2024 IMA Maxi European Championship

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Bella Mente First to Finish & Breaks Nassau Cup Record

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS (February 21, 2025) – Bella Mente Racing secured an impressive victory in the 2025 Nassau Cup Ocean Race, finishing first and breaking the previous race record. The team covered the 177.7-nautical-mile course from Miami to Nassau in 9 hours, 20 minutes, and 49 seconds, averaging just over 19 knots across the Gulf Stream.

The race presented significant challenges, with a forecasted rough sea state in the Gulf Stream adding an element of uncertainty. However, Bella Mente’s high-performance, water-ballasted, twin-rudder boat thrived in the conditions.

“To say we were a little nervous about how our ‘inshore rocket’ would handle the conditions was an understatement,” said Mike Sanderson, Bella Mente afterguard. “We knew she would be quick, but ‘managing the asset’ was a key focus. In the end, it turned into a dream run—fast, wet, and exhilarating. When you’re racing to the Bahamas in warm waters, it’s pretty special.”

Tactician Terry Hutchinson praised the preparation and execution of the campaign: “A great race to Nassau with Bella Mente breaking the 2013 record. The shore team deserves the MVP award for this race—anytime you cross the Gulf Stream, reliability is crucial to success. Over 176 miles, our preparation was put to the test, and the team delivered. The sailors enjoyed a fast ride and were rewarded with a record and a podium finish. Congratulations to Marty Roesch and the team on Velocity for a well-sailed race.”

Bella Mente during and after the 2025 Nassau Cup
(Photo Credit: James Lyne & Rob Ouellette/ Bella Mente Racing) 

With the Nassau Cup complete, Bella Mente will now shift focus to Europe, where the team will prepare to defend their European Championship in Sorrento, Italy.

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Bella Mente Sets Sail: Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race and the Spirit of the Southern Ocean Racing Conference

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The Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race has a rich history and a sense of adventure tied to it—no wonder it’s become one of the premier events on the sailing calendar! It’s fascinating how a casual delivery run turned into such a celebrated competition, complete with legendary stops on Duval Street.

Best of luck to the Bella Mente crew on Thursday, January 9, 2025—may they sail fast and enjoy the rewards at the finish line!

Hap Fauth is back at the helm for the 68th Annual Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race!

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Good luck to Hap and all competitors on Friday, December 6, 2024! This historic regatta, first sailed in 1957, is one of the oldest in North America and part of the prestigious Islands in the Stream series. Known as the “Race to the Buffet,” it challenges sailors with the Gulf Stream’s twists and early winter weather along Florida’s coast. From ocean racing machines to coastal cruisers, the race draws a diverse fleet to the two-course format, wrapping up with the legendary seafood feast at the Sailfish Club of Florida.

Follow the Team and the Regatta

Final race report from Bella Mente will be posted on the website following the race. For more updates during practice and the regatta, follow the team on Facebook and Instagram, Hashtag: #BellaMenteRacing2024

For event updates visit Wirth M Munroe Race and follow the regatta via social media on Facebook.

Bella Mente has been crowned IMA’s Maxi European Champion

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Owner and helmsman Hap Fauth reflected on the journey, stating: “Today marked the culmination of some insightful changes in Bella Mente’s internal design. She’s finally starting to reach her potential after five years. It’s truly rewarding for the crew and her owner. We’re looking forward to our next adventure in the SORC regatta!”

Bella Mente to Compete in Maxi Class at NYYC ORC World Championship

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Bella Mente will participate in the NYYC ORC World Championship on Narragansett Bay from October 1-5, 2024. The 5-day event will feature four inshore races and one short offshore race, ringing together top talent in the Maxi Class. It is the first time in two decades this race has been run.

Stay tuned for nightly race reports as Bella Mente competes against Vesper and Temptation/Oakcliff in this highly anticipated regatta.

Follow the Team and the Regatta

Nightly race reports from Bella Mente will be posted on the website during racing. For more updates during practice and the regatta, follow the team on Facebook and Instagram, Hashtag: #BellaMenteRacing2024

To track the races: https://www.tractrac.com/event-page/event_20240927_ORCWorldCh/

Follow Bella Mente in the IMA Maxi European Championship in Sorrento, Italy

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Sorrento, Italy, May 15, 2024 – The highly anticipated IMA Maxi European Championship/Tre Golfi Sailing Week is set to commence, and eyes are on Bella Mente, one of the formidable competitors in this prestigious sailing event. As the championship unfolds, sailing enthusiasts and sports fans alike are invited to follow the exhilarating journey of Bella Mente as it vies for victory against the best in the world.

The 2024 edition of the Maxi European Championship will take place off Sorrento from May 17-23. It includes a 150 mile long-distance race along the course of the 69th Tre Golfi Regatta and four days of inshore races.

“We are thrilled to compete in the IMA Maxi European Championship and showcase the capabilities of Bella Mente,” said Hap Fauth, owner and Helmsman. “Our team has been preparing extensively, and we are ready to take on the best in the sport.”

Follow the Team and the Regatta

Nightly race reports from Bella Mente will be posted on the website during racing. For more updates during practice and the regatta, follow the team on Facebook and Instagram, Hashtag: #BellaMenteRacing2024

For event updates visit IMA Maxi European Championship and follow the regatta via social media on Facebook and Instagram.

Victory for Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2023

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© ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi

COSTA SMERALDA, SARDINIA, ITALY (September 9, 2023) – Eight teams competed in the Maxi B Division at the 33rd edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, held in Porto Cervo, Italy, September 3-9. The Maxi B Division was comprised of five Maxi 72-77s, the 82ft Django HF and two VO65s.

Hap Fauth is a previous three time Rolex Mini Maxi/Maxi 72 World Championship winner, a title last won in 2016 and now regained in 2023. The current Bella Mente raced in 2019, but it was on this fourth attempt this year, with the latest updates of his 74ft maxi that Bella Mente returned to glory, with a three point lead of George Sakellaris’ Proteus and six points of Peter Harrison’s Pepe Cannonball.

“Our boat had great speed – the phenomenal boat compensated for my age!” said Fauth. “We come to this event every year and we work hard at it – it is the pinnacle of our season. The hospitality is fantastic and the sailing conditions are usually the best. I will keep coming for as long as I am above the ground! I have a great crew including Terry Hutchinson, Mike Sanderson, Adrian Stead, and Ian Moore who keep me from making too many mistakes.”

Tactician Terry Hutchinson said the result was vindication of the changes they had made to the boat since finishing third last year. “It was hard – because we felt we had sailed really well and it just wasn’t happening and we needed to figure out how to make it better. All our boat builders who got involved in the upgrades deserve credit. They delivered a nice reliable boat to us.”

Fauth added: “Once again, all systems are go for a fresh new 2024 season in the Med!”

Bella Mente Prepped and Ready for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo for 33rd edition

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Bella Mente will be racing in the 33rd edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with title sponsor Rolex and the International Maxi Association in Porto Cervo from September 3rd to 9th.

Bella Mente’s preparation in 2023 has stemmed around being successful at the 2023 Rolex Maxi World Championship. The approach has taken an aggressive look at our racing over the 21 and 22 seasons recognizing the strengths of our competition and balancing with the strengths and weaknesses of Bella Mente according to Tactician, Terry Hutchinson. To get Bella Mente to the spot she is today has been a monumental effort by the Bella Mente shore team. As we worked to learn and understand the changes through the Newport season we can see noticeable changes to Bella Mente’s performance. Lining up against the other Maxi’s will be a great test for the team. As we wait for the Mistral to lay down I know we are all anxious to get into the racing!

Nightly race reports will be posted to the Bella Mente Racing website

Follow Bella Mente Racing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Follow the Maxi 72 Class on the Class Website and Facebook

For race results, visit Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup Results

Bella Mente to Participate in the ORC A Division of the NYYC ORC East Coast Championship

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NYYC is hosting the ORC East Coast Championships – another great opportunity to sharpen Bella Mente’s skills before the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in September. The three-day event will include two days of windward-leeward racing and one day with a coastal race.

Nightly race reports will be posted to the Bella Mente Racing website

Follow Bella Mente Racing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Follow the Maxi 72 Class on the Class Website and Facebook
Follow the New York Yacht Club on the NYYC Website, Facebook and Instagram

For race results, visit Yacht Scoring

How to Follow Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2022

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Hap Fauth and his team, onboard Bella Mente, are set to start at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2022 from Monday, September 5 – Saturday, September 10 (Lay Day on Thursday, September 8).

Follow the Team and the Regatta

Nightly race reports from Bella Mente will be posted on the website during racing. For more updates during practice and the regatta, follow the team on Facebook and Instagram, Hashtag: #BellaMenteRacing2022

For event updates visit Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and follow the regatta via social media on Facebook and Instagram.

Race Week at Newport: Bella Mente Racing Wins ORC A

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Media Pro Int’l, Barby MacGowan, barby.macgowan@mediapronewport.com, 401-849-0220 

NEWPORT, R.I. (July 21, 2022) – After winning the New York Yacht Club’s Annual Regatta in June, Bella Mente Racing stayed true to fine form and punctuated July with a victory at New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. The biennial race week, in its 13th edition, ran from Wednesday, July 13, to Saturday, July 16, and offered up spectacular sailing conditions and a variety of courses both “inside” on Narragansett Bay and “outside” on Rhode Island Sound. Bella Mente sailed in ORC A Class with only one other rival, the IRC 72 Vesper. (The Maxi 72 Proteus, which had planned to compete, did not do so in the end.)

“What made the regatta great was having Hap back onboard with his team,” said Bella Mente’s tactician Terry Hutchinson, explaining that Mike Sanderson stepped in to drive for owner/driver Hap Fauth at Annual Regatta. “He brings real energy to the program through his leadership and experience.”

Bella Mente went head-to-head with Vesper during Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex (Credit: ©ROLEX/Daniel Forster)

Of the eight total races completed by ORC A, one was in light air; the rest were sailed in 8-12 knots.

“We did three races outside the first day; one race up the Bay in flat water the next day; Around Conanicut Island the third day; and three races again inside the Bay the fourth day,” said Hutchinson. “Our basic approach was to put emphasis every time on winning the first cross on the first leg. It makes it a whole lot easier for the rest of the race, especially when you are match racing a team like Vesper.”

Citing a score line of straight bullets, Sanderson added: “Given that we beat Vesper on the water in all but one race where they withdrew, we are very proud of the results…but first and foremost, we always judge our performance against what we know we are capable of as a team with our boat preparation, practice and execution on the racetrack. After St. Barths where we were so soundly beaten by Vesper in every race and the result was so frustrating, it has been great over these last two events to get back on track. We still, however, aren’t where we want or need to be for the Rolex Maxi Worlds at the beginning of September, so there is still a lot of work to do, and we will straight away get our heads together about what the next small steps of improvement are possible.”

A high angle view of people on a boat Description automatically generated with low confidence
Bella Mente at work to win Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex (Credit: ©ROLEX/Daniel Forster)

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, serving as the Maxi Worlds, will be held in Port Cervo, Sardinia, Italy, September 2-10, 2022.

“We’re starting to find out Bella Mente’s capabilities!” said Fauth, who launched his Botin Partners-designed 72-footer in late 2018 and experienced setbacks to his team’s racing schedule, as many did, during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s a new boat in many ways, and this week was a learning experience for our crew, so we are looking forward to the World Championships for more competition.”

With Fauth’s previous Bella Mente – a Judel/Vroliijk design – Bella Mente Racing captured the Mini Maxi World Championship in 2012 and the Maxi 72 Worlds in 2015 and 2016.

For more information, visit https://bellamenteracing.com/. Follow Bella Mente Racing on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

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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.

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Bella Mente has been crowned IMA’s Maxi European Champion. Owner and helmsman Hap Fauth reflected on the journey, stating: “Today marked the culmination of some insightful changes in Bella Mente's internal design. She’s finally starting to reach her potential after five years. It’s truly rewarding for the crew and her owner. We’re looking forward to our next adventure in the SORC regatta!”