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 Bella Mente 1st home in Transpac with
Doyle Sails' Mike Sanderson onboard.
Bella Mente, the 74 ft sloop owned and campaigned by Hap Fauth crossed the finish line off Diamond Head Honolulu as dawn broke, winning the the 2225 mile Los Angeles to Hawaii Transpac 2011 and collecting the “Barn Door” awarded to the first fixed keel yacht home.
On board, at the office end, were Hap Fauth, Ian Moore and Mike Sanderson from Doyle Sails NZ. Bella Mente had a few modifications made before the race start including a new rig, the canting keel made fast (for race eligibility), a bow sprit, and an extra 5 ft of waterline added.
“The race was a mixed bag with a mushy spot in the middle which made tactics the game beater. But with a top speed of 25 knots reached no one is complaining about the boat’s performance,” said Mike “Moose” Sanderson.
With another trophy on the mantlepiece, Moose will be returning to New Zealand to oversee his new Stratis sails being finalised at Doyle Sails’ Auckland loft for his Team Sanya Volvo Ocean challenge. Sea trials and race preparation will commence in August for the upcoming Fastnet Race.
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