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)

Bella Mente Racing brought its “A Game” to racing and delivered another strong performance for day four at the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship, finishing in third-place for the second coastal race of the week. Tomorrow, intensity on the race course will reach a record high when the Mini Maxi fleet takes on the event’s final two races to determine the class’s world champion for 2013.

Day 4 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

“It will definitely be a battle on the water tomorrow,” said owner/driver Hap Fauth adding that after extremely impressive performances during the last two days of racing, the team has moved up to fourth place overall. “Statistically it’s going to be tough, but if we win both races tomorrow we can still get on the podium, and that is our objective.”

Day 4 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Day 4 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Day 4 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Today’s race started on time with a steady eight to ten knots of breeze. Bella Mente Racing fought for the committee boat end of the line and held second place for the first two miles of the race, which took the fleet on a 38-mile journey through Sardinia’s famous “bomb alley” and around Monaci and Secca di Tre Monti before heading north toward the Strait of Bonifacio and around La Maddalena Island. The boats returned for a finish off Porto Cervo, and Bella Mente crossed the finish line with an elapsed time of four hours, 13 minutes and 28 seconds.

On tap for tomorrow are two windward-leeward races.

Day 4 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Bella Mente Racing came out swinging and on top for day three at the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship, crossing the finish line in first for both races, which resulted in third- and second-place finishes (on corrected time) respectively.

Day 3 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

“The Wind Gods were with us today and we had a steady eight to 13 knots of breeze,” said owner/drive Hap Fauth. “In both races we grabbed the start and physically crossed the finish line ahead of the fleet. It was a rewarding day and the team performed at an exceptionally high level.”

Day 3 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

After a short postponement onshore, due to morning showers and thunderstorms, Race 4 began at 2:30 p.m., but shifty wind conditions forced the Race Committee to change the course direction mid-race on each of the four 1.5 mile legs. By Race 5, the breeze had kicked up a bit and Bella Mente delivered another stellar start and stayed ahead of the fleet at each mark rounding and through to the finish.

“Everyone performed at their best today,” said Bella Mente Racing’s tactician Terry Hutchinson. “All the components that it takes to win races – starts, helming, execution and tactics – came together and Hap did a great job concentrating on keeping the boat going fast. All the effort showed in the results.”

Day 3 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Tomorrow, Bella Mente and the Mini Maxi fleet will take on its second day of coastal racing off Porto Cervo.

Check out the event’s day three release at http://regattanews.com/pressrelease.aspx?cid=28435&lid=1&eid=294&clid=685&year=2013&ctid=6

Day 3 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

After the first two days of racing in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship, the regatta had its scheduled lay day today (Wednesday, September 4^th), allowing Bella Mente Racing to reflect and prepare for the final days ahead.

Aerial view of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda during the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi)

“We improved our performance the second day,” said owner/driver Hap Fauth. “Though our boat speed has been lack luster, the team has performed well in extremely light conditions. Bella will shine in ten knots and above.”

Fauth and the team may get their wish, with heavier breeze forecasted for the final three days of the event.

Check out today’s event release and video at http://regattanews.com/pressrelease.aspx?cid=28412&lid=1&eid=294&clid=685&year=2013&ctid=6

This morning, Bella Mente Racing awoke to news of another day of light wind conditions off Porto Cervo for the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship. The team experienced similar conditions yesterday, when the fleet kicked off day one of racing with a 25 mile coastal race. Today, two windward leeward races were scheduled and completed.

Day 2 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

After postponements onshore, the Mini Maxi fleet headed out on the water at 11:15 a.m., but Race 2 didn’t get underway until 1:45 p.m. when the wind, coming from the northeast, crept up to seven knots.

Day 2 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

“We did very well to salvage a great beat from an average start in the first race of the day, and ended up second at the top mark,” said Bella Mente Racing’s Strategist John Cutler. “We pushed the boat to its limit in trying conditions, and anytime we had a bit of a puff, Bella Mente sailed great.  Once again, the crew work was flawless, and we continued to gain on Shockwave throughout the first run, and then passed them on the final beat.”

Bella Mente crossed the finish line in first place, ahead of Shockwave, but the results on corrected time were too close to call immediately. The team later found out that they finished second, just two seconds (on corrected) behind Shockwave.

Day 2 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Race 3 was started in a slightly dying breeze, but with just enough wind for the Race Committee to get things going. Bella Mente started from the pin-end, and for the upwind leg the team battled Stig and Rán 2 on the left side of the course, while Alegre and Shockwave took on the right side. The right side of the course paid off in the end and Alegre rounded in first place, followed by Rán 2, Shockwave, Stig and Bella Mente respectively. Downwind, Bella Mente was able to pass Stig, but narrowly lost to Caol Ila R, finishing the race in fifth place.

Day 2 of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Tomorrow is forecasted to be even lighter breeze than day one and two of racing, so the Race Committee has moved the event’s lay day from Thursday up to tomorrow (Wednesday, September 4^th). The final three days of racing (Thursday, September 5^th through Saturday, September 7^th) are looking much more promising in terms of weather conditions, with steady and building breeze forecasted.

“So far, it has been a light wind regatta, which has not favored Bella Mente,” said  owner/skipper Hap Fauth. “We have sailed a tactically strong race achieving very mediocre results. Hopefully, after tomorrow’s lay day, we will have more wind and better results for the last three days of racing.”

On Thursday, the Mini Maxi fleet will race in two more windward leeward races. Keep checking in for more updates on Bella Mente Racing’s website, Facebook page and Twitter profile.

Practice Week in Porto Cervo, Italy before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Bella Mente Racing wrapped up practice sessions in Porto Cervo, Italy today in preparation for the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship.  It was a productive day on the water, and the team was able to do many practice starts and races against competitors, which were run by Bella Mente Racing’s coach Tom Burnham.  Most of the Mini Maxi racing fleet participated, including Rán 2, Shockwave, Caol Ila R and Alegre.

Practice Week in Porto Cervo, Italy before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

Tomorrow (September 2^nd) the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship will start with a coastal race, which will take competitors on a course that will range anywhere between 30 and 70 nautical miles; each coastal race counts 1.5 times in the scoring system here, and cannot be discarded, so the pressure is on!

Practice Week in Porto Cervo, Italy before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)

After many long days of practice, mostly in light winds, the team is happy to be getting into racing mode. Weather conditions for the first few days is forecasted to be light, but pressure should be building later in the week.

Bella Mente Racing will be updating the website along with Facebook and Twitter daily, but readers can also get full race reports and updates at http://regattanews.com/gallery.aspx?eid=294&year=2013&clid=0&ctid=100

Practice Week in Porto Cervo, Italy before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (Photo Credit Jesús Renedo)