ICE 70

The ICE 70 is a semi-custom bluewater performance cruiser built by the Italian yard ICE Yachts and designed by Umberto Felci of Felci Yacht Design. Measuring 21.30 m (69 ft 11 in) overall, she debuted at the 2021 Cannes Yachting Festival and was conceived as a fast bluewater cruiser capable of competing in Mini Maxi-class offshore races while providing luxurious accommodations for extended passages. The project represents more than 4,500 hours of engineering effort overseen by a single design team, giving the yacht a cohesive character that is unusual at her price point.

The ICE 70 features a telescoping lifting keel that adjusts between 2.80 m and 4.50 m, combining shoal-draft versatility for coastal anchorages and marinas with the deeper-draft stability and upwind performance required for open-ocean sailing. Priced at approximately EUR 2.4-2.6 million ex-VAT, she targets experienced owner-operators who want genuine offshore capability wrapped in a refined Mediterranean aesthetic.

The hull is built using an infused sandwich construction combining fiberglass and carbon fiber composite, with carbon fiber making up roughly 30% of the structural fibers. The deck structure and full-length carbon mast further reduce weight aloft, benefiting stability and sail-carrying power. The hull form was optimized for high form stability when heeled without generating excess wetted surface, which helps maintain speed across a wide wind range.

The keel is a telescoping lifting unit, which is mechanically unusual at this size and demands careful engineering of the lifting mechanism and keel trunk. A carbon bowsprit is fitted as standard, serving triple duty as an anchor arm and as a tacking point for both the code zero and gennaker. The yard, rooted in the CN Yacht 2000 shipyard tradition near Milan, applies a semi-custom approach that allows owners to specify cabin layouts, interior finishes, and keel configurations.

With a sail area-to-displacement ratio of approximately 29.4 and a displacement-to-length ratio around 89, the ICE 70 sits firmly in the lightweight performance-cruiser category. The upwind sail plan consists of an in-boom furling mainsail (148 sq m), a jib (111 sq m), and a staysail (66.5 sq m) for versatile headsail combinations offshore. Downwind, the carbon bowsprit carries either a 238.6 sq m code zero or a 377.6 sq m gennaker, enabling fast reaching and running angles.

The lifting keel gives the boat a competitive edge when fully extended to 4.5 m, and retracts to 2.8 m for entering shallower ports. The hull lines were shaped to minimize wetted surface particularly when heeled, so the boat performs well in moderate breeze without waiting for strong winds to come alive. The Yachting World review noted that the ICE 70 delivers an engaging, quick motion that lives up to the builder's fast-cruiser billing.

The standard three-cabin layout arranges the owner's suite forward, a guest cabin amidships, and a crew or skipper cabin aft near the galley, with a four-cabin variant also available. The bow master suite is notably spacious, featuring an en-suite head with shower and a sauna finished in teak, along with a small study area. Interior joinery combines natural teak veneers, wenge accents, and burgundy leather upholstery, lending a warm character that differs from the purely minimalist finishes common on performance-oriented builds.

The saloon provides a generous social space with a settee that can convert to an additional berth. The galley is well-equipped with multiple fridge-freezers suited to extended offshore passages. A separate skipper cabin with its own access near the companionway keeps professional crew independent from the owner's quarters, an arrangement well-suited to owner-captained bluewater voyaging with paid crew.