Doyle-powered teams have set a new course record and Bella Mente collected the Maxi class honours in Regata dei Tre Golfi.
The 70th edition of the Regata dei Tre Golfi which started on Friday 16th May, of the 120 yachts in the Regata dei Tre Golfi, 29 were Maxis, which set off at 16:30 from Porticciolo di Santa Lucia beneath Naples’ Castel dell’Ovo.
The 170-mile course followed the same route as 2024, taking the fleet from Naples to Ponza, past Ischia and Capri, around Punta Campanella and the Li Galli islands, before returning to Naples via the Amalfi Coast.
The stage was set with a spectacular downwind spinnaker start in 15 knots of breeze, Doyle-powered Galateia, Chris Flowers and David M. Leuschen’s 100ft maxi, launched off the line, leading past Ischia and into the Gulf of Gaeta. From there, the fleet hooked into a stronger northeasterly breeze, broad reaching in 25 knots during the fastest leg of the race toward the northerly turning mark at Ponza. Galateia reached Ponza around 20:00, still in front.
The return leg was largely a close reach in a stiff northeasterly, carrying the frontrunners well south of Capri. Still out front, Galateia had opted for an offshore route, reaching the Li Galli turning mark off the Amalfi Coast ahead of the pack. Galateia rounded Li Galli around 04:00. Galateia headed west, passing Punta Campanella around 04:30 and finishing with a fast reach across the Gulf of Naples, crossing the line at 05:54:42. Her elapsed time of 13 hours, 19 minutes, 42 seconds set a new race record, averaging 12.75 knots.
Hap Fauth’s 74ft Bella Mente delivered an exceptional performance on the water, finishing third. The team had stayed with the frontrunners for much of the race but lost ground south of Capri, allowing Peter Harrison’s Jolt to slip ahead. However, when the fleet compressed in a calm patch off the Amalfi Coast, Bella Mente was the first to find new breeze and pulled away decisively.
Tre Golfi Sailing Week | Studio Borlenghi
“We kept reminding ourselves that it wasn’t the first battle we needed to win—it was the last,” reflected Mike Sanderson.
The fastest stretch came en route to Ponza, where in 24 knots of breeze, Bella was sailed triple-headed and hit 26 knots of boat speed. But early in the race, the heavy conditions saw them taking on significant water, which impacted onboard electrics. “It’s remarkable,” Sanderson said, “given how hard you work on the waterproofing as a whole—you lose the battle…”
After crossing the finish, it quickly became clear that Bella Mente had won the Maxi Grand Prix class. When trest of the fleet completed the course, she was declared overall winner of the Maxi division—a stellar result for the U.S. team as they begin their title defense in the IMA Maxi European Championship, and a fitting 80th birthday present for owner Hap Fauth.
Offical results here //
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