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Volvo Ocean RaceBekking tests Robin Zinkmann as navigator for Brunel

Tatjana Pokorny

 · 05.08.2017

Volvo Ocean Race: Bekking tests Robin Zinkmann as navigator for BrunelPhoto: Brunel/Volvo Ocean Race/Ainhoa Sanchez
Team Brunel
A German sailor has started the Rolex Fastnet Race with Brunel: For Robin Zinkmann it is a test in the fight for a place in Bouwe Bekking's team
Current picture of the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2017 from Sunday afternoonPhoto: Screenshot/Rolex Fastnet Race Current picture of the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2017 from Sunday afternoon Robin ZinkmannPhoto: privat Robin Zinkmann

For Robin Zinkmann, it is an important test as navigator in Team Brunel: the Hamburg sea sailor started today with Bouwe Bekking's crew in the long-distance classic Rolex Fastnet Race. Zinkmann was the 2016 Swan 45 World Champion ("Elena Nova") and has been training with the Dutch team for some time.

Brunel skipper Bouwe Bekking forms his crew and scouts further talent during the Fastnet racePhoto: Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race Brunel skipper Bouwe Bekking forms his crew and scouts further talent during the Fastnet race Designer Thorsten ConradiPhoto: YACHT/ L. Johannsen Designer Thorsten Conradi

As navigator, he also gained experience on board the GP 42 "Silva Neo" and won the 2016 German Match Race Championship with Max Gurgel's crew. The graduate shipbuilder works as a designer for Judel/Vrolijk & Co. in Bremerhaven. The company, which is one of the world's leading design forges, has given Zinkmann the green light for his involvement. "Robin is really good, studied at the TUHH in Harburg and does one-off projects for us," says Torsten Conradi, J/V Partner and President of the German Boat and Shipbuilders' Association.

In addition to Robin Zinkmann from the Hamburg Sailing Club, a number of other test candidates are on board with Brunel. Bekking has announced the Australian America's Cup sailor Kyle Langford (Oracle Team USA), the 35-year-old debutant Juanpa Marcos from Argentina, the Italian Alberto Bolzan, who is contesting his second race around the world, Maciel Cicchetti (Argentina) for his third circumnavigation and the 25-year-old Dutchman Carlo Huisman, who won the America's Cup with the Kiwis, via press release after the Fastnet start.

Shortly after the start of the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race, Team Brunel had initially positioned itself wellPhoto: Screenshot/Rolex Fastnet Race Shortly after the start of the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race, Team Brunel had initially positioned itself well
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Tatjana Pokorny

Tatjana Pokorny

Sports reporter

Tatjana “tati” Pokorny is the author of nine books. As a reporter for Europe's leading sailing magazine YACHT, she also works as a correspondent for the German Press Agency (DPA), the Hamburger Abendblatt and other national and international media. In summer 2024, Tatjana will be reporting from Marseille on her ninth consecutive Olympic Games. Other core topics have been the America's Cup since 1992, the Ocean Race since 1993, the Vendée Globe and other national and international regattas and their protagonists. Favorite discipline: Portraits of and interviews with sailing personalities. When she started out in sports journalism, she was still intensively involved with basketball and other sports, but sailing quickly became her main focus. The reason? The declared optimist says: “There is no other sport like it, no other sport with such interesting and intelligent personalities, no other sport so diverse, no other sport so full of energy, strength and ideas. Sailing is like a constantly refreshing declaration of love for life."

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