Razor-Thin Margins: Bella Mente Misses IMA Maxi European Championship Podium by Seconds in Sorrento
Photos: @tybaird.media
Sorrento, Italy — The IMA Maxi European Championship concluded with a dramatic and tightly contested final race, where Bella Mente Racing narrowly missed the podium after a week of world-class competition in challenging Mediterranean conditions.
A final race decided by mere seconds ultimately saw Bella Mente slip from podium contention—finishing just two seconds shy in both the race and the overall regatta standings—after a hard-fought performance that kept multiple teams in contention through the final leg. Congratulations to Jolt on capturing the Maxi Grand Prix Class title after an outstanding week of racing.
Racing in Sorrento once again delivered its trademark complexity, with shifting breezes, challenging tactical decisions, and tightly compressed fleet racing testing every aspect of performance. In a regatta where five of the six Maxi Grand Prix teams entered the final race with a legitimate chance of winning the championship, the margins between victory and disappointment proved extraordinarily small. Despite finishing just off the podium, Bella Mente leaves Sorrento encouraged by its speed, teamwork, and the valuable lessons gained as the team builds toward the Maxi World Championship in September.
Terry Hutchinson: “A tough final race, but many positives”
Skipper and tactician Terry Hutchinson reflected on the decisive final day:
“A tough final race for Bella Mente. Hap nailed the start and as we settled into mode the race was playing out quite well. A couple of tangles with the bigger boats at marks inevitably proved a bit too much. Bella slipped off the podium by 2 seconds in the race and the regatta. A lot of positive take aways and looking forward to the improvements to come at the Maxi Worlds in September.”
Mike Sanderson: “We make our own luck”
Afterguard Mike Sanderson emphasized the competitive margins and forward focus:
“There’s a saying that you make your own luck and so while at times this week we really haven’t felt like it rolled our way on the luck side we have to dive deeper into that and make sure we are really looking into everything we can to hit our straps at the Maxi World champs come September. Sorrento is always a super tricky place to sail and this week was no different, it is the perfect start to our European segment of our season though and everyone certainly brought their A-game and even on the last lap of the last race we were still in with a decent shot at winning the regatta!! So certainly many positives.
As always a huge thanks to Hap and the whole Bella Mente family. It truly is a privilege to be a part of.”
Ian Moore: “Margins define great racing”
Navigator Ian Moore described the intensity of the final moments:
“I’m still smarting a bit from the final race but as the dust settles a little bit, I start to remember it was an amazing regatta. We went into the final race with a strong chance for 5 of the 6 competitors to win the regatta. And we sailed the last race really well. After a great start by Hap and Terry we so nearly were able to control Jolt on the first leg of the race. But in the last minute of the beat they got the upper hand and we had to settle for a strong second.
I thought we were going to finish second overall but on the final run the fleet compressed just enough to let Northstar beat us by 1.6 seconds. That was just enough to knock us from second all the way down to 4th. The margins are so small but that’s what makes great racing and great competition. Hap and Bella were going well this week and as always it was a privilege to be part of the Bella Mente team.”
Looking Ahead
Despite the heartbreak of missing the podium by the slimmest of margins, Bella Mente Racing leaves Sorrento with strong momentum, valuable insights, and a clear trajectory toward the upcoming Maxi World Championship in September.
The team highlighted consistent boat handling, strong starting performance, and competitive speed across the fleet as key takeaways from the week.