Ice Yachts: ICE 66 RS is born and bears the signature of Farr Yacht Design

ICE Yacht announces the birth of the ICE 66 RS, a sailing yacht with a futuristic style that bears the signature of the prestigious nautical name Farr Yacht Design, which was entrusted with the care of the hull design and naval architecture. ICE Yachts thus confirms its strategy of “collaborating with the highest names in the nautical world”, with Farr Yacht now joined by another internationally renowned designer, Umberto Felci, with whom ICE Yachts has been actively collaborating for some time. The ICE 66 RS project also sees the participation of Micheletti + Partners, engaged in the styling of the interiors and exteriors, and Pure design + Engineering for the application of structural studies.

The ICE 66 RS was created with the aim of offering owners a “highly customizable” craft, built “in carbon glass sandwich with a full carbon deck“. In this case, the choice is for a dominant material that “makes it possible to combine the rigidity of carbon with the natural qualities of absorbing vibrations and consequently noise“. The mast will also be “in carbon”, this time to support “a generous sail plan” that includes the mainsail with a total surface area of 152 square meters, the jib of 124 and the gennaker covering an impressive 454 square metres. Added to this is the rudder in the same innovative material “with an axle forged in an autoclave at 7 bar“. For the helmsman of the ICE 66 RS, ICE Yacht announces “impressive control even when the boat is heeling or subjected to heavy aerodynamic loads”.

ICE 66 RS also available in full carbon

ICE Yacht would also have in store a “full carbon” ICE 66 RS model for sailing competitions and ultra fast cruises. The layout of the project therefore confirms the flexibility of the ICE 66 RS for owners looking for cruising and, why not, racing too. As far as ease of mooring is concerned, the boat has been designed with a draft of 3.5 metres: the “best compromise” to guarantee performance, but also in response to the need for “access to the main Mediterranean ports”. The first ICE 66 RS has had its moulds made in September this year, and the boatyard announces that “it certainly won’t be the usual sailboat”, also because of the “different layouts under consideration“. The deckhouse is “automotive-derived” and has a “large front window” giving total control of the deck from the dinette. On the deckhouse there are also “large handrails that conceal the exit of the sheets, which can be easily used by just one person using 4 electric winches“. What also stands out is the designers’ ability to make the most of the space, achieving a result that gives the feeling of being in a much larger boat. “The main saloon is large and airy, making you think you’re on a 70-footer,” explains the boatyard. In terms of customization, the LCE 66 RS has been designed with the option of four cabins and four heads with an “independent” double cabin for the crew or small children. Alternatively, the option will be a classic layout with three cabins and three heads.

Innovative result for the ICE 66 RS  

“We thought we would get together and start again with a new project,” said designer Lucio Micheletti, “a concept where lightness and design play with unusual forms. We thought that ICE could be the right theatre for experimentation. The challenge is high, because boats between 16 and 24 meters are the most difficult. They are big, but not very big – continues Mr. Micheletti- You have to combine efficiency, comfort and practicality in volumes that never give anything away. And of course, as with all boats, they must be attractive. I’ve tried to add anything that isn’t useful and functional, for the exteriors, and to reward the feeling of space and brightness in the interiors, which are also very very practical. The result is innovative, but not gratuitous. I am happy with what has been achieved outside and inside”.

Based on the renderings we received in our editorial office, the boat has a “race-derived” hull that hints at the “power” of the hull that is useful for high-speed sailing. The garage is designed to house “an inflated 3-metre tender“, which is truly exceptional for a boat with an overall length of 19.90 meters. Not surprisingly, the maximum width of the boat is “shifted to the stern“, while the bow is barely turned back, a distinctive feature of the Cremona-based boatyard already applied on the OR 65.

A fast racer-cruiser

In the cockpit with the large sofas set against each other, the “classic Mediterranean style” dominates this convivial space to experience the boat even more in contact with the marine environment. “Finally we have measured ourselves against a beautiful yacht for racing and fast cruising! After two years of full immersion in the sophistication of the America’s Cup and racers, we were able to dedicate ourselves to excellence on a project for the ‘market’, for sailing and sea enthusiasts, for all those who don’t want to give up performance while making all-around use of their boat. Technologies and materials have made enormous progress and make it possible to create objects that are light and very strong, but able to guarantee comfort and silence as well as being durable. ICE’s SIX.SIX is a step-change for race-cruising,” said Giovanni Belgrano of Pure Engineering.

“We wanted to work with the best designers on the market to guarantee a boat that is lightweight, fast, competitive and comfortable. The top of the market to bring the shipyard’s Made in Italy to an international level. This range is not intended to replace the existing production, but will complement it, addressing a public that appreciates the solidity and performance of ICE Yachts but is looking for a more futuristic design,” said ICE Yachts founder Marco Malgara.

Technical Specs

LOA: 19.90 m

LWL: 18.5 m

Max Beam: 5.70 m

Displacement: 26,000 Kg

Draft: 3.35 m

Mainsail: 152 m2

Jib: 124 m2

Gennaker: 454 m2