A big thanks to our fantastic boat captain Peter “Pirate” Henderson who has done such an incredible job for Bella Mente Racing. We wouldn’t be the team we are today without you!
RYS 200: Bella Mente Wins IRC 1
Bella Mente Racing has kicked off its European race circuit on the right foot, winning IRC Class 1 in the Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary International Regatta, which wrapped up today on the Solent off Cowes, Isle of Wight.
(Photo Credit: Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com)
Owner/Driver Hap Fauth:
We had an amazing week. We experienced a range of challenging conditions; from breeze below five knots to gale-force winds. However, the team ultimately prevailed and won the regatta; the crew did a fantastic job as did our afterguard.
Tactician Terry Hutchinson:
This was a solid start to our European season. Today’s race was an example of great team effort all around.
Hap nailed the downwind start, and Bella crossed the fleet on port. The wind gods were a bit weak on the water today, but Bella was still able to build a large lead on the fleet throughout the course. With nine miles left in the race, we were leading the IRC 1 class, free and clear of Rambler and Leopard, yet the final run to the finish would still determine the overall outcome. At this point, we were sailing against the tide in a light westerly, which was not a lot of fun. We knew that at a certain point the sea breeze would fill in and it did, bringing the entire fleet back into the race and erasing any chance of a win, and our 90-minute lead on TP52 Gladiator dwindled down to a mere 22 minutes.
In less than two weeks, the team kicks off Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week (August 11-15), followed the 603-mile Rolex Fastnet Race (August 16). Bella Mente will conclude its 2015 campaign in Sardinia with the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (September 6-12).
RYS 200: Tied Going into Final Day of Racing
Photo Credit: John Green
It all comes down to tomorrow for Hap Fauth and the team aboard Maxi 72 Bella Mente. After taking a fourth in today’s race off Cowes, Isle of Wight at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Bicentenary International Regatta, the team is tied for first with Gladiator in IRC 1.
Tactician, Terry Hutchinson
A great effort today on Bella Mente. I put us behind the eight ball at the start, coaching Hap to the wrong side of the starting mark. Hap did good work to not hit the mark as we bore away and rolled into a gibe to restart. From this point we had to fight and that was exactly what we did.
One leg, one sail change at a time. Racing is proving to be quite dynamic here around the Solent; at one point we had both western edge and the eastern edge running at the finish line with spinnakers.
We sit tied with TP52 Gladiator going into tomorrow, which means it is all to play for. That is the good news!
RYS 200: Around the Island Race
Yesterday, Bella Mente Racing took off on the Around the Island Race as part of the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Bicentenary International Regatta. The team, led by owner/driver Hap Fauth, finished the circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight (UK) in just over four hours and 30 minutes, taking third place on corrected time in IRC 1.
Photo Credit: Tim Jeffreys Photography 2015
“It was a beautiful but chilly day for the famous ‘Around the Isle of Wight’ race,” said Bella Mente Racing’s Crew Boss Mike Sanderson. “We raced the traditional America’s Cup clockwise around the island, which is a less common way to race these days.
“We kicked off the race with a downwind start, which was challenging but fun. Jethou got a little jump on us off the start, but with some very nice sailing we were able to grind them down and beat them around the bottom of the island. From there, we never really gave them much of an opportunity to get back in front. However, it did turn out to be a smaller boat day and we came in third place, on corrected time, behind a couple of well-sailed TP52s. All in all, it was a great day, with solid crew work and great communication when it came decision-making time.
“It looks to be the end of our breezy sailing for the week, so it’s time to change gears for much more moderate breeze today and tomorrow.”
Kicking off RYS 200 with Class Lead in IRC 1
Day Two at RYS Bicentenary International Regatta (Photo Credit: Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com)
Bella Mente Racing is off to a good start at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Bicentenary International Regatta, holding the class lead in IRC 1 after today’s 22-mile race on the Solent off Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The regatta runs through Friday, July 31.
Day Two at RYS Bicentenary International Regatta (Photo Credit: Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com)
“It was a great day in very heavy conditions,” said Owner/Driver of the Maxi 72 Bella Mente, Hap Fauth, adding that the team experienced high seas and winds above 20 knots throughout the day (day one of racing was cancelled yesterday due to the unrelenting winds upwards of 30 knots). “The team execution was excellent and tactics were very good and from there the result took care of itself.”
With yesterday’s unwieldy conditions continuing through to this morning, Race Committee postponed racing until early this afternoon. Even then, gusts of 30 were being recorded when IRC 1 took off across the start line.
“Today was a solid start to the event,” said Tactician Terry Hutchinson. “We got a bit tangled at the beginning of the race, stuck in the wind shadow of a Swan 90, but the guys did good work building up enough speed so that we could pop out from underneath the boat. From there, it was a high-speed reach, with Bella sitting comfortably on 20+ knots of boat speed for the next 15 miles.
“The first leg took us beyond two forts that mark the entrance to the eastern Solent. From there we took a left turn and proceeded to reach, beat, and whip ourselves around a tight race course. The Solent is a challenging place to sail, and guys deserve high marks for their quick execution and high performance; especially since this is the first time we’ve raced Bella Mente since April. It was good to shake off the cobwebs!”
Tomorrow, Bella Mente will stretch its legs with the event’s Around the Island Race, a 50-mile circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight.
Click here for a full report from day two of racing by event organizers
Kicking off European Race Series Today
Bella Mente Racing left a successful U.S. and Caribbean racing circuit in its wake earlier this year and looks forward to more exciting challenges ahead this summer, with the team competing in four of Europe’s most premier events. All the action kicked off today (Monday, July 27) in Cowes, UK for the Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary International Regatta, where the team, lead by owner/driver Hap Fauth, is racing its Maxi 72 namesake in IRC, sailing under the New York Yacht Club burgee. The team has spent the last few days practicing for the regatta, which runs through Friday, July 31.
“We had a great run earlier this year in Florida and the Caribbean,” said Fauth adding that the team won its class at Quantum Key West Race Week, took first-place overall at the RORC Caribbean 600 and even made an impressive comeback at Les Voiles de. St. Barth, moving up to second place overall after suffering a DNS earlier in the event. “We have a solid and very competitive team this year. The next four events attract the best of the best and we are up for the challenge. Bring it on!”
Bella Mente Racing has upped its game even more since earlier this year, with a number of updates to the boat; the most notable being the installation of a new and longer keel to help improve its performance.
“We won’t really know how we match up until we get out there on the water, but I can tell you right now that Bella Mente is a better boat than it was when we kicked off this year’s campaign in Key West,” said Tactician Terry Hutchinson. “The goal is to always make her as fast as we possibly can upwind, to get us to the top mark in good fashion. From there, it’s about putting our elbows out to keep the fleet behind us downwind. Right now, we’re one tick lower than the rating cap, which is good.”
After the Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary International Regatta, the team will begin preparing for Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, scheduled for August 11-15. From there Bella Mente Racing will quickly switch into ocean-racing gear for the legendary 603-mile Rolex Fastnet Race on August 16, before concluding its 2015 campaign in Sardinia with Bella Mente’s pinnacle event each year, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, September 6-12.
RYS 200: Kicking off Practice in Cowes
Maxi 72 Bella Mente dockside in Cowes
The Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary International Regatta kicks off next Monday, July 27, and today Bella Mente Racing launched its Maxi 72 namesake, kicking off its first day of practice on the waters off Cowes. The five-day regatta boasts a 72-strong fleet for buoy racing Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (7/27,7/28,7/30, 7/31) with Wednesday (7/29) set aside for a separately scored Around-the-Island Race. The team, led by owner/driver Hap Fauth, will compete in IRC for the entire event.
Practice for Bella Mente will continue through to Sunday, July 26. Next week during racing, the team will post nightly reports to the website.
For more regular updates, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Hashtag: #BellaMenteRacing
For updates from event organizers, visit http://www.rys.org.uk/. Follow the regatta on Twitter @RYS_Bicentenary
Shipyard Update: July 14
Next week, the Bella Mente Racing team will be arriving in the UK where they will spend the week practicing in preparation for the Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary International Regatta, which starts July 26. This weekend the Maxi 72’s new keel was attached at Endeavor Quay Marina in Gosport, UK (where the boat has been for the past month). The remaining system updates and installations will be finished up this week and the rig stepped on Friday. From there, the boat will be launched into the water and delivered to Cowes.
Shipyard Update: July 7
Ollie Dickens onboard Bella Mente at Endeavor Quay Marina in Gosport, UK
Bella Mente has spent over a month at Endeavor Quay Marina in Gosport, UK and next week, after lots of hard work, the Maxi 72 will return to the water, just in time for the team to get some practice in prior to their European circuit, which commences later this month with the RYSR Bicentenary International Regatta (July 25-31).
The boat is currently undergoing a paint job, and this weekend it will be fitted for the new keel. Stay tuned for photos from the shipyard early next week.
Bella Mente in the UK
After being shipped over 4,000 miles from St. Thomas, Maxi 72 Bella Mente was offloaded in Southampton, UK last week. From there, Boat Captain Peter Henderson along with members of the shore team delivered the yacht to the Endeavor Quay Marina in Gosport to prepare for the team’s European racing circuit, which kicks off in July. So far, the yacht has been hauled and the rig, rudder and keel pulled. Everything was transferred to the marina’s shed to undergo updates and routine maintenance.
Bella Mente’s European Racing Schedule
RYSR Bicentenary International Regatta, July 25-31
Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, August 11-15
Rolex Fastnet Race, August 16
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, September 7-12
More photos from the shipyard
Photo Credit: Peter Henderson
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