Aicon Yachts was acquired by its majority shareholder and his financial partner in 2018
Italian shipyard Aicon Yachts has re-entered the market with a new semi-custom model, the 20m Aicon 66, due for launch soon.
The news comes not long after Aicon’s majority shareholder, Marc-Udo Broich, and his financial partner John Venners took over the Italian yard in 2018.
“We’re ready to restore the splendor the shipyard deserves, building in Italy in order to guarantee new boats the highest possible quality,” says Broich, CEO of the group. “We will aim to build custom boats in order to launch a genre that does not exist in the 50ft-85ft segment. Italian design and American engineering will create an irresistible mix.”
The debut of the new line of boats will take place in the US, a market that has always been a success for Aicon. Many of the 500 Aicons built between 2001 and 2010 were sold in the US.
The first upcoming model is the Aicon 66, a 20m semi-custom yacht.
“Having been in this business for over 20 years, it has become very clear to me that our segment (50ft-85ft) has become more and more like the automotive industry: mass production, limited customisation, and distribution networks that resemble local car dealers. All activities that, unfortunately, are managed by individuals who have no direct passion for the sea and navigation,” Broich explains.
“I believe that while this business model works for small-sized boats, there exists a need to fulfill yachtsmens’ desire to build high-end custom yachts to fit their specific needs and high standards. This is a process where the top management and the designer must work close with the owner, without intermediaries.”
Sergio Cutolo, former technical director of Baglietto during its golden era, will contribute to the relaunch. Cutolo has many years’ experience designing motoryachts of all sizes, ranging from small-sized luxury yachts and futuristic explorers to megayachts.
“It was with great pleasure that I accepted Marc’s call,” Cutolo says. “Having worked with Aicon in the past, it was a great pleasure for me to get back in touch with this glorious brand and to contribute to its relaunch.
“The challenge attracted me because my first intention was to build a yacht which could be totally customisable according to the owner’s needs without however having to change the entire engineering to adapt to every particular request.
“The new Aicon it’s a 66-footer that draws inspiration from one of the must successful models of the shipyard: the Aicon 64 Fly. This boat was really innovative for its time and, to some extent, it is still contemporary today. With the Aicon 66, we will introduce a modern boat of a bigger size and with an innovative design in its DNA.”
According to Cutolo, the new Aicon 66 will be a boat that, while maintaining the same good performance and seaworthiness as the 64, will adapt these characteristics to a particularly American use. “Boating conditions in the States are often harsh, so we decided to make the boat much drier thanks to particularly flared bow sections,” he says.
“It’s a functional and aesthetic choice that winks at the market of American fisherman, as is the choice of equipping the 66 with wider surfaces on the main deck, both in the side-decks and in the anchor zones. We have also introduced in the 66 what has become a ‘must-have’ accessory: the Hard Top on the flybridge.”
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