We are live following the Maxi 1 Class for Friday’s Racing at Les Voiles de St Barth.
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Photo credit 2017 Les Voiles de St. Barth and Christophe Jouany
Published on April 12th, 2017
Gustavia, St. Barth (April 12, 2017) – Shiftier breeze and a change in the direction and design of the racecourse, in comparison to yesterday, forced many competitors to shift gears for the second day of racing at Les Voiles de St. Barth and yielded a mixed bag of results for the event’s nine classes.
The fleet of 65 boats battled while navigating the rocky coast and its strong currents on courses, between 26 and 32 nautical miles, around the eastern side of the island.
“It was tough today because the wind was very erratic, initially blowing between 15 and 17 knots and then dropping off to around eight and ten knots,” said Hervé Hejoaka who helms Crédit Mutuel, which dropped from second to third place in CSA 4 after today. An event veteran, the team won its class here last year.
“From there it became difficult to advance the boat because of the state of the sea and especially the large surf on the east side of the island,” Hejoaka continued. “We fought like crazy and during the descent toward the Grenadines, we chose to stay close to the coast because it was smoother. This allowed us to climb back up a bit.”
For fellow 2016 class winner Sergio Sagramoso’s Lazy Dog, today had the opposite effect in CSA 2, with the Melges 32 moving up from second to first place after racing. However, fellow competitor Sir Richard Matthews’ Oystercatcher XXX1 took a hit, replacing its second place position yesterday with a fourth in CSA 2.
“We had a harder day and struggled to get off the start line a bit,” said Saskia Clark, 470 gold medalist at the Rio Olympics and calling tactics for Oystercatcher XXX1. “A big lesson for me is sailing with all the different handicaps, because I come from a one design fleet. So it’s about trying to balance what I want to do racing, but also knowing that a bigger boat is coming and I have to factor that in. Today didn’t go as well as we wanted to but we’ll keep on building on it going forward.”
For the Maxi 1 Class, Proteus may still hold the lead but the deck has been shuffled for the line-up of competitors that follows, due in part to Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente being over the line early at the start. At Les Voiles de St. Barth, there is no option to go back to the line and restart; instead, 10% of your time upon finishing is added to the final score.
Bella Mente continued on to sail a fantastic race today, taking first place on corrected time, but due to the mishap they were pushed down to sixth place in the race and fourth place overall. SFS and Prospector climbed up to second and third place, respectively.
“It was our own mistake, nobody forced it, but we are quite happy with how the race played out,” said Bella Mente Tactician Terry Hutchinson. “We did what we wanted to do. We just swung and missed at the start.”
In addition to Proteus, six competitors are still holding on to their class leads after today, including Kenneth Howery’s Fortunata in CSA 1. Unlike many of the other teams, Fortunata Tactician Tommaso Chieffi felt that today was comprised of smooth sailing and agreeable conditions.
“For us, it was fairly straightforward with no big changes in wind direction and wind strength,” said Chieffi, a world-class Italian sailor known for his Olympic and America’s Cup campaigns. Acquired just last year, Fortunata is the fifth of only 25 Solaris 50 yachts in the world, and Les Voiles de St. Barth marks the team’s second event competing onboard her.
“We struggled a bit when we raced in the Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten earlier this year, and we had some things we had to work on, but now we feel really competitive and are enjoying the week,” concluded Chieffi.
The official “Day Off” is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by the final two days of racing, Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15.
Source: Media Pro International
Photo Credit: 2017 James Lyne
Live Video from Les Voiles de St. Barth 2017: PASTILLE_INSTA_01_AE
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| Highlights of the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600 © Roddy Grimes-Graeme/Acquafilms – @acquafilmsantigua |
Start footage, interviews with winners and skippers in the 77 boat fleet, plus on board action from the race course.
THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600:
2017 – Ha Fauth, JV72, Bella Mente (USA)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Media Pro Int’l, Kirsten Ferguson, kirsten.ferguson@mediapronewport.com, 401-330-7889
Hap Fauth and his team on Maxi 72 Bella Mente competing in the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600. (Photo Credit: RORC/ELWJ Photography)
ANTIGUA, WEST INDIES (February 24, 2017) – Bella Mente Racing, led by owner/driver Hap Fauth, launched its 2017 campaign season with a major victory this week, winning IRC Overall, CSA Overall and CSA 1 at the RORC Caribbean 600 in Antigua; The team took home the coveted RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy for the IRC win as well as the Bella Mente Trophy, the team’s namesake award, for being the first IRC yacht to finish that is wholly manually powered. The 600-mile offshore race hosted a record number of competitors for its 2017 edition, with over 80 yachts hitting the waters off Antigua, but it was the battle between Bella Mente and rival Maxi 72 Proteus that took the spotlight. The yachts dueled up until the very end, with the lead switching hands on several occasions. After over two days at sea, Bella Mente ultimately prevailed, crossing the finish line on Wednesday, February 22 at 4:51 p.m. (AST), ahead of Proteus.
The Bella Mente Racing Team after winning IRC Overall at the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600 (left) and Owner/Driver Hap Fauth accepting the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy (right). (Photo Credit Left: RORC/Ted Martin / Photo Credit Right: RORC/ELWJ Photography)
“This is such an important event for our campaign each year so it was just the best to be able to come back swinging,” said Fauth adding that this year’s RORC Caribbean 600 win was exceptionally sweet for the team, which came to the event last year hoping to defend its 2015 IRC Overall win, but were forced to retire halfway into racing due to keel troubles. “We’re looking forward to the rest of our 2017 season and ultimately the Rolex Maxi 72 World Championships in Sardinia. That is what the whole season is focused on from here.
“It was a very hard fought win. Over the course of the race, the team performed 85 sail changes and all but one were executed perfectly. The crew gave a 120 percent and we got a victory out of it – a crew and afterguard-driven victory.”
Maxi 72s Bella Mente and Proteus battling it out on the racecourse in the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600. (Photo Credit: RORC/ELWJ Photography)
The 600-mile race circumnavigates 11 Caribbean islands, starting its fleet off Fort Charlotte in Antigua and then taking it north up to Barbuda and around Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Barth and St. Martin before heading south for Guadeloupe. From there, the fleet returns to Barbuda and rounds Redonda before finishing back in Antigua.
“Our playbook was pretty extensive for this race with this being our fifth RORC Caribbean 600 racing Bella Mente, however it was based on the trade winds blowing as they normally do this time of year,” said the team’s offshore helmsman Mike Sanderson adding that though the RORC Caribbean 600 racecourse was the same as previous years, the fleet experienced a completely different wind direction, which changed the tactics and dynamic onboard. That, coupled with intense competition with Proteus, made for an extremely tough race. “This year the wind conditions did a 180 in comparison to previous years, which made for an entirely different race. For me, that was the best part of this year’s event. It’s always great to have a new challenge because it means we really have to do our homework to prepare for the race. When we got out there on the course, everything looked so different going around the track even though we were in familiar surroundings.”
Hap Fauth and his team on Maxi 72 Bella Mente racing in the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600. (Photo Credit: RORC/ELWJ Photography)
Tactician Terry Hutchinson added, “It was an absolute battle all the way through. Proteus got the better of us in the pre-start and on the first leg up to Barbuda, but we did a good job of keeping it close, and one rain shower later we were bow-to-stern with the Maxi 72. For the next 450 miles we were tied to the hip. Proteus held the lead through to La Désirade (off Guadeloupe), but when we started on the 90-mile leg back to Barbuda, Bella Mente’s upwind speed shined and we were able to slip around Proteus and extend. From Barbuda to the finish we were constantly looking over our shoulder; our lead never felt big enough and we were preparing for one more parking lot with no breeze on the racecourse ahead. In true Bella Mente form, a couple of slick sail changes at the end of our 53 hours on the water got us across the finish line.”
When asked how he thought the team performed for their first event of the season, Hutchinson responded, “The team fared well, but we have a lot of work to do. The competition this season is very good, and so like in 2016 we need to apply a consistent process to our performance and development, and allow Bella Mente’s number one resource, our people, to perform.”
The Bella Mente Racing Team celebrates dockside in Antigua after their 2017 RORC Caribbean 600 win.(Photo Credit: RORC/ELWJ Photography)
Bella Mente will compete in one more event in the Caribbean, Les Voiles de. St. Barth in April, before the yacht is shipped across the Atlantic to race in Mallorca, Spain for the Palma Vela in May. The team will then relocate to Corfu, Greece for the inaugural Corfu Challenge in July and return to Mallorca for the Copa del Rey MAPFRE later that month. The season culminates with its final and most significant event, the Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Italy in September.
For more information, visit https://bellamenteracing.com/. Follow Bella Mente Racing on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Sponsors for Bella Mente Racing include TSI, ESC, Tekran, DICKEY-john, Churchill Yachts,Worthington Aviation, Worthington Ag Parts and MSP.
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More Winners Announced in RORC Caribbean 600
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| Class40 winner by just 33 minutes, Peter Harding’s Ph-orty © RORC/Ted Martin |
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| An emotional win in IRC One for Antigua’s Bernie Evan Wong and his crew on the RP37, Taz © RORC/Ted Martin |
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Ed Fishwick’s J/122 Redshift on El Ocaso secure overall win in IRC Two. Crew for the RORC Caribbean 600: Nick Cherry, Robert Hillier, James Holmes, Ed Males, Luke Patience, Alan Roberts, Nick Bubb and Tom Whicher © RORC
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2017 RORC Caribbean 600
Hap Fauth’s American Maxi72, Bella Mente has been declared the overall winner of the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy. Whilst yachts are still racing, none of the fleet can beat Bella Mente’s corrected time under IRC. This is the second time Bella Mente has won the race overall and was a sweet victory after retiring last year with keel problems.
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Latest Video: Early finishers:
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THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600:
2016 – George Sakellaris, Maxi 72, Proteus (USA)
RACE PARTNERS:
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Interviews and on board action:
Whale sightings, interviews with early finishers. Lloyd Thornburg (Phaedo), Giovanni Soldini (Maserati), George David, Rambler 88, Hap Fauth, Maxi72, Bella Mente and many more.
THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600:
2016 – George Sakellaris, Maxi 72, Proteus (USA)
RACE PARTNERS:
Bella Mente narrowly triumphed over last year’s winner Proteus to take the overall trophy in the IRC Class.
RORC/Tim Wright
Hap Fauth’s Maxi 72 Bella Mente claimed victory after an epic match race.
The All-American Maxi72 battle in the RORC Caribbean 600 lived up to expectations with Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente and George Sakellaris’ Proteus enjoying an epic match race. The lead in the Maxi72s changed hands on seven occasions during the race. Bella Mente counted 85 sail changes and at one point, both yachts were way-over canvassed, smoking along at 30 knots in a gigantic squall. Bella Mente crossed the finish line just 14 minutes ahead of Proteus to set the bar for the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy which will be awarded at the Prize Giving to the yacht scoring the best time under the IRC Rating Rule.
Hap Fauth was delighted to have won the match race with Proteus and full of praise for the event, the competition and above all, his team:
“We are beat; there is nothing left as the whole team gave 120% or more…unbelievable! We are just delighted to have prevailed. We had a match race for 500 miles with Proteus and that is a really well sailed boat. It was really, really good sailing. This is an iconic race that you cannot miss at all.
“The RORC should be congratulated for organising another great race. This was an interesting course because with the conditions it was totally new and fresh. We expected a maximum wind speed of 15 knots and at one point we were doing 25 knots of boat speed, just ripping, so it was terrific. Not until we got to Barbuda for the second time did we really establish ourselves. We had a tacking duel with maybe 15 tacks and extended out by four miles, we just kept our lead. A really good race and it doesn’t get any better.
“Last year we didn’t finished the race and we had to put the old girl back together. Bella Menteis the oldest Maxi 72 on the circuit and I am the oldest helmsman, but if I am still out of the ground next year, I will be back. This crew is the best in the world. I just stay at the back and get all of the applause.”
Bella Mente tactician, Terry Hutchinson, explained some of the key aspects in the battle with Proteus:
“If you haven’t done this race you have to come and do it, even with the unusual conditions it was really good. Way more exciting than we thought it would be. What surprised me was we finished the race a lot earlier than we thought, but the battle with Proteus was just as we expected. We passed each other seven times during the race! Getting that extra gust of wind and different sail combinations were big factors. Proteus was quick on a reach and Bella Mentehad a slight edge upwind and downwind. At Guadeloupe, we had set a spinnaker first at Iles des Saintes, but we couldn’t make the corner and then couldn’t get our spinnaker down either, so we were on the back foot going around La Desirade. For the 90 mile beat, Bella Mente was going about as good as ever and we were a mile behind, but by Barbuda we were two miles ahead. It will be interesting to hear if something wasn’t quite right on their boat. We got ahead when it counted, but massive kudos to the Proteus team, they sailed a great race.”
“We had everything in this race; it was an epic battle but something went wrong with the boat on the beat to Barbuda. We even backed up the boat to try to shake off some weed or whatever it was slowing us down. Up until then it was a great race, one of the best I have ever done. We had close company all the way and not just Bella Mente, we had Leopard and SFS to contend with as well. The team is fantastic and it was very exciting. At one point we were sailing with the A1 (largest spinnaker) in 37 knots of wind and the boat was doing 30 knots. That is why I go racing, that is what I live for.”
Mike Slade’s Maxi Leopard 3 finished the RORC Caribbean 600 in second place on the water behind George David’s Rambler 88 to claim third in class. “Leopard has not been beaten on the water by a Maxi 72 or a Volvo 70 in this race and that still stands,” commented Leopard 3 Boat Captain, Chris Sherlock. Lionel Pean’s French Volvo 70 finished the race just under two hours behind Leopard 3 and after time correction is runner up to Rambler 88 in IRC Canting Keel. “It was a great pleasure to race along side two Maxi72s and our target was be ahead of the other Volvo 70s and we achieved this with a good result. We had great sailing and a good fight all along but it was a hard race.”
On the fourth day of the RORC Caribbean 600, over 50 yachts are still racing. Bernie Evan-Wong’s Antiguan RP37, Taz is leading in IRC One. Ed Fishwick’s British J/122, Redshift on El Ocaso is leading in IRC Two and Jonty Layfield’s British Swan 48, Sleeper X is leading IRC Three. Peter Harding’s British Class40 Ph-orty is back in the lead for the Class40 Division.
To keep up to date with all the news and to follow the race. www.caribbean600.rorc.org
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| Hap Fauth’s Maxi72, Bella Mente passing Redonda © RORC/ELWJ Photography |
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| Hap Fauth at the helm of Bella Mente © RORC/ELWJ Photography |
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| George Sakellaris’ Maxi 72, Proteus © RORC/ELWJ Photography |
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| Mike Slade’s Maxi, Leopard 3 © RORC/ELWJ Photography |
Mike Slade’s Maxi Leopard 3 finished the RORC Caribbean 600 in second place on the water behind George David’s Rambler 88 to claim third in class. “Leopard has not been beaten on the water by a Maxi 72 or a Volvo 70 in this race and that still stands,” commented Leopard 3 Boat Captain, Chris Sherlock. Lionel Pean’s French Volvo 70 finished the race just under two hours behind Leopard 3 and after time correction is runner up to Rambler 88 in IRC Canting Keel. “It was a great pleasure to race along side two Maxi72s and our target was be ahead of the other Volvo 70s and we achieved this with a good result. We had great sailing and a good fight all along but it was a hard race.”
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| Lionel Pean’s French Volvo 70 SFS © RORC/ELWJ Photography |
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Even if the wind gods are not playing, the fleet races round 11 Caribbean islands, competitors are rewarded with sightings of amazing wildlife. Whales spotted off Redonda by the media team in the helicopter
© RORC/ELWJ Photography
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THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600:
2016 – George Sakellaris, Maxi 72, Proteus (USA)
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.
