The 85-foot (25.7-meter) racing/cruising sloop Roma is the latest in a long line of winners from the Latini Marine yard. In the last three seasons alone, the Rome-based composite specialist headed by brothers Andrea and Antonio Latini has won three IMS world titles and two Maxi Yacht Rolex Cups, the last in Sardinia when Roma sailed to victory in her class in her first race fixture since hitting the water in July 2005. That’s not counting the boats the yard has turned down due to its burgeoning order book, including the Transpac 52 Pisco Sour and the Volvo 70 Ericsson.

So they know how to build a fast race boat. But can they build a fast and comfortable race cruiser? Enter Lazzarini Pickering Architects. "In the past, people have tried to make cruising yachts fast," says Carl Pickering. "With Roma we’ve taken the fast hull by Farr Yacht Design and within that created a new concept of comfort in terms of space, function and detail."

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Born into a racing family, Roma blends sleek lines with creature comforts. (Click image to enlarge)

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Project manager Vittorio Mariani continues the theme: "We wanted to create a boat that would become the standard bearer for technological progress and comfort. That meant marrying the latest construction techniques and prepreg materials with functionality of form and detail both inside and out."

A stark white interior. (Click image to enlarge) 

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On the outside, her deck is designed around a carbon-fiber "slingshot" that contains all the hatches and most of the deck gear. A continuous toe rail outlining the companionways makes the completely flush deck—a sure sign of her racing pedigree—both safe and easily maneuverable. By doing away with teak decking, her builders claim that 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds) have been saved for a racing trim of 38 tons (43 tons in cruiser mode). A sensual feel underfoot has been maintained with cushions that can be spread around the deck with quick-and-handy Velcro attachments. Two folding tables in the central cockpit can be extended to create one large table or lowered to provide a sun bed, creating a multifunctional area with various seating, dining and lounging possibilities. The sleek, prepreg carbon-fiber hull has no windows or portholes, and the open transom serves as a 4.25-square-meter swimming platform. The two-spreader carbon-fiber mast by Southern Spars matches racing flexibility with control and ease of use with reliability, while her lifting keel reduces the draft from 4.55 meters to 2.95 meters. Even her righting moment is designed to provide speed while racing and comfort while cruising.

A deceptively simple face is actually a masterwork of engineering designed to accommodate Roma’s racing/cruising dual functionality. (Click image to enlarge)

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"I have three children between five and 10 years old, and we cruise extensively," says owner Filippo Faruffini. "The gloss surfaces mean you can wipe them down with a damp cloth. It’s as simple as that. When racing, we use padded cotton covers for impact protection. During the Rolex Cup it was a battleground down here with 28 crew and up to six sails, each weighing as much as 300 kilograms. As you can see, the covers work."A second notable feature is the incredible perspective fore and aft from the salon. When the doors separating the various areas are latched open there is a clear view from bow to stern.

Inside, this 85-footer looks like a 100-footer, with no fewer than six cabins, five bathrooms, nav station and crew mess. The same slingshot construction visible on the outside becomes a structural element on the inside with shelving running along the length of both sides to support beds, sofas, kitchen units, closets and even a shower seat.

Padded cotton covers protect unsecured furnishings during races. (Click image to enlarge)

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The interior is also easy to maintain when kids are aboard. (Click image to enlarge)

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Latini Marine
39 0774 355 486
www.latinimarine.com