Starting an hour early, two coastal courses, including the popular lap of Capri, were completed on the third and penultimate day of the IMA Maxi European Championship. The 20 maxi yachts faced a sub-10 knot southwesterly. At Wednesday’s conclusion, the Championship, organised out of Sorrento by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia (CRVI), has a new leader in Hap Fauth’s 74ft Bella Mente.
“We had great racing - we love the competition,” commented a delighted Fauth. “We peeled off the starts pretty well today and yesterday. It was a dog fight, which we like. We had a very good tactical race. I was my first time racing around Capri, which was fun. I love windward-leewards but a little variety is good. The boys did a great job. The idea is to ‘make no mistakes’ which is hard to avoid, either tactically or strategically.”
With five races now sailed, including the Regata dei Tre Golfi offshore, competitors can discard their worst result. Thanks to yesterday’s two bullets, Bella Mente and her all-star cast are now first, three points clear of previous leader, Giuseppe Puttini’s Swan 65 ketch Shirlaf, tied on points with Sir Peter Ogden’s 77ft Jethou.
