John Kostecki
Encyclopedia
John Paul Kostecki (born July 7, 1964 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
) is an American
competitive sailor.
, California
.
Altogether, Kostecki won ten world champion titles in different sailing classes, beginning with the Sunfish World Championships in 1982. At the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Busan
, South Korea
, he finished in 2nd place in the Soling class
along with his partners William Baylis
and Robert Billingham
. Also in 1988, he won the J/24
World Championships and the Soling Class World Championships. That year, he was then named Rolex Yachtsman of the year.
In 1997, he won the Mumm 36 World Championship, the One Design 48 Championship, and the Malaysia Challenge Grand Prix. He also sailed the Whitbread Round the World Race
in 1997/1998.
Kostecki became very popular in Europe as skipper and helmsman of the German yacht Illbruck in the Volvo Ocean Race
2001/2002. He led the team that was based in Leverkusen
to an overwhelming victory in the arguably toughest sailing race around the world. Of notable interest was the fact that Illbruck set the world 24 hours speed record for monohulls. The record of 484 nautical miles was completed at 20:02 on April 30 during Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race and was confirmed by the World Sailing Speed Record Council
. This sparked an unprecedented sailing boom in Germany that led to thousands of sailing fans and Illbruck supporters awaiting Kostecki and his crew finishing their last leg from Gothenburg
to Kiel
. In 2002, Kostecki was named Rolex Yachtsman of the Year for the second time.
After a short employment with the BMW Oracle America’s Cup Team he joined team Eriksson for the next Volvo Ocean Race (2005/2006). He was also Eriksson’s designated skipper for the next Race (2008/2009) but resigned from his position in August 2007 for family reasons.
In 2008, the then three times America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts
, who had just recently been appointed CEO of Larry Ellison
's America’s Cup Team BMW Oracle Racing, hired Kostecki for his afterguard. The next America’s cup match took place between the defender, the Swiss team Alinghi
, and BMW Oracle, in Valencia (Spain) in February 2010. With Kostecki as tactician, the American team won both races against the defender and thus brought back the oldest trophy in sports history to the United States
after 15 years.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
competitive sailor.
Career
Kostecki started his sailing career in the windy and tide-swept waters of San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Altogether, Kostecki won ten world champion titles in different sailing classes, beginning with the Sunfish World Championships in 1982. At the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, he finished in 2nd place in the Soling class
Soling
A Soling is a class of open keelboat designed by Jan Linge of Norway in 1965. In 1968, it was chosen from among many other boats to be the men's triple-handed boat for the 1972 Olympics...
along with his partners William Baylis
William Baylis
William Henry Baylis is a former American competitive sailor and Olympic silver medalist.-Career:...
and Robert Billingham
Robert Billingham
Robert Iain Colin Billingham is a former American competitive sailor and Olympic silver medalist.-Career:...
. Also in 1988, he won the J/24
J/24
The J/24 is an International One-Design keelboat class as defined by the International Sailing Federation. The J/24 is a one design class created to fulfill the diverse needs of recreational sailors such as cruising, one design racing, day sailing and handicap racing.The J/24 is the world's most...
World Championships and the Soling Class World Championships. That year, he was then named Rolex Yachtsman of the year.
In 1997, he won the Mumm 36 World Championship, the One Design 48 Championship, and the Malaysia Challenge Grand Prix. He also sailed the Whitbread Round the World Race
Volvo Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three years. It is named after its current owner, Volvo...
in 1997/1998.
Kostecki became very popular in Europe as skipper and helmsman of the German yacht Illbruck in the Volvo Ocean Race
Volvo Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three years. It is named after its current owner, Volvo...
2001/2002. He led the team that was based in Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
to an overwhelming victory in the arguably toughest sailing race around the world. Of notable interest was the fact that Illbruck set the world 24 hours speed record for monohulls. The record of 484 nautical miles was completed at 20:02 on April 30 during Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race and was confirmed by the World Sailing Speed Record Council
World Sailing Speed Record Council
The World Sailing Speed Record Council, founded in 1972, is the body authorized by the International Sailing Federation to confirm speed records of sailing crafts on water . In the early years the council only dealt with claims of speed records on a one-way leg of 500 metres...
. This sparked an unprecedented sailing boom in Germany that led to thousands of sailing fans and Illbruck supporters awaiting Kostecki and his crew finishing their last leg from Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
to Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. In 2002, Kostecki was named Rolex Yachtsman of the Year for the second time.
After a short employment with the BMW Oracle America’s Cup Team he joined team Eriksson for the next Volvo Ocean Race (2005/2006). He was also Eriksson’s designated skipper for the next Race (2008/2009) but resigned from his position in August 2007 for family reasons.
In 2008, the then three times America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts
Russell Coutts
Sir Russell Coutts, KNZM, CBE is a competitive sailor. His achievements include a Gold medal in the Finn Class in the 1984 Olympic Games, winning the America's Cup four times, the ISAF World Youth championships, three World Match Racing Championships, numerous international match race wins and...
, who had just recently been appointed CEO of Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison
Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Ellison is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation, one of the world's leading enterprise software companies. As of 2011, he is the third wealthiest American citizen, with an estimated worth of $33 billion.- Early life :Larry Ellison was born in the...
's America’s Cup Team BMW Oracle Racing, hired Kostecki for his afterguard. The next America’s cup match took place between the defender, the Swiss team Alinghi
Alinghi
Alinghi is the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, to challenge for the America's Cup. Bertarelli had raced several smaller yachts named Alinghi previously, but 2003 was his first attempt at the America's Cup...
, and BMW Oracle, in Valencia (Spain) in February 2010. With Kostecki as tactician, the American team won both races against the defender and thus brought back the oldest trophy in sports history to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after 15 years.
External links
- John Kostecki biography and Olympic results, from http://www.sports-reference.com/.