Bella Mente Racing

Home / Archives for Bella Mente Racing

Bella’s 2014 Campaign in Photos

By Leave a Comment

Here is Bella Mente Racing’s 2014 Campaign in pictures. Tell us which photo is your favorite by liking the images below on our Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BellaMenteRacing). Happy #ThrowbackThursday! 

Quantum Key West Race Week 2014 Premiere Racing (Photo Credit: Onne van der Wal)

Quantum Key West Race Week 2014 Premiere Racing (Photo Credit: Onne van der Wal)

2014 RORC Caribbean 600 Royal Ocean Racing Club (Photo Credit: Tim Wright)

2014 RORC Caribbean 600 Royal Ocean Racing Club (Photo Credit: Tim Wright)

2014 Les Voiles de St Barth (Photo Credit: Amory Ross)

2014 Les Voiles de St Barth (Photo Credit: Amory Ross)

The 160th NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex (Photo Credit: Onne van der Wal)

The 160th NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex (Photo Credit: Onne van der Wal)

2014 Newport Bermuda Race (Photo Credit: Onne van der Wal)

2014 Newport Bermuda Race (Photo Credit: Onne van der Wal)

The 33rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE/ Regata Copa del Rey (Photo Credit: Jesus Renedo)

The 33rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE/ Regata Copa del Rey (Photo Credit: Jesus Renedo)

The 2014 Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit: Jesus Renedo)

The 2014 Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit: Jesus Renedo)

Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship: Day 4

By Leave a Comment

The Mini Maxi Rolex World Championships will be full of showdowns tomorrow, with Bella Mente Racing along with six other tough competitors going into the final day of racing, all vying for a podium finish. The fleet of seven has been racing since Monday, September 1 and wrapped up its second coastal race of the week today off Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

Mini Maxi Rolex World Championships Day 4 (Photo Credit Jesus Renedo)

Mini Maxi Rolex World Championships Day 4 (Photo Credit Jesus Renedo)

“It was a tough day for a coastal race,” said Terry Hutchinson who joins owner/driver Hap Fauth along with Mike Sanderson, John Cutler and Ian Moore in the afterguard. “The first beat was 1.6 miles sailed in seven knots of true wind speed. From there it was follow the leader, Alegre. Bella Mente fought hard all day and it is hard to not be disappointed, as the effort was not reflected in our result. Tomorrow is a new day, we will get back up and fight!”

Mini Maxi Rolex World Championships Day 4 (Photo Credit Jesus Renedo)

Mini Maxi Rolex World Championships Day 4 (Photo Credit Jesus Renedo)

Currently, the team is only two points from third place, which is currently occupied by Niklas Zennstrom’s Ran 5. Tomorrow’s racing will include two windward leeward races.

“The goal for tomorrow is to finish strong and make our way onto the podium. It will be no easy task, but I am confident Bella Mente is up for the challenge.”

Full Gallery from the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championships Day 4 (Photo Credit Jesus Renedo)

Copa del Rey: Day 1

By Leave a Comment

Copa del rey 2014, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Bella Mente Racing took to the Bay of Palma today for day one of competition in the 33rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE. The team, led by owner/driver Hap Fauth, finished IRC 0’s two races in second and fourth place, respectively, and is currently tied for second with fellow mini maxi Alegre.

Copa del rey 2014, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

“It was a very solid first day for Bella Mente,” said Mike Sanderson, the team’s crew boss. “The boat is going quick enough to win the event. Don’t get me wrong, all of the other mini maxis are also sailing fast, but if we can keep pushing we have a shot at the top position, which is always a good feeling.”

Copa del rey 2014, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

The team will continue racing through Saturday, August 9. Tune in for more nightly reports featuring Hap Fauth, Mike Sanderson, John Cutler and Peter Henderson. For more updates, follow the team on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information on the 33rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE, visit http://bit.ly/ULAhwj

Photo Gallery: Day 1 at 2014 Copa del Rey

 

 

 

 

Photo Gallery: Newport Bermuda Start

By Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Onne van der Wal

Newport Bermuda Race Starts Today!

By 1 Comment

Bella Mente Racing bids farewell to its homeport of Newport today to embark on the 635-mile Newport Bermuda Race. In 2012, the 72-foot mini maxi won the biennial ocean classic’s Harvey Conover Memorial Trophy for being the second yacht to finish in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division (IRC).

2012 Newport Bermuda Race Copyright 2012 Daniel Forster/PPL

Bella Mente during the 2012 Newport Bermuda Race (Photo Credit: Daniel Forster/PPL)

“We have done a lot of preparation and worked as hard as possible to get where we are right now, and Bella Mente has a good opportunity to win the race,” said owner/driver Hap Fauth who has been competing in the Newport Bermuda Race on different boats since he was 16-years-old. “Distance racing is a lot different than around-the-buoys, and there are a lot of adjustments that need to be made to the boat and crew to be ready for it. It is all about slowing down and executing. Doing things safely but getting it done.”

2012 Newport Bermuda Race Fleet (Photo Credit: Daniel Forster/PPL)

2012 Newport Bermuda Race Fleet (Photo Credit: Daniel Forster/PPL)

Also in the 164-boat fleet is fellow mini maxi Shockwave which won the IRC class back in 2012. Bella Mente will race with 18 sailors onboard, and Fauth will be joined in the afterguard by John Cutler, Ian Moore and Mike Sanderson.

“Our strategic decisions for the first twelve hours of the race are still being decided this morning,” said Sanderson adding that the team aims to complete Newport Bermuda in less than three days. “For a boat of Bella Mente’s speed the racecourse is split into three quite distinct phases. We will sail in light air for the first 250 miles before hitting the Gulf Stream. At this point we will experience the strongest amount of water flow and could be sailing upwind in quite a lot of wind, which has the potential of being a little bit heinous. After that, we should get into some pretty nice southwesterly reaching conditions that will helpblast us to Bermuda.

The most important part of the race is when we are playing the Gulf Stream, because it is the most risky from a safety standpoint; also, if we get the currents wrong it could drastically change our speed and our outcome in the race.”

Bella Mente is racing in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division and will start off Castle Hill in Newport, R.I. today at 2:30 p.m. (EST). Follow the team live during the event through Pantaenius Race Tracking at www.pantaenius.com/NBRtracking.

 

Day 3: NYYC Annual Regatta

By Leave a Comment

The breeze finally decided to make an appearance for day three of the NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, and it was a welcome change for the Bella Mente Racing Team which took first place overall in the IRC 1 class.

30673_0_2_photo_NYYCAR14df_0691_web

Rolex / Daniel Forster

“This weekend was all about us getting the systems back in place for a year of intense mini maxi racing,” said the team’s crew boss Mike Sanderson. “Everything from when we wake up in the morning to debriefing when we get off the water has to be a smooth and efficient system for the team to achieve its best. This weekend it was great to have the extremely fast Rambler and the well-rated Caol Ila R to compete against.

“Although the weather gods didn’t play ball with us, the race committee did an amazing job and we ended up with two decent races, and better then that we learned a huge amount about the configuration that we have put the boat in for this year.

“I have to take this opportunity to thank Pete (boat captain), Rob (project manager) and the shore team for getting the boat back in perfect condition,” added Sanderson, “and of course Hap for having us all involved in what is going to be a very exciting year in the world of Bella Mente.”

This Friday, the team will embark on the Newport Bermuda Race before heading across the Atlantic to embark on its European circuit, which includes the 33rd Copa del Rey MAPFRE in August, the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship in September and the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October.

About Bella Mente

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.

Sign Up for Team Updates

Please enter your email address to get updates directly to your inbox.

Privacy Policy

Sponsors