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illbruck Challenge, Germany’s professional sailing team and current leader of the Volvo Ocean Race, is discontinuing all its preparations for America´s Cup XXXI effective immediately.

It would be the first-ever German participation in the 151-year old America´s Cup. Despite intensive efforts to find a corporate sponsor, a commercial partner has not been found to finance the campaign, Michael Illbruck, 42, CEO of the international company illbruck GmbH and Chairman of the illbruck Challenge, announced today. This decision to discontinue plans for the America’s Cup, which starts October 1 in Auckland, New Zealand with the Louis Vuitton Challenger Selection Series, in no way impacts the team’s current successful participation in the Volvo Ocean Race Round the World 2001-2002, Illbruck said. The illbruck Challenge is the overall race leader with four of the nine legs completed.