ICONA 70 – THE REVOLUTION STARTS NOW
Born from the shared vision of the Balducci family and Stefano Arlunno, ICONA 70 is the inaugural model from the newly established ICONA inspired by Mangusta brand. Unveiled for the first time at the Cannes Yachting Festival, the 70-foot yacht introduces a new approach to performance yachting below 24 metres combining sculptural design, automotive inspiration, advanced technology and an unprecedented relationship with the sea.
There comes a moment when evolution is no longer enough when expertise and innovation become the foundation for something entirely new.
ICONA 70 was born from that moment. Founded by the Balducci family and Stefano Arlunno, co-founders and business partners of EFFEBI NEW PROJECT, the newly established company behind ICONA inspired by Mangusta introduces a yacht brand conceived to challenge established conventions in the sub-24-metre segment. Its inaugural model, ICONA 70 is built to the standards of the Overmarine Group.
At the heart of the project is a shared belief that a new generation of yacht owners is redefining the meaning of exclusivity. Rather than simply seeking more volume, more features or greater complexity, these owners are looking for something more emotional, personal and distinctive a yacht capable of creating a new kind of desire.
ICONA 70 is the answer to this vision, rather than evolving from an existing platform, the yacht introduces a new design language centred on purity, emotion and purpose. Unveiled for the first time “OUT OF THE BOX” at the Cannes Yachting Festival, ICONA 70 offers a radically different interpretation of the performance yacht where emotion leads, technology supports the experience and every element serves a clear purpose.
For decades, yacht design has largely been shaped by familiar ambitions: more volume, more features and increasing complexity. ICONA 70 begins from a different premise: what happens when emotion comes first?
The result is a yacht whose character draws as much inspiration from the world of high-performance automobiles as from conventional yacht design. Minimal without appearing simple and elegant without excess, ICONA 70 is defined by clarity, proportion and purity.
A moving sculpture the design challenge was entrusted to Igor Lobanov, already familiar with the Mangusta REV design language. Over approximately 18 months, Lobanov developed the exterior, interior, ergonomics and helm as a single integrated project, refining every surface towards a more precise and essential expression.
Every line has a purpose, the result is a yacht conceived as a moving sculpture combining the purity of timeless design with the dynamic character of a contemporary performance yacht. Powerful without aggression and distinctive without excess, ICONA 70 achieves its visual impact through proportion rather than ornamentation.
The muscular surfaces of the hull sides remain deliberately uninterrupted while a dramatic 3D-printed honeycomb engine air intake introduces a distinctive technical signature inspired by the automotive world.
The dark glazed superstructure appears to disappear beneath a sharply tapered hardtop, while the forward windscreen, designed without conventional pillars, creates the visual impression of a fighter-jet canopy. From certain perspectives, ICONA 70 evokes the character of a 1960s roadster suspended above the sea.
Even complex technical elements have been carefully integrated into the yacht’s architecture. The bow mooring area, anchor pocket and side tender bay designed to accommodate a jet tender of up to 3.45 metres (11′ 4″) are visually concealed to preserve the purity and continuity of the exterior surfaces.
Everything unnecessary has been removed. Everything essential has been refined.
Space, Natural light and the sea: natural light is not treated simply as something that enters the yacht. On ICONA 70, light becomes an architectural material.
A central living axis forms the heart of the yacht, extending from the stern platform through the split-level cockpit and into the luminous glazed superstructure, establishing a continuous visual and physical connection between the spaces.
On the lower deck, the central living area is illuminated by expansive skylights that create the impression of a floating architectural glass dome, visually connecting sea and sky.
Three spacious cabins, with ceiling heights of up to 2.10 metres (6′ 11″), benefit from generous volumes and large, continuous hull windows that introduce abundant natural light while strengthening the connection with the surrounding environment.
Despite offering interior volumes rarely associated with a 70-foot yacht, ICONA 70 maintains balanced and harmonious proportions. Within its 6.2-metre (20′ 5″) central beam, interior heights reach up to 2.85 metres (9′ 5″), creating an exceptional perception of space.
The full-beam master cabin, complete with an open bathroom concept, delivers the sense of volume typically associated with a significantly larger yacht. The result is an interior environment conceived to feel open, bright and seamless, without compromising comfort or privacy.
The sea reimagined the aft section represents one of ICONA 70’s defining innovations and was the conceptual starting point for the entire project.
Two expansive fold-down wings extend the yacht’s beam to more than 9 metres (29′ 6″), creating an exceptional 40-square-metre (430-square-foot) overwater platform on a 70-foot yacht. The resulting width is comparable to the beam traditionally associated with yachts of approximately 50 metres in length.
An integrated transformer staircase extends the companionway directly towards the water, creating an uninterrupted transition from the yacht’s interior to the sea a feature conceived as a true “Stairway to Heaven.”
The entire aft environment has been designed to adapt throughout the day, transforming according to the needs of those on board. It can be open or protected, social or private, creating a flexible waterfront environment centred on experience rather than convention.
L-shaped sunbeds incorporate height-adjustable convertible tables, while two sculptural and functional elements inspired by vintage guitar amplifiers form the social heart of the space.
One conceals an outdoor galley equipped with a refrigerator, ice maker and barbecue, while the other incorporates a DJ station and additional storage. Together with a premium audio system and colour-changing LED lighting, these elements transform the aft area into a setting designed for gathering, entertainment and life close to the water.
The result is more than an aft deck: it is a space conceived around people, interaction and experience.
The drivers’s cockpit, the automotive inspiration behind ICONA 70 reaches its fullest expression at the helm.
Rather than adopting the conventions of a traditional bridge, the helm has been conceived as a minimalist driver’s cockpit, integrating ergonomics, technology and emotion within a single environment.
Four integrated 19-inch touchscreens, four dedicated driving seats and a sculptural dashboard create a clean, immersive setting. Multicolour ambient lighting further defines the atmosphere, while unnecessary visual elements have been removed to create an intuitive, next-generation driving experience.
Traditional physical controls and push-buttons have been reduced to the essential, allowing technology to enhance the experience without dominating it.
This philosophy extends throughout the yacht’s onboard systems. Advanced monitoring, joystick manoeuvring, dynamic positioning, forward-looking live sonar and assisted docking technologies have been integrated to make the operation of a high-performance yacht remarkably intuitive.
With ICONA 70, technology becomes an enabler rather than the focal point supporting performance, simplifying operation and allowing those on board to focus on the experience itself.
A new language for the sub-24-metre segment ICONA 70 marks the beginning of a new chapter for ICONA inspired by Mangusta and introduces a distinctive proposition within the performance-yacht market.
By bringing together sculptural design, generous volumes, automotive-inspired ergonomics, advanced onboard technology and an innovative approach to life at the water’s edge, the yacht challenges conventional expectations of what a 70-foot yacht can offer.
More than an evolution of an established formula, ICONA 70 has been conceived as the starting point for a new design language one defined not by excess but by emotion, purity and experience.
