Ice 52, the redemption of Italian Style

We are on site as the new Ice 52 is being born with Marco Malgara, the Ice boss, and Umberto Felci, the designer. The construction of the boat is proceeding apace, but we feel as if we already see it in the water. On the large computer screen scrolls all the renderings of the deck and interior, the polars of expected performance, and the simulation of the boat’s behavior on the water in different wind and sea conditions. Even the simulation of what the silhouette of the boat will look like while sailing, as you can see in the picture above. In short, we feel on board without being there.

Magic of software development and the ability of the design firm and the site engineering department. We also have the advantage of seeing the boat under construction and not when it is already finished, so we can check construction details that we would not otherwise notice. And we realize that we are in the presence of a boat that represents the excellence of the new course of made in Italy.

THE ITALIAN STYLE THEY ENVY US
That Italian Style that the whole world envies us in the fields of food, fashion, furniture and luxury in general and that has not yet had the success it deserves in sailing. Such is the case with Ice Yacht, which with this 15-meter cruiser/racer expresses the best of this boat philosophy, which breaks away from what the French, Germans, Dutch, and Scandinavians are proposing.

A “BEAUTIFUL” DESIGN
One of the keystones of this Italian Style is definitely design. The Ice 52 is beautiful, current, and has one of those “timeless” lines that will withstand the wear and tear of years thus maintaining a good second-hand value. Just dwell on that “retractable” deckhouse, which remains one of the most apt aesthetic inventions for a boat that wants to express elegance and sportiness together. The three windows on the hull, so useful in giving the interior light to airiness, are balanced and not excessive in size.

CLEAR BUT COMPLETE COCKPIT
The cockpit looks empty but it is all there, thanks to the ergonomics of the rigging and layout in use today, which has the virtue of simplifying maneuvering to be conducted even by a crew of only two. “Even on their own,” Marco Malgara is keen to point out. The open stern with a relaxation area that only this solution guarantees is another cornerstone of the new generation of Italian Style. And please, old purists, don’t come and criticize that it is less safe. One only has to look at the ocean boats of solo sailors that are made just like this to realize that it is a stereotype to consider them unsafe. On the Ice 52, they also deftly managed to find space for a portion of the transom that opens up to become a small beach and entrance for the garage, which can hold a tender as large as 2.70 m.

THE INTERIORS ARE ALSO UNDER THE BANNER OF MADE IN ITALY
Inside, too, Italian flavor is a salient feature. That savvy “modern nautical lifestyle” that takes advantage of the benefits of the contemporary, without overdoing sharp edges that are not recommended in boating and discarding extreme solutions. On the Ice 52 you will never curse that you cannot find a safe handhold when the boat skids, but you can take advantage of unthinkable spaces. “It looks like a 60-footer,” Malgara announces to us, and Felci shows us the measurements of the saloon and cabins, which are truly remarkable.

The two creators of the 52 are keen to emphasize the marinity of the layout (which you can see in two versions opposite) and the quality of the materials used. We touched it when we saw with our own eyes the care taken in the construction of the furniture in the carpentry department of the site. Because another characteristic of the best made-in-Italy tradition is that almost all parts of the product are made “in house.” And at Ice Yachts it actually happens just like that. The shipyard has a decades-long tradition and resides in a district such as the province of Cremona where sailboats have been made since the 1950s.

WEIGHS ONLY 12 TONS
The cutting-edge technology in the construction of Ice 52, also all “in house,” is evidenced by the end result-the boat has an expected displacement when fully in the water of only 12,000 pounds. Merit for female mold hull and deck construction using hybrid epoxy-infused glass and carbon fibers with the carbon structures vacuum laminated. The characteristic stiffness of construction and low weight, combined with the carbon mast, make the Ice 52 a performance cruiser capable of high-performance sailing and the ability to compete in regattas with a good chance of results. Contributing to this is the Felci studio’s latest generation hull, which has the great advantage of having a great stability of form with the peculiarity of leaning at a given angle of heel and then keeping stable even as the wind increases without reducing canvas. Ah, we forgot to describe the excellent lifting keel solution, provided as an alternative to the fixed centreboard, which, without stealing dinette space, goes from a depth of 3.70 m to only 2.30 m. A nice advantage. www.iceyachts.it

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET.
Length f. t. m 15,78
Length at galleg. m 13,86
Width at b. max: m 4.65
Lifting keel draft from m 2.45 to 3.7; fixed from m 2.30 to 3.20
Displacement kg 12,000
Sail area mainsail sqm 90; jib sqm 67; gennaker sqm 300
Water tanks l 500
Fuel tanks l 370
Cabins 2 to 3
75 hp saildrive engine
Designed by Felci Yacht Design
Glass-carbon sandwich construction infused with epoxy resin
Carbon Shaft
ICE YACHTS Shipyard