| Latini Marine 85 |  |
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.
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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."
 Born into a racing family,
Roma blends sleek lines with
creature comforts. (Click image to enlarge)
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)
Beyond hyperbole, Roma really does live up to these bold claims, delivering blistering performance with the kind of well-appointed comforts
expected of a modern cruiser. In other words, she is a cruising America’s
Cupper. 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)
Belowdecks, her completely white interior is immediately
noticeable. Not the sort of "functional" solution Mariani was talking about. Or
is it? First of all, because it is all stucco carbon fiber, there is nothing
to dismantle when racing. "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."
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