History

pinta – this name is closely connected with a great German sailing tradition. Willi illbruck is deemed to be a pioneer in the deep-sea sailing scene that he significantly marked through his great successes in the eighties and nineties. Willi illbruck laid the foundations for this very early: with his first Pinta, a one-ton yacht, he started deep-sea sailing in 1969, with the spirit of the historic Pinta being destined to live on in it. Escorting the voyages of discovery of Christopher Columbus, the Pinta was known and feared as the fastest ship on the seas. An ideal condition for a yacht to be able to establish itself also in the international sphere of sailing sports. And the modern German Pinta soon lived up to its reputation. Already at the beginning of the 1970s, the first international successes materialized: runner-up on first participation in the 1975 Admiral’s Cup was the highlight for the time being.

Between 1982 and 1983, Willi illbruck, together with his longstanding companion, Udo Schütz, built a 7/8-rigged boat in the then state-of-the-art honeycomb technique. In 1983, he succeeded in achieving the great breakthrough he much longed for: for Germany he won the Admiral’s Cup, the unofficial world championship of deep-sea sailors – a triumph, which were to be followed by further victories.

These extremely successful sailing activities had an enormous impact on the positive branding process of the pinta corporation, out of which the name Pinta also developed as a strong brand both within the German and international sailing sphere. True to the slogan “The Fight Goes On”, pinta first took aboard highly motivated foreign professionals in the summer of 1992, heralding 1993 to become the most successful year in Pinta’s history: it turned out to be the “Year of the Cups”. Pinta again won the Admiral’s Cup and the One-Ton Cup that is so legendary in the sailor’s sphere, which the team successfully defended in 1994.

In the years to come, Willi illbuck’s son, Michael, went on with his father’s sporting commitment, gloriously stepping in his shoes in 2002 with the victory of his team at the Volvo Ocean Race Round the World, the fiercest sailing regatta in the world. Willi’s unflagging drive and longstanding commitment to sailing were always a role model and incentive for his son and the crew members.

Willi illbruck died on November 21, 2004, but his outstanding achievements will always be remembered in the world of sailing.