Building pictures would be better suited to describe her than those of the finished boat. This is because the Ice 62 Targa conceals a number of special features under its outer skin and behind the neatly finished, highly functional and at the same time cosy interior below deck that do not exist elsewhere in series production, or not to this extent.
The yacht designed by Umberto Felci, which strikes a rare balance somewhere between luxury yacht and performance cruiser, is actually built more like a modern offshore racer. The hull is laminated from a glass/carbon mix in a multi-stage infusion process: the bulkheads, floor assembly and deck are made of pure carbon fibre fabrics with a high-strength foam core.
And that is by no means where the specialities end: the bulkheads are T-shaped on the outside; the resulting enlarged flange improves the connection and force transmission to the hull and deck. The tanks, also made of carbon fibre, take on a structural function. Rudder, rudder shaft, mast, boom, bowsprit, targa roof and hatch frame - all carbon fibre!
Because it would be kind of crazy to go to such lengths to furnish the boat with heavy boatbuilding plywood, which quite a few well-known suppliers in this eclectic market segment do, the interior of the luxury yacht is also made of lightweight foam sandwich.
A luxury yacht as a lightweight
So it's no wonder that the 17.99 metre long Ice 62 remains under 20 tonnes - a good 25 percent less than comparable competitors that are similarly chic and holistically furnished.
There is another feature that makes the Italian with the hull flanks drawn in towards the deck and the handsomely stretched lines stand out: she comes with a hydraulic lifting keel and twin rudders, which makes her compatible with almost all marinas because the minimum draught is only 2.30 metres. In its lowest position, however, the ballast bomb floats at an official depth of 3.90 metres. This provides plenty of righting momentum. The double-walled keel fin is made of Weldox steel and the hydraulics come from one of the best specialised companies for this type of technology: Cariboni. Another name from the top end of regatta and superyacht construction.
The Ice 62 Targa with self-tacking jib and main carries 240 square metres of sailcloth on its 27 metre high mast, which corresponds to a very sporty sail carrying capacity of 5.7(!). And if you have the rather unfounded concern that this is not enough in light winds, you can add another 80 square metres with the Code 55 laminated by North Sails using Helix technology, which then results in a sail load factor of 6.6 and so much propulsion that it is a real pleasure.
In 10 knots of wind, the boat sails at a constant speed of around 8.5 to 10 knots on courses of around 60 to 65 degrees to the true wind. It's almost magical, because you're not sailing a Volvo 65 here, but a cruising boat with four fridges, 1,000 litres of fresh water and 800 litres of tank capacity, with an electrically lowerable saloon table and widescreen TV.
Incidentally, this also applies to the engine speed: the 195 hp diesel can reach around 9 knots at cruising speed and over 11 knots at full load. Then the stern wave sometimes breaks off and the Ice occasionally switches to planing without becoming unduly loud.
In short: the boat is a stunner! Light, strong, superbly finished and an eye-catcher in any harbour, in any area. More soon in the detailed test.
Further information and technical data on the Ice Yachts website.
