Bella Mente’s position as of this morning (February 10) at 11:30 a.m.
Bella Mente is enroute to Antigua for the RORC Caribbean 600! The Maxi 72 departed on Sunday (Feb. 9) from West Palm Beach with 8 team members onboard. It’s been a wild and bumpy ride, with steady winds between 25 and 30 knots.
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Bella Mente before departing West Palm Beach on Sunday (Photo Credit: Peter Henderson)
After competing in the RORC Caribbean 600 later this month, Bella Mente Racing will shift gears for Les Voiles de St. Barth, the third event in its 2015 campaign. The team, led by owner/driver Hap Fauth, will go up against a number of famously talented sailors and highly skilled teams at the six-day regatta, scheduled from April 13-18 off St. Barth.
2014 Les Voiles de St Barth (Photo Credit: Amory Ross)
Les Voiles de St. Barth’s Maxi Division boasts seven teams to-date, including two of the world’s newest racing yachts, Comanche and Rambler 88.
Bella Mente Racing’s Terry Hutchinson, US Sailing’s most recently named Rolex Yachtsman of the Year added that he looks forward to meeting up with his old friend Loïck Peyron, who has been named “Ambassador” of the regatta this year. Peyron, too, has just won his country’s highest sailing honor, having been named the French Sailing Federation’s 2014 Sailor of the Year for winning the 10th edition of the Route du Rhum with his 130-foot trimaran Banque Populaire (designed by the same French contingent behind Comanche).
2014 Les Voiles de St Barth (Photo Credit: Jouany Christophe)
“I know Loïck well,” said Hutchinson, explaining that the two overlapped during the last America’s Cup at Artemis Racing, when Hutchinson was the skipper and Peyron was a consultant (before transitioning into helmsman) due to his vast multihull experience. “He took me sailing on Banque Populaire when I was in Lorient, and it was just awesome. To consider some of the stuff he has done…all that goes into it…all the planning…that stuff doesn’t just happen.” (Peyron is also athree-time winner of the Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, two-time winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre, and current holder of the Jules Verne Trophy (for the fastest circumnavigation around the world.)
Terry Hutchinson at the 2014 Les Voiles de St Barth (Photo Credit: Jouany Christophe)
“I always came to Saint Barth at the end of a transatlantic race and was so tired I never had time to enjoy myself,” said Peyron, who remedied the situation by competing aboard the maxi yacht Sojana in the inaugural Les Voiles de St. Barth (2010). “By participating in Les Voiles de St. Barth, I was finally able to appreciate the island, as picture-perfect as a post card. The trade winds, the turquoise waters, and these magnificent boats…. We are really lucky to be able to sail in such an extraordinary place!”
Hutchinson, who sailed on Bella Mente during last year’s event only to have all hopes of winning dashed when the boat broke its mast, concurred: “Les Voiles de St. Barth and the RORC Caribbean 600 – those are the go-to regattas in the Caribbean,” he said. “The island (of St. Barth) is beautiful, and the sailing is really great: coastal racing with some good windward/leeward elements to it. And shoreside…you’ve got to work pretty hard to complain about St. Barth.”
For more information on Les Voiles de St. Barth, visit http://www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/
Quantum Key West – Sharon Green
After a successful week down in The Keys for Quantum Key West Race Week, Maxi 72 Bella Mente was brought back up to West Palm Beach where the team will prepare the boat for RORC Caribbean 600 next month (February 23). Click here for more photos from this year and previous campaigns.
Bella Mente heading back up to West Palm Beach after Quantum Key West Race Week (Photo Credit: Peter Henderson)
It was a nose-to-the-grindstone week for Bella Mente Racing, but that hard work paid off with the team winning IRC 1 at Quantum Key West Race Week (Jan. 18-23). The regatta marks the first of seven high-profile events that owner/driver Hap Fauth and his team of international sailors will be competing in this year.
Bella Mente Racing after claiming class victory at Quantum Key West Race Week (Photo Credit: Rob Ouellette)
“This was a great start to what we anticipate to be our most competitive campaign to-date,” said Fauth adding the year culminates with the Maxi 72 Rolex World Championship in Sardinia this September. “Joining me in the afterguard are Terry [Hutchinson], Moose [Mike Sanderson] and Ian Moore, and they really hit it out of the park for this event. The entire crew performed impeccably.”
Bella Mente Racing had its share of ups and downs throughout the week, including colliding with a submerged object during Wednesday’s racing, but the team rose to the challenge.
“We rebounded from adversity and it showed Bella’s performance after the mid-week grounding. The last two days resulted in three victories in the four races,” said Fauth.
Tactician and Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Terry Hutchinson added, “We experienced the full gamut this week, but you need to go through those highs and lows collectively as a team in order to grow. Boat Captain Peter Henderson and the shore team were extremely prepared when the collision occurred and Bella Mente was back in the water, ready to race the next day.”
Today was the windiest day of event, coming in between 18 and 21 knots, and Bella Mente along with fellow mini maxis Numbers and Shockwave raced two short windward-leeward courses.
“There are a lot of subtleties to sailing these boats well,” added Hutchinson. “For starting and boat handling I give us really high marks. Our goal is to continue to turn our weaknesses into strengths as we move forward.”
“We have a lot of incredible sailors onboard and our goal this year is to streamline that talent so we race as a unit. That, combined with discipline and structure will help us develop the ability to consistently win.”
Bella Mente Racing wrapped up day four of Quantum Key West Race Week with a first and second in the two races of the day. The IRC 1 class and the rest of the regatta fleet experienced shifty, challenging conditions on the racecourse.
Bella Mente during day four of Quantum Key West Race Week (Photo Credit: Ultimate Sailing/Sharon Green)
“It was a good bounce back day for Bella Mente,” said Terry Hutchinson, Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and Bella Mente Racing Tactician. “The day started with the jury reversing the redress after our competitors brought new information that rightfully pointed out flaws in the decision. But from there nothing changed. We went out on the water and got down to business. Hap [Fauth], Doogie [Sean Couvreux], and Soapy [Ian Moore] executed two consistent starts and consistent boat handling throughout. Numbers won the first race of the day by one second and we won race two, leaving us tied for first going into the final day of racing tomorrow. The forecast for today is slightly more breeze. It will be good to see how Bella does with the new rig and sails in slightly up range conditions.”
Bella Mente during day four of Quantum Key West Race Week (Photo Credit: Ultimate Sailing/Sharon Green)
Quantum Key West Race Week Day 3 Update:
Photo Credit: Mike “Moose” Sanderson
“We grounded her [Bella Mente] this afternoon, but tomorrow is another day,” said owner/driver Hap Fauth.
A full update on the boat will be posted tomorrow.
Bella Mente Racing went into day two of Quantum Key West Race Week with guns blazing and wrapped up both IRC 1 races with bullets. The team, led by owner/driver Hap Fauth, holds the lead going into tomorrow.
Owner Hap Fauth at the helm during day two of Quantum Key West Race Week 2014 (Photo Credit: Sharon Green/UltimateSailing.com)
“Our starts were on target,” said Fauth adding that the fleet experienced some light shifty conditions today (around nine knots). “The crew work was impeccable. Our tactician Terry [Hutchinson] did a great job calling the shifts, and crew boss Moose [Mike Sanderson] was a star downwind. All and all, it was a great day on the water.”
Hutchinson, current Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, added, “it was a solid day but very hard fought. Shockwave sailed very well and kept the pressure on Bella Mente in both races. Though we finished with two firsts, the other two boats in our class weren’t far behind, and we haven’t even hit the halfway point of the regatta so we need to stay focused. There is still a lot of work ahead.”
Bella Mente during day two of Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 (Photo Credit: Steve Lapkin)
Hutchinson added that the team was happy with Bella Mente’s speed in light air.
“We have new mast, new trimmers, and new gear, all of which are interacting well. However, we are still only scratching the surface,” said Hutchinson. “I think Pete [Henderson] summed it up best when he described the adjustments in the new mast by saying ‘we are just beginning to learn the gears we have and still have a lot of work to do.’”
Click here for event press release in Scuttlebutt
For more updates, follow Bella Mente Racing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Bella Mente Racing wrapped up day one of Quantum Key West Race Week with a second and first, respectively, in today’s two races. The team, led by owner/driver Hap Fauth, goes into tomorrow holding first place, one point ahead of fellow mini maxi Numbers.
“Today was a solid start to our event,” said Bella Mente Racing Tactician Terry Hutchinson. “Our goal as a team is to continue to focus on improving all aspects of our game. The boat handling was solid in and out of both top and bottom marks, yet we did not win the first cross with our competitor at either start. There is plenty to focus on with tactics and starting position. I would give a big nod to Hap and the team for getting every inch on the first beat in both races. We still have lots of work to do, so we’ll keep pushing forward.”
The team’s Crew Boss Mike Sanderson added, “It’s great to be back on Bella Mente, and what better place to kick off the 2015 program than Key West. The boat felt great today. We have new guys, a new mast and a new sail program. It was very exciting to see our girl [Bella Mente] with new wheels. It’s going to be a great week with great racing. We have two very strong teams to race against so it’ll be a lot of fun.”
Stay tuned for race reports throughout the week at https://bellamenteracing.com/. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
View from the top during practice on Bella Mente earlier this week (Photo Credit Quantum Racing © Keith Brash)
Quantum Key West Race Week begins today and Bella Mente Racing is ready for the competition. The team will be racing in IRC 1 against fellow Maxi 72s Shockwave and Numbers.
Bella Mente dockside in Key West (Photo Credit Quantum Racing © Keith Brash)
“Training has gone well for Bella Mente,” said Tactician Terry Hutchinson, adding that the team has been practicing in Key West since Thursday. “In terms of this week’s forecast, we are expecting a mixed bag so it is important for us to come out firing on all cylinders in race one. This is a long series, ten races over five days, so it’s important to be consistent, sail smart and fight for every point.”
View from the top during practice on Bella Mente earlier this week (Photo Credit Quantum Racing © Keith Brash)
The team will be posting nightly race reports throughout the week at https://bellamenteracing.com/. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Bella Mente and owner/driver Hap Fauth mentioned in the Key West Citizen today. Click here for the full story
Bella Mente Racing kicked off its four-day practice session today in Key West. The team is preparing for Quantum Key West Race Week (Jan. 18-23), which will be the first event of its 2015 campaign. The crew focused a majority of the afternoon doing rig, systems and sail checks. Stay tuned for more updates on practice and racing throughout the weekend and next week.
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.
