GAETA, ITALY - On the surface, it would appear that skipper Alex Roepers and the Plenty team posted a commanding victory in the Farr 40 Gaeta Open. The American boat won seven of nine races and finished with a low score of 11 points, nine better than runner-up Enfant Terrible.

Terry Hutchinson, veteran tactician aboard Plenty, cautioned to not read too much into the scores. "I would say the results are a bit misleading and the gap between Plenty and Enfant Terrible is very small," the Annapolis-based professional said. "The difference in this regatta was slightly better upwind speed supported by superb teamwork."

Plenty got consistently strong starts, led the fleet to the first upwind mark and managed to hold off the challengers around the remainder of the course in six of its seven wins. The defending world champions placed second in the other two races in leading the three-day regatta from start to finish.

"We are very pleased with this regatta in every respect. We were happy with the location, happy with the conditions, happy with the crew and happy with the competition," Roepers said. "We had a strong fleet here and all the boats were going well. We were just able to string it together a little bit better."

This marks the fourth season that Roepers has sailed with virtually the same team that is led by Hutchinson, the two-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. Trimmers Morgan Trubovich (headsails) and Skip Baxter (main) along with bowman Greg Gendell are the other professionals in the program. Mark Langford (offside trimmer), Dimitri Simons (pit), Fletcher Sims (strategist), Emil Wester (mast) and Jennifer Wulff (floater) complete the crew.

"I'm surrounded by a phenomenal team," Roepers said. "I need to give a shout out to Terry Hutchinson and the other Category 3 sailors. They are the engine that makes this machine go. Our amateurs are awfully darn good as well. Just a tremendous focus on each individual's job."

Hutchinson gathered the crew in Gaeta on Sunday for four days of practice leading up to the regatta. Roepers, a New York City resident who operates a global investment firm, arrived for the final two days of preparation.

"Our performance this week is the result of hard work," Roepers said. "We had strong starts and that is because we do a lot of prep in that area. Our upwind speed was very good and that is due to rig tune and trim. Our downwind speed was solid as well. Other boats were not able to catch us and we were able to extend in most races."

Roepers had not sailed the Farr 40 since the D-Marin Zadar Regatta in September, 2016 so the two days of practice helped him get back up to speed. "Alex did excellent work  helming for the amount of time off," Hutchinson said.

The Gaeta Open was the last regatta before the 2017 Rolex Farr 40 World Championships, being held July 13-16 in Porto Cervo. Roepers said the victory off this ancient city was a confidence-boost for the Plenty team.

"We feel very prepared for Porto Cervo. We just need to keep our hands down and continue to execute," he said. "We know Enfant is very, very good. We know Struntje Light is quite capable. We are always wary, never complacent. All we focus on is the next start, the next leg."

Skipper Alberto Rossi and the Enfant Terrible team was also extremely consistent this week, winning two races and placing second in four others. The Italian entry only trailed Plenty by four points going into the final day, but a fourth place result in Race 7 proved decisive.

"This regatta was really important for us because we have some problems with speed," Rossi said. "In that respect, it was very useful to do the regatta. It is all about preparing for worlds and this was an important step."

Rossi huddled with his longtime tactician Vasco Vascotto afterward and there was clear agreement on what Enfant Terrible must improve over the next month.

"At the moment, we are going slowly to tell the truth. Our upwind speed is not what it should be," Rossi said. "We understand what we need to do. We will be working on our rig, our setup and our sails."

While disappointed in the runner-up result, Rossi really enjoyed the Farr 40 class's first visit to Gaeta. Principal race officer John Busch had no problem completing three races per day in a very reliable sea breeze that ranged from 10 to 18 knots.

"This was a really nice event - very well organized and great conditions," Rossi said.

Owner-driver Pierluigi Bresciani and the crew on Pazza Idea won a close battle with rival skipper Luca Pierdomenico and the MP30+10 team to capture the Corinthian title. Only three points separated the two Italian boats after nine races with a pair of second places lifting Pazza Idea.

"Despite the fact we got last place in standings, this regatta went really great. I thought our team fought really, really hard," Pierdomenico said. "This was our fourth event in the class and was probably the most competitive and difficult. We are very satisfied with the progress of the program. We will have new sails for Porto Cervo so we are excited to see how that improves our performance. We are really looking forward to the world championship."

Brady Stagg, Farr 40 class representative, had high praise for the performance of host Yacht Club Gaeta both on and off the water. Racing on the Gulf of Gaeta went flawlessly due large to tremendous race management while the shore-side activities were enjoyed by the sailors.

"It has been a really beautiful event. We were blessed with fantastic wind conditions and everything went very smoothly on the water," said Luca Simeone, vice president of the Yacht Club Gaeta and owner of the Base Nautica Flavio Gioia Spa marina that berthed the boats. "There was a beautiful vibe here in Gaeta, a very friendly atmosphere on shore. We are very pleased that all the sailors were happy here. We would love to have the Farr 40 class come back and we hope it is soon."

Visit yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4154 for more details on the regatta.