After five days of high intensity racing off Porto Cervo, the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship came to a close today (September 7th) with Bella Mente Racing taking second- and fourth-place finishes in the final two races, resulting in fourth-place overall.
Day 5 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)
“The crew was outstanding, and this was good regatta for boat development,” said owner/driver Hap Fauth adding that the team worked its way up the ladder throughout the week after a challenging first day of racing. “Overall it was a great event, and we learned a lot about Bella Mente in light air conditions.”
Day 5 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)
The fifth and final day was comprised of two windward-leeward races, and Race 7 started in eight to ten knots of breeze. Bella Mente got off on the right foot with an excellent pin-end start, and took on Rán 2 in a tactical fight upwind. Rán 2 rounded mark one in first-place, followed by Bella Mente in second-place, and the two teams kept their positions through to the end of the race.
The breeze kicked up to 11 knots for Race 8, and Bella Mente had another great start, but this time from the committee boat end. The team held third-place overall until the last downwind leg, when the fleet compressed, resulting in a fourth-place finish for Bella Mente.
Congratulations to Niklas and Catherine Zennström and the entire Rán 2 team for winning this year’s Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship! We will be back next year to challenge you for it!
Day 5 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)
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