Day Two at RYS Bicentenary International Regatta (Photo Credit: Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com)
Bella Mente Racing is off to a good start at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Bicentenary International Regatta, holding the class lead in IRC 1 after today’s 22-mile race on the Solent off Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The regatta runs through Friday, July 31.
Day Two at RYS Bicentenary International Regatta (Photo Credit: Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com)
“It was a great day in very heavy conditions,” said Owner/Driver of the Maxi 72 Bella Mente, Hap Fauth, adding that the team experienced high seas and winds above 20 knots throughout the day (day one of racing was cancelled yesterday due to the unrelenting winds upwards of 30 knots). “The team execution was excellent and tactics were very good and from there the result took care of itself.”
With yesterday’s unwieldy conditions continuing through to this morning, Race Committee postponed racing until early this afternoon. Even then, gusts of 30 were being recorded when IRC 1 took off across the start line.
“Today was a solid start to the event,” said Tactician Terry Hutchinson. “We got a bit tangled at the beginning of the race, stuck in the wind shadow of a Swan 90, but the guys did good work building up enough speed so that we could pop out from underneath the boat. From there, it was a high-speed reach, with Bella sitting comfortably on 20+ knots of boat speed for the next 15 miles.
“The first leg took us beyond two forts that mark the entrance to the eastern Solent. From there we took a left turn and proceeded to reach, beat, and whip ourselves around a tight race course. The Solent is a challenging place to sail, and guys deserve high marks for their quick execution and high performance; especially since this is the first time we’ve raced Bella Mente since April. It was good to shake off the cobwebs!”
Tomorrow, Bella Mente will stretch its legs with the event’s Around the Island Race, a 50-mile circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight.
Click here for a full report from day two of racing by event organizers
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