Business moguls sail into Bermuda
A number of business moguls are among the steady stream of sailors arriving on the Island in the Newport to Bermuda race, one of the world’s premier sailing events, drawing 166 yachts this year.Among them is George David, skipper/owner of the 90-foot maxi Rambler, which smashed the race record. He is the former head of US conglomerate United Technologies, whose units include Otis elevators, Carrier products, and Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines.David actually had a close call on the ocean just last August when he and others were reportedly pulled from the Celtic Sea after Rambler lost its keel and capsized during the Fastnet Race. A dive boat searching in 15-foot waves finally found David, 69, and four other members of the crew, who had been tethered together off the southwest tip of Ireland for nearly three hours.David was also in the news over his high-profile divorce proceedings. Swedish countess Marie Douglas-David is reported to have asked a Connecticut judge to give her about $100 million, said to have represented 30 percent of his assets.David’s Rambler was among the race’s first three finishers along with 72ft JV Bella Mente, and the 72ft RP Shockwave, skippered by George Sakellaris.Rambler set a new record of 39 hours and 39 minutes, beating the old record by over 14 hours.David told a sailing reporter: “I’m so pleased with our performance. We have reduced the record by 25 percent - not bad for a boat that is now 10 years old.”Also in the Newport to Bermuda race is John ‘Hap’ Fauth, founder and chairman of Churchill Companies, which has diverse interests from manufacturing and distributing parts for tractors and planes through to having its own equity fund.He’s the owner of Bella Mente. Launched in spring 2012, Bella Mente is the second racing yacht built for Fauth. From Bermuda, the busy race boat will go to Europe and compete in several regattas, ending the year with the Sydney Hobart Race. After Bermuda, Bella gets loaded onto a ship and actually shipped to Palma in the Med.Closer to home is Bermuda-based Argo Group CEO Mark Watson, with Team Tiburón. In a race update, Watson joked: “Finishing so early will really hurt my bar tab at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Bar, but I’ll be able to spend more time with my family in Bermuda.” (Sunday was Father’s Day).