Bella Mente racing off Corfu, Greece for the 2017 Corfu Challenge.
(Photo Credit: Cory Silken)

The inaugural Corfu Challenge brought on a demanding five days of competition to the Maxi 72 Class, but it was Bella Mente Racing’s win in the final two races in the seven-race regatta that secured the team’s spot on the podium in third place overall – behind Proteus and Momo, which went on to take first and second overall, respectively. The event, which kicked off Tuesday, July 4 and wrapped up this past Saturday, July 8, marked Bella Mente’s first time racing in the waters off Corfu, Greece.

Bella Mente and Proteus duke it out on the racecourse for the 2017 Corfu Challenge in Corfu, Greece. (Photo Credit: Cory Silken)

“It’s always nice to be on the podium after a regatta, especially when it takes place in a new venue,” said Bella Mente Racing Owner/Driver Hap Fauth. “We had a slow start to the regatta and had to make a lot of adjustments, but winning on the last two days was affirmation of our ongoing competitiveness. We have an exciting remainder of the season on the horizon, with the Maxi 72 teams as competitive as ever this year.”

Terry Hutchinson, who joins Fauth in the afterguard added, “It was definitely a solid end to the Corfu Challenge. Early on in the week Bella Mente struggled to find her rhythm, with things not quite going our way, be it self imposed or mother nature, but like most things in sport it takes getting smacked around to have a good look at the adjustments required. Finishing the event with a 3,1,1 in the final three races was a great indication of the fight inside Bella Mente. We cannot help but see the improvements to Cannonball, Momo, and Proteus. They are very fast and polished teams. For the next two events it will be interesting to see what all the teams can develop over a wide range of conditions.”

Bella Mente Racing is looking forward to matching up against its Maxi 72 rivals again later this month in Mallorca, Spain for Copa Del Rey MAPFRE followed by the Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Italy in September.