LOA 65.94 Beam 14.93 Draft 11.94
PHRF Rating (Lake Michigan) -93
RR / GLMROA Rating 1.264
In 2002, Holland's Arien Van Vemde had the Judel Vrolik 66' designed and built by Farr/Cookson. He raced it as Sotto Voce on the European circuit before selling it, in 2005, to Minnesota's Hap Fauth, who renamed it Bella Mente and optimizing it with carbon-fiber rigging plus new sails, mast, boom, keel bulb, and rudder. After steering the boat to victory in the 2006 Newport Bermuda Race, first to finish, Fauth did what many owners do with high-end race boats they're outgrown; he took advantage of the tax savings and made a magnanimous gesture by donating the boat to a service academy, in this case, the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point Waterfront. Defiance (renamed by the USMMA Sailing Foundation) was sponsored by a member of the Chicago Yacht Club and brought to the Great Lakes to compete in the 100th Anniversary - Chicago Yacht Club - Race to Mackinac. Then in 2010, a new sponsor, also a C*C member, invited USMMA midshipmen as crew for the Bayview YC Port Huron to Mackinac and Chicago YC Race to Mackinac. Soon after those two races, Defiance was purchased by the sponsor, who is now the current owner, and is raced with an amateur crew on the Great Lakes out of Chicago, IL.
