceremony March 31 at the illbruck Automotive plant where
the boat was built. A weekend of activities at the boatbuilding facility marked the completion
of the new bright green and white hulled racing yacht.

The race boat was christened illbruck by Christiane Illbruck, wife of illbruck GmbH founder,
Willi Illbruck, and mother of illbruck GmbH CEO Michael Illbruck. The naming of the boat
was cele-brated at an evening corporate function with the race crew and the boatbuilding
team at the boatbuilding facility. 'My mother has christened all the fast boats so it's
a good omen,' said Michael Ill-bruck after the champagne bottle broke over the bow.

On Sunday, April 1 hundreds of illbruck GmbH employees and their families celebrated the
completion of the new illbruck race boat at an Open House at the site of the boat's construction
in Leverkusen. Other friends of the illbruck Challenge and members of the media attended
the Open House to see the new race boat be-fore it is shipped to Charleston, SC in the
U.S. for training.

'This is a significant milestone in our Volvo Ocean Race cam-paign,' said Michael Illbruck
during the weekend christening ac-tivities. 'It's a special moment for the crew, the boat
builders and our employees. We have been waiting for this since 1997 when we first decided
to take on this challenge. The design team, the race crew and the boatbuilders have dedicated
so much to developing a competitive boat. We all look forward to illbruck's maiden voyage
next month,' Illbruck said.

'The race crew will spend most of the next year living and racing on board this boat, said
skipper John Kostecki. 'We will experi-ence all sorts of weather conditions in seas spanning
the globe. 'On board this boat our race crew will competing to win the world's premier
ocean race. Together we will face situations that will test not only our skill, but our
spirit. This crew is ready for the job and now we have the boat to do it. Killian Bushe
and his team have delivered and now it's our turn.'


The new race boat is a Farr Yacht Design. Killian Bushe, boat con-struction manager for
the illbruck Challenge, built the boat with an international team of expert boatbuilders.
Construction began in late September 2000.

The new race boat will be shipped to Charleston later in April where the team will launch
illbruck and tune it up against the winner of the last Whitbread Round the World Race
(now the Volvo Ocean Race), the former EF Language. The team will optimize the boat and
train on the East Coast of the U.S. In July, the team will sail across the Atlantic to
compete in the Fastnet Race in England and make final preparations for the start of the
Volvo Ocean Race September 23 in Southampton.

The illbruck Challenge is a competitive international sailing program that over the past
30 years has earned success at many of the world's top re-gattas. 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
Chal-lenge is representing the Duesseldorf Yacht Club in Germany's first-ever Challenge
for the America's Cup, the competition for the oldes
t internatio-nal trophy in sport.

illbruck GmbH is a privately held international company with autonomous business units
including Automotive, Sealant Systems, Sanitary Technolo-gy, 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
embo-dies 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.





For more information contact Jane Eagleson, Director Marketing Communications
Tel: +49/2171/391-265
Fax: +49/2171/391-581
Mobile: +49/174/9785273

Email: jeagleson@illbruckChallenge.com
www.illbruckChallenge.com