We told you about theVelman operation inside the Quantum Group, an example of companies betting on made-in-Italy capabilities. Not only sailmakers, there are also those on the shipyard front who are aiming for “autarky” in their production, that is, to make everything in house thus taking 100% control of the supply chain. Like Marco Malgara’s Ice Yachts, a shipyard specializing in building carbon performance cruisers. Ice has two production sites in the Cremona area, and has long espoused the philosophy of being completely self-sufficient in the production of its boats.
Ice Yachts – 100% made in Italy
“From laminate to interiors and dinghy cases: and we also make deck molds!
In the Cremona plant we laminate and in Salvirola we set up
” Malgara tells us. “The reason for this choice is basically related to quality,” Ice’s founder continues, “especially for a shipyard that decides to position itself at a high end of the market. We now sell to Japan, Kayman, Israel, we are an international player for quality custom and semi-custom products. Currently 75 percent of sales are foreign; before it was half and half. Made in Italy is our calling card as well as our guarantee of quality, and we must safeguard it.”
Ice Yachts today is a company that employs about 60 people engaged between the two plants, including carpenters and finishers, the design office, laminators, and other skilled labor.
“For product control,” Malgara concludes, “having everything in house is much easier. For the future as well, this choice will not change, we will continue to be independent in production, and a third plant will also arrive for this purpose.”
70 Grand Comfort arrives
The Ice 70 in the Grand Comfort version (21.30 m long and 5.76 m wide) is the next boat the Italian shipyard will put in the water in the coming weeks. Designed in collaboration with Felci Yacht Design, which conceived the original design of the 70, it is an evolution of the original concept that pushes toward luxury cruising.
The novelty visible at first glance will be the almost total coverage of the cockpit with double bimini, but there are many other details that compared to the original design have been updated. Following the success of the previous model in the stern we find again the seats that compared to the first version have been extended towards the middle of the boat thus offering two chaise lounges and allowing at the same time more storage space.
Beneath the aft deck, with good and useful clear floor area, is a garage for a 3.20 m rigid-keel tender with a folding transom or usable as ample and capable storage that is also accessible from a walk-through on deck.
