Alex Roepers doesn't like to dwell in the past. However, when prompted, the New York businessman will talk about the magical run he and the crew aboard Plenty enjoyed during the 2014 Farr 40 International Circuit.
"It really was an incredible season. It was the function of many years of piecing together all the elements that go into being consistently successful on the race course," Roepers said.
Plenty took first place in three of five events to capture the circuit crown then capped the campaign by securing the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship as well. One might think that would be awfully satisfying for Roepers, who had never won a regatta in seven previous seasons in the prestigious Farr 40 class. To the contrary, the thrill of victory only made Roepers and the Plenty team hungry for more.
"You're only as good as your last regatta. This class is incredibly competitive and can humble you very quickly," Roepers said. "Our goal is to repeat as both circuit and world champs, and we know in order to do that we will need to sail even better than last season."
That's because Plenty will have a target on its hull as every other boat in the fleet will consider the defending champions as the standard-bearer until proven otherwise. Roepers began to learn what that felt like after winning the California Cup and North American Championship.
2 February 2015
Media Release
Winning formula nets Transfusion the Aberdeen Asset Management Victorian Farr 40 State Title
credit:Pete Harmsen
When it comes to repelling their Farr 40 classmates time and again, the defence mechanisms on Guido Belgiorno-Nettis' Transfusion are in place. Despite best efforts from Voodoo Chile and Kindergarten, the successful Sydney sailing team headed up by the Transfield Holdings managing director took out the class' first state title for the 2014-15 season.
Transfusion is beatable. In recent years Voodoo has done it, so has Estate Master and Kokomo. And all of these teams finished higher in the rankings at last year's Rolex Farr 40 World Championship.
Undeniably Belgiorno-Nettis, a multiple Australian class champion and world champion when the title came to Sydney in 2011, knows the winning formula. On Port Phillip he and his crew completed the 10 race Aberdeen Asset Management Farr 40 Victorian Title yesterday afternoon; consolidating the lead position they held from day one, Friday January 30, 2015 to finish seven points in the clear.
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