America’s Cup: Taking the first step

Before the Bella Mente Quantum Racing Association (BMQRA) and New York Yacht Club can pursue their mission to win the 36th America’s Cup in 2021, the Bella Mente portion of the partnership will first launch a new state-of-the-art Maxi 72 yacht that is part of the campaign’s multi-pronged attack.

Designed by Botin Partners and built by New England Boatworks, the yacht is the fourth under the Bella Mente namesake and is set to be unveiled this July in Newport, R.I., just in time to be shipped to Porto Cervo, Sardinia for the 2018 Rolex Maxi 72 Worlds in September.

Hap Fauth (Minneapolis, Minn./Naples, Fla.), already a three-time Maxi 72 World Champion, looks forward to the process of figuring out how to optimize boat speed and get back into competition mode. “When you’re sailing at this level, even the smallest details can be game changers. As we move forward with this new build, no stone can be left unturned.”

For New England Boatworks, this will be the third Bella Mente that it has built for Fauth. Located in Portsmouth, R.I, the new Bella Mente build began this past November, and the boatyard team, as well as a team of Bella Mente Racing boatbuilders, are working in overdrive to ensure the yacht launches this summer.

“The Maxi 72 represents the epitome of the sport of sailing, so it is very exciting to be leading the charge on a project of this caliber,” said New England Boatworks Partner Tom Rich.

Terry Hutchinson, who is the skipper of the America’s Cup campaign, holds the role of tactician for Fauth in the owner/driver class. “It’s great to be on our way to getting the boat launched and racing to see what we can learn, but it will be a development process for sure,” said Hutchinson. “With that said, we certainly have an exciting year on the horizon.”