Bella Mente has arrived back in our summer base of Palma de Mallorca, Spain this morning. We had a great first experience in Corfu at the Corfu Challenge, but we are thrilled to be back in Palma today to get ready for Copa del Rey!
Racing for Copa del Rey starts on July 29th, 2017. Follow action at: http://www.regatacopadelrey.com
Bella Mente loaded on the Ship in Corfu, Greece.
Bella Mente arrives in Palma de Mallorca Spain today!
(Photo Credit: Captain Peter Henderson)
https://vimeo.com/224917292
Photos & Video by: Rolex/ICARUS Sports
Bella Mente racing off Corfu, Greece for the 2017 Corfu Challenge.
(Photo Credit: Cory Silken)
The inaugural Corfu Challenge brought on a demanding five days of competition to the Maxi 72 Class, but it was Bella Mente Racing’s win in the final two races in the seven-race regatta that secured the team’s spot on the podium in third place overall – behind Proteus and Momo, which went on to take first and second overall, respectively. The event, which kicked off Tuesday, July 4 and wrapped up this past Saturday, July 8, marked Bella Mente’s first time racing in the waters off Corfu, Greece.
Bella Mente and Proteus duke it out on the racecourse for the 2017 Corfu Challenge in Corfu, Greece. (Photo Credit: Cory Silken)
“It’s always nice to be on the podium after a regatta, especially when it takes place in a new venue,” said Bella Mente Racing Owner/Driver Hap Fauth. “We had a slow start to the regatta and had to make a lot of adjustments, but winning on the last two days was affirmation of our ongoing competitiveness. We have an exciting remainder of the season on the horizon, with the Maxi 72 teams as competitive as ever this year.”
Terry Hutchinson, who joins Fauth in the afterguard added, “It was definitely a solid end to the Corfu Challenge. Early on in the week Bella Mente struggled to find her rhythm, with things not quite going our way, be it self imposed or mother nature, but like most things in sport it takes getting smacked around to have a good look at the adjustments required. Finishing the event with a 3,1,1 in the final three races was a great indication of the fight inside Bella Mente. We cannot help but see the improvements to Cannonball, Momo, and Proteus. They are very fast and polished teams. For the next two events it will be interesting to see what all the teams can develop over a wide range of conditions.”
Bella Mente Racing is looking forward to matching up against its Maxi 72 rivals again later this month in Mallorca, Spain for Copa Del Rey MAPFRE followed by the Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Italy in September.
Racing Update: Corfu Challenge 2017: Day 4: Another competitive day off the coast of Corfu, Greece for Bella Mente and the Maxi 72 Fleet.
Today, on day 4 of racing, Bella Mente was 3rd in the first race and 1st in the second race.
Complete results from Friday, July 7th, 2017:
Race 5:
1st = Cannonball
2nd = Proteus
3rd = Bella Mente
4th = Evniki
5th = Momo
Race 6 Today:
1st = Bella Mente
2nd = Momo
3rd = Proteus
4th = Cannonball
5th = Evniki
The Final Day of the Corfu Challenge is tomorrow, Saturday, July 8th, 2017.
The original Bella Mente Racing campaign kicked off in 2006 with Key West Race Week, and since then owner and skipper Hap Fauth has had three additional racing yachts in the program.
Launched in September of 2018, the current Bella Mente is a Maxi 72 designed by Botin Partners in Spain and built by New England Boatworks in Rhode Island.
