QKWRW: Maxi 72 Winners

Bella Mente Racing is continuing to ride its wave of success into the New Year, taking the Maxi 72 Class win at Quantum Key West Race Week, the first event of the team’s 2016 campaign. The team also won “Boat of the Week”. The regatta, which commenced on Monday, January 15, cancelled its final day of racing today, January 22, due to inclement weather.

Hap Fauth

Bella Mente, along with the entire fleet of Maxi 72s, was ready to race and off the dock at 10 a.m. but unfortunately sailing conditions worsened to 30 knots with driving rain and an ebb tide swell against the southerly wind. The Race Committee abandoned the race at 11:30.

Our victory for the week was a great way to start the 2016 season. The entire Bella crew was outstanding all week.”

Mike Sanderson

The thing that feels especially good about winning with Bella Mente is the fact that it isn’t one thing that has made the difference, it’s improvement across the board that has done it. It really feels like we as a team have developed in every aspect of the campaign over the last 12 months.

What’s even better is that it’s just a whole lot of fun also. We have a great bunch of guys, and there is no doubt that when Hap gives us the ‘hike her down boys,’ we all push that little bit harder, as he is just such a great owner and a wonderful guy. This year is going to be a very tough one in the Maxi 72 class; it was noticeable how much better the fleet was getting with each day this week.

We are already looking forward to the next event, which is the Caribbean 600 next month. We won it overall last year, and it would be amazing to do it again in 2016.”