Quote from Owner and Skipper Hap Fauth on Giraglia Rolex Cup Offshore Race:
“This was a very challenging race for Bella Mente. We sat with no wind for a good portion of the day, but were in it until the very end when we lost out on a bad shift coming into Genoa. The smaller boats brought in fresh breeze and did very well.”
(Photo Credit Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi)
Bella Mente Racing has embarked on Giraglia Rolex Cup’s Grand Finale, a 243-nautical mile offshore race, which started in St. Tropez (France) and takes the fleet around Giraglia Rock, on the Northern tip of Corsica all the way to Genoa (Italy). Winds were moderate at the start and the forecast for the next few days keeps changing, but at this time it is expected to stay on the light side throughout racing! The team has 12 of its 22 sailors onboard. Wish us luck!
(Photo Credit Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi)
Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi
“We raced the first two coastal races in mostly light and sometimes moderate conditions,” said Boat Captain Peter Henderson. “We are pushing and testing some new concepts here in our offshore configuration, and have one more coastal race today before embarking on the Giraglia Rolex Cup distance race on tomorrow. While we have had some results so far that are tough to swallow, the team is excited to compete in the offshore race which will take us 243-nautical miles around Giraglia Rock on the Northern tip of Corsica, then to the finish in Genoa, Italy.”
Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi
Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi
Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi
Bella Mente Racing arrived in Palma de Mallorca, Spain on Friday, April 19th and the team has already begun what will be a full week of preparation both on and off the water before its first event, Palma Vela, on May 1st. Stay tuned for more photos throughout the week!
Bella Mente is currently enroute to Mallorca, Spain after being loaded in West Palm Beach, Florida yesterday, March 29.
photo credit left Kevin Johnson Photography; photo credit right Ocean Images/Team Phaedo
Bella Mente Racing took first in IRC 0 and second in IRC overall at the RORC Caribbean 600, crossing the finish line in approximately 48 hours (3 days 4 hours and 52 min on corrected time).
“The RORC conducted a superb distance race,” said owner and drive Hap Fauth. “For the RORC Caribbean 600 we all anticipated 20 to 25 knots, but a confused sea state and lots of turns made for a super challenging 48 hour event for us.”
photo credit RORC/Tim Wright/Photoaction.com
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.
