After the first two days of racing in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship, the regatta had its scheduled lay day today (Wednesday, September 4^th), allowing Bella Mente Racing to reflect and prepare for the final days ahead.

Aerial view of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda during the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi)

“We improved our performance the second day,” said owner/driver Hap Fauth. “Though our boat speed has been lack luster, the team has performed well in extremely light conditions. Bella will shine in ten knots and above.”

Fauth and the team may get their wish, with heavier breeze forecasted for the final three days of the event.

Check out today’s event release and video at http://regattanews.com/pressrelease.aspx?cid=28412&lid=1&eid=294&clid=685&year=2013&ctid=6

This morning, Bella Mente Racing awoke to news of another day of light wind conditions off Porto Cervo for the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship. The team experienced similar conditions yesterday, when the fleet kicked off day one of racing with a 25 mile coastal race. Today, two windward leeward races were scheduled and completed.

Day 2 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

After postponements onshore, the Mini Maxi fleet headed out on the water at 11:15 a.m., but Race 2 didn’t get underway until 1:45 p.m. when the wind, coming from the northeast, crept up to seven knots.

Day 2 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

“We did very well to salvage a great beat from an average start in the first race of the day, and ended up second at the top mark,” said Bella Mente Racing’s Strategist John Cutler. “We pushed the boat to its limit in trying conditions, and anytime we had a bit of a puff, Bella Mente sailed great.  Once again, the crew work was flawless, and we continued to gain on Shockwave throughout the first run, and then passed them on the final beat.”

Bella Mente crossed the finish line in first place, ahead of Shockwave, but the results on corrected time were too close to call immediately. The team later found out that they finished second, just two seconds (on corrected) behind Shockwave.

Day 2 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Race 3 was started in a slightly dying breeze, but with just enough wind for the Race Committee to get things going. Bella Mente started from the pin-end, and for the upwind leg the team battled Stig and Rán 2 on the left side of the course, while Alegre and Shockwave took on the right side. The right side of the course paid off in the end and Alegre rounded in first place, followed by Rán 2, Shockwave, Stig and Bella Mente respectively. Downwind, Bella Mente was able to pass Stig, but narrowly lost to Caol Ila R, finishing the race in fifth place.

Day 2 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Tomorrow is forecasted to be even lighter breeze than day one and two of racing, so the Race Committee has moved the event’s lay day from Thursday up to tomorrow (Wednesday, September 4^th). The final three days of racing (Thursday, September 5^th through Saturday, September 7^th) are looking much more promising in terms of weather conditions, with steady and building breeze forecasted.

“So far, it has been a light wind regatta, which has not favored Bella Mente,” said  owner/skipper Hap Fauth. “We have sailed a tactically strong race achieving very mediocre results. Hopefully, after tomorrow’s lay day, we will have more wind and better results for the last three days of racing.”

On Thursday, the Mini Maxi fleet will race in two more windward leeward races. Keep checking in for more updates on Bella Mente Racing’s website, Facebook page and Twitter profile.

Practice Week in Porto Cervo, Italy before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Bella Mente Racing wrapped up practice sessions in Porto Cervo, Italy today in preparation for the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship.  It was a productive day on the water, and the team was able to do many practice starts and races against competitors, which were run by Bella Mente Racing’s coach Tom Burnham.  Most of the Mini Maxi racing fleet participated, including Rán 2, Shockwave, Caol Ila R and Alegre.

Practice Week in Porto Cervo, Italy before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Tomorrow (September 2^nd) the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship will start with a coastal race, which will take competitors on a course that will range anywhere between 30 and 70 nautical miles; each coastal race counts 1.5 times in the scoring system here, and cannot be discarded, so the pressure is on!

Practice Week in Porto Cervo, Italy before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

After many long days of practice, mostly in light winds, the team is happy to be getting into racing mode. Weather conditions for the first few days is forecasted to be light, but pressure should be building later in the week.

Bella Mente Racing will be updating the website along with Facebook and Twitter daily, but readers can also get full race reports and updates at http://regattanews.com/gallery.aspx?eid=294&year=2013&clid=0&ctid=100

Practice Week in Porto Cervo, Italy before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)