Bella Mente Racing Archives - Page 6 of 55

RORC Caribbean 600: Get Set for a Cracker + Preview Video

February 18, 2019 By Bella Mente Leave a Comment

11th edition RORC Caribbean 600. Start on Monday 18 February 1100 local time (1500 UTC).
The start of the RORC Caribbean 600 will be streamed live on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RoyalOceanRacingClub/ and on the official race blog: http://caribbean600.rorc.org/Live/2019-rorc-caribbean-600-race-live.html

Battle lines for the RORC Caribbean 600

February 15, 2019 By Bella Mente Leave a Comment

Posted in News 2019

Seventy-eight yachts have entered the eleventh edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, where in excess of 700 sailors from six continents and yachts from over 20 nations will compete in the thrilling race around 11 Caribbean islands starting on Monday 18th February.

Winners from the Olympic Games, America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and multiple world champions have gathered in Antigua and will be competing alongside passionate corinthian sailors, both young and old.

Ten multihulls will be racing, boasting phenomenal talent among the crews. Jason Carroll (USA) will be racing MOD70 Argo with Francois Gabart, winner of the 2012-13 Vendée Globe, and Jules Verne winner Brian Thompson (GBR). Giovanni Soldini’s (ITA) Multi70 Maserati has been in fine form taking line honours in the Rolex Middle Sea Race and the RORC Transatlantic Race. The 2019 RORC Caribbean 600 is the first time that Maserati and Argo have lined up. If the conditions are right, both teams are capable of eclipsing the Multihull Race Record set by Lloyd Thornburg’s Phaedo3 in 2016 (31 hours, 59 minutes, 04 seconds).

Shannon Falcone (ANT), a two-time winner of the America’s Cup is racing his foiling F4 catamaran Falcon, and back after last year’s capsize is Greg Synstad’s Fujin (USA) with America’s Cup winner Peter Isler and Olympic Gold medallist Jonathan McKee on board. Two American Gunboats are likely to have a close battle; John Gallagher’s Gunboat 62 Chim Chim and the Gunboat 60 Arethusa of Phil Lotz; the latter having the combined talents of Paul Larsen (AUS) and Jeff Mearing (GBR) on board.

IRC Zero is the largest class competing this year with 15 teams. The quest for Monohull Line Honours is wide open. A trio of Maxi72s are likely contenders to be first home and to win the race overall. Hap Fauth, two-time winner of the RORC Caribbean 600 (2015 and 2017) is racing the brand new Bella Mente (USA) with a stellar crew including; Terry Hutchinson (USA) skipper for American Magic in the 36th America’s Cup. The formidable afterguard includes two-time Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper, Mike Sanderson (NZL), three-time round the world winner Brad Jackson, and Adrian Stead (GBR) who has been on winning teams for the ‘600 more than any other sailor.

George Sakellaris (USA) racing Maxi 72 Proteus in his fifth RORC Caribbean 600 has also won overall on two previous occasions (2014 and 2016). Proteus’ crew includes Curtis Blewett (CAN) an America’s Cup and round the world race winner, plus multiple Star Sailors League winner Mark Mendelblatt (USA), Volvo Ocean Race winner Dirk De Ridder (NED), and multiple world champion Andy Hemmings (GBR).

Peter Harrison’s British Maxi 72 Sorcha will be lining up for the first time this season against the other Maxis and it will also be their first time in the race. The crew includes numerous past winners of the RORC Caribbean 600: Willy Beavis (GBR), Mo Gray (GBR), Steve Hayles (GBR), Andy Meiklejohn (NZL), Tim Powell (GBR), Freddy Shanks (GBR) and Niklas Zennstrom (SWE).

David and Peter Askew (USA) racing Volvo 70 Wizard will be skippered by Charlie Enright (USA) and three past winners of the Volvo Ocean Race: Simon Fisher (GBR), Phil Harmer (AUS) and Daryl Wislang (NZL).

The two largest yachts in the race; JV 115 Nikata and Will Apold’s Canadian Southern Wind 96 Sorceress will be hoping for full-on conditions. Nikata and Sorceress are expected to have a magnificent superyacht battle around the 600-mile course.

Shannon Falconne’s F4 Falcon is one of 10 multihulls in the race © Amory Ross

A trio of Maxis includes Peter Harrison’s British Maxi 72 Sorcha © https://www.facebook.com/sorchatp52/

JV115 Nikata is the largest yacht in the fleet © Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Franco Niggeler’s Kuka3 won the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race © Arthur Daniel

British yacht Tala is vying to be the first TP52 to win the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy. The relative minnows of IRC Zero include several yachts 50ft or less. Cookson 50s have won the race overall on two occasions and this year two will be battling for glory: Joseph Mele’s American Triple Lindy and Franco Niggeler’s Swiss Kuka 3, skippered by Volvo Ocean Race winner Chuny Bermudez (ESP). Carkeek 47 White Rhino 2, owned by Stuart Todd (USA) and British-based Ker 46 Lady Mariposa, sailed by Nigel King (GBR) are the smallest yachts in the big boat class.

The RORC Caribbean 600 is part of the Class40 2019 Championship and a record 10 pocket rockets will be on the start line. Catherine Pourre’s Eärendil set the race record last year (2 days 13 hours and 15 seconds) and Louis Burton’s BHB was runner-up in 2018. Three stand-out new French entrants are: Luke Berry’s Lamotte – Module Création, third in the 2018 Class40 Championship, Aïna Enfance Et Avenir, skippered by Aymeric Chappellier who was runner-up in the 2017 Transat Jacques Vabre and 2018 Route du Rhum. Kito de Pavant, skipper of Made in Midi is a former Figaro winner and Vendée Globe competitor.

IRC One has entries from seven different nations; Gibb Kane’s Swan 66 Bounty (USA) is the largest yacht in the class and the crew includes round the world sailor Mike Joubert (RSA). The fastest team on IRC rating is Godspeed 52 owned by Christian Kargl (SUI). Marten 49 Summer Storm, owned by Andrew Berdon (USA) includes Stu Bannatyne (NZL) who is the only sailor to have won the Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race four times. Two Antiguan boats will also be competing in this class: Bernie Evan-Wong will be taking charge of his RP37 Taz and competing in his 11th edition of the race as skipper, and OnDeck’s Farr 65 Spirit of Juno, skippered by Paul Jackson. Finnish hopes lie with the Swan 57 Lintu owned by Jyrki Maeki and Xp44 Xtra Staerk owned by Arto Linnervuo. Second in class last year, Giles Redpath’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra will be raced by a team from Lake Constance, Germany.

Catherine Pourre’s Eärendil set the Class40 race record in the 2018 race of 2 days 13 hours and 15 seconds © Tim Wright/Photoaction.com

Gibb Kane’s Swan 66 Bounty © Studio Borlenghi

IRC Two could be described as the clash of the British-based charter boats. Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster will be taking part in their 7th race, winning class on six occasions. Performance Yacht Racing based in Cowes, Isle of Wight has three entries; Grand Soleil 43s Quokka and Jua Kali, plus Beneteau First 47.7 EH01. Two Beneteau First 40s from Hamble, Hampshire will have their own private battle: Yuri Fadeev’s Optimus Prime and Sailing Logic’s Rocket Dog 2, and Pamala Baldwin (USA) racing the Antiguan-based J/122 Liquid is back in action after completing last year’s exceptionally windy race.

Three vintage Swans will be racing in IRC Three: Swan 441 Charisma will be sailed by Constantin Claviez (GER) who will be taking on two S&S Swan 48s; Isbjorn, skippered by Andy Schell (USA) and Sleeper X owned by Antiguan residents Jonty and Vicki Layfield (GBR). Also in class is Richard Oswald’s British Elan 450 Emily of Cowes and Trevor Middleton’s Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep (GBR) who was overall runner-up in the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race.

Miramar Sailing’s Grand Soleil 46.3 Phoenix, skippered by Antiguan-resident Pippa Turton (GBR) will be racing with an all-women crew from five different nations.

Three teams will be racing in the Two Handed class; Hanse 430 Avanti skippered by Jeremi Jablonski (USA) will race with Marek Mirota (POL). Swan 45 Nemesis skippered by James Heald (GBR) will race with Peter Doggart (USA). The smallest yacht in the race, Olson 35 Cabbyl Vane will be crewed by two brothers from the Netherlands, Johannes and Jankorf Gerssen.

For more information and to follow the race go to: RORC Caribbean 600 minisite: http://caribbean600.rorc.org

Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster © Paul Wyeth

Trevor Middleton’s Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep © Arthur Daniel

Jonty and Vicki Layland’s Swan 48 Sleeper X © Paul Wyeth

WATCH THE START ON FACEBOOK LIVE!
Live on Monday 18 February 10.50 local time (14.50 UTC)
Live coverage with commentary from Fort Charlotte, Antigua will be streamed from the official website and the Royal Ocean Racing Club Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/RoyalOceanRacingClub/
#Caribbean600

PLAY THE GAME – VIRTUAL RACE:
If you’re not on the startline in Antigua, join the virtual race. Be prepared for some sleepless nights – it’s addictive!
http://click.virtualregatta.com/?li=4865

FOLLOW THE RACE VIA FLEET TRACKING:
http://caribbean600.rorc.org/Race-Information/Tracking/

Bella Mente departs for Caribbean Racing Season

January 22, 2019 By Bella Mente Leave a Comment

Bella Mente heads south this weekend to Antigua for the start of winter racing in the Caribbean! Bella was loaded via ocean shipping and is being transported this week to Antigua. The first race of the 2019 season is the RORC Caribbean 600 starting on Monday, February 18th, 2019 in Antigua. Race details can be found at the Royal Ocean Racing Club link: http://caribbean600.rorc.org

Follow Bella Mente Racing in 2019 online: www.facebook.com/BellaMenteRacing

Photo Credit: Bella Mente Racing/ Peter C. Henderson – January 19th, 2019)

Bella Mente arrives in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua

January 21, 2019 By Bella Mente Leave a Comment

Happy Monday from Antigua! Bella Mente has had a busy weekend arriving in our Caribbean home! Bella arrived via ship on Friday to St. John’s Antigua and was delivered via Bella Shore Crew to Falmouth Harbour Marina on Saturday! Falmouth Harbour Marina is the home of Bella Mente Racing through April 2019! We now are preparing for the RORC Caribbean 600 Race in February 2019!

Photo Credit: Bella Mente Racing/Peter Henderson 2019

#bellamenteracing #US45 #hapbackatthehelm #designedbybotin #Antigua #FalmouthHarbour #RORCCaribbean600

Bella Mente at home in Falmouth Harbour
Arrival in St. Johns, Antigua
Bella Mente at home in Falmouth Harbour

All Systems Go for Bella Mente Racing

January 7, 2019 By Bella Mente Leave a Comment

Launched in September 2018, the new 72-foot Maxi yacht Bella Mente looks to be on course for attaining successes not unlike those achieved by its three previous namesakes owned and skippered by businessman and champion sailor Hap Fauth (Minneapolis, Minn./Naples, Fla.). Fauth and his all-star Bella Mente Racing Team are three-time Maxi 72 World champions shooting for a fourth world title while Fauth concurrently spearheads the New York Yacht Club’s American Magic challenge for the 2021 America’s Cup. And while juggling two of the world’s highest-profile sailing campaigns with running an industrial holding company the size of The Churchill Companies might be daunting to some, it only further energizes Fauth.

*Bella Mente* during sea trials on Narragansett Bay off Newport, R.I.
(Photo Credit: James Lyne)

“If I were to wait two or three years, I might not have the same motivation to do this type of thing, so why not do it now?” said Fauth, age 73, after breaking the elapsed-time monohull record with the new Bella Mente in December’s 60-mile Wirth M. Munroe Regatta (Miami to Palm Beach). “And besides, two sailing programs are twice the fun.”

According to Fauth, the Wirth M. Munroe Regatta was about testing Bella Mente in the notoriously rugged Gulf Stream before its first major race of 2019: the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s (RORC) Caribbean 600 in February. “There was no breakage, no mysterious sounds. The boat feels great; it’s very well balanced and easy to put in a groove and keep it there.”

*Bella Mente* before launching in September, 2018
(Photo Credit: Jennifer Tille)

The new Bella Mente was designed by Botin Partners in Spain and built at New England Boatworks in Rhode Island, where the boat went through seven days of sea trials after its launch. Terry Hutchinson, Bella Mente’s longtime tactician, who also is working with Fauth on the American Magic project, said he could tell “straightaway” that the boat was a winner.

“We dropped off some pretty big waves in Narragansett Bay and didn’t have to go in for anything going wrong,” said Hutchinson, explaining that Bella Mente was then shipped to West Palm Beach for more sea trials. The team sailed in more big waves and “nasty short, sharp chop…max runner, max mainsheet load; everything was wound on.” Everything hung in there; there were no issues.

*Bella Mente* during sea trials after launching.
(Photo Credit: James Lyne)

“These are intricate boats, and the reason that happened is because of all the people that paid incredible attention to detail,” said Hutchinson. “It starts with the Captain (Peter Henderson) and follows through to the shore team and the build team.”

Hutchinson said the original plan had been to launch the boat and go straight to the 2018 Worlds; however, in the end it was determined that the schedule was too tight. “Had we done that, however, I think that the shore team and sailing crew would have done an unbelievable job of executing, and the boat would have performed just fine.” Though it’s a new boat, the sailing team (including offshore helmsman and crew boss Mike Sanderson, navigator Ian Moore and strategist Adrian Stead) is much the same as it has been for five years.

Clockwise from left: Hap Fauth with Terry Hutchinson after the Wirth W. Munroe Race, Fauth at the helm of *Bella Mente* during training, crew debrief after training. (Photo Credit: Jennifer Tille)

“We have guys that own their areas of expertise, and they’ve done laps around the world,” said Hutchinson. “We have good balance across the wide spectrum of racing that we do, and for the better part of three years the Bella Mente Racing Team has had a 75% winning percentage of regattas entered. It’s hard to complain about that.”

As for how he and Fauth will balance the two sailing campaigns, Hutchinson is direct with his answer: “Proper planning, clear objectives.”

Fauth agreed that the Bella Mente campaign will have its own energy separate from the American Magic campaign. “We’re going at this with the same discipline, the same passion and same commitment that we’ve applied to every one of our Maxi 72 campaigns,” he said. “We have the best people, the best resources, and we approach our sailing in the most efficient manner to get the best results.”

As CEO of the American Magic syndicate, Fauth says he and the other principals (Doug DeVos, Roger Penske) are giving their all to help their team progress to the America’s Cup finals to compete against defender Emirates Team New Zealand for the oldest trophy in international sport.

“It’s a path I’ve never been down before, but I’m pretty convinced I can handle this and the Bella Mente campaign at the same time,” said Fauth, pausing before laughing. “I have a great capacity for pain!”

Sponsors for Bella Mente Racing include Churchill Yachts, DICKEY-john, ESC, New England Boatworks, Spectrum, Tekran and TSI.

Bella Mente’s 2019 regatta calendar can be found here. For more information, visit https://bellamenteracing.com/. Follow Bella Mente Racing on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.