Aicon Yachts 52-Boat, Yacht, Luxury Gulet, Bareboat, Catamaran

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  • 8/3/2019 Aicon Yachts 52-Boat, Yacht, Luxury Gulet, Bareboat, Catamaran

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    Owners Heather and Clarke Hill greeted me as I boarded the Aicon 52via her passarelle. Standing with them in the cockpit was Marc-Udo

    Broich, president of Aicon Yachts USA. All beamed with excitementas they fawned over the first of this model to be off-loaded on

    American shores. The builder refers to the 52 as a fast, European-stylemotoryacht, and after spending the better part of a day aboard, it isclear that owners who select an Aicon yacht will benefit from the

    builder's expertise in interior construction. It is a vessel with a large

    comfort zone.

    The Hills are a couple with direction, and their previous cruisingexperiences were the building blocks for what they required of theirfirst large powerboat. Both were very active in selecting the

    components. Heather in fact took the lead on many of the mechanicaldecisions as well as the interior scheme.

    "That is just her nature", Clarke said of his wife. "Our last boat was a

    44-foot Pearson ketch and we knew what we wanted in this boat.Aicon was the only company that would accommodate my requests,he continued."

    The amount of interaction between builder and owner was clearly

    evident throughout the boat. The mental images Heather had in mindcame to fruition with the assistance of Broich and his staff.

    "Our interiors are totally custom and we build everything in-house.There are some things we cannot change, such as the interior molds

    that create the rigidity in the hull we desire, and we feel they offer aclean look", Broich says. It is hard not to be impressed with the finalresults.

    Aicon Yachts are built in Italy; in current production are the 52 and 56

    models, and a 66, 70 and 86 are in the works. The builder usesconventional construction techniques with Divynicell core from the

    waterline up. The hull is based on a deep-V design that culminates in18.5 degrees of deadrise at the transom. Prop pockets minimize shaftangle, so the 52 only draws 4 feet, perfect for exploring shallow bays.

    Three crash zones are incorporated into the design, the first being the

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    swim platform, the second the engineroom and the third is the forward

    cabin.

    The builder infused the project with European flair and Americanheadroom. Even the starboard side lower helm eliminates the need for

    a tall skipper to slouch. The low rise of the foredeck and bow allowfor the helm station to be skewed slightly aft. This position stillaffords good lines of sight and provides more space for the

    accommodations below.

    Owners requiring a complete array of monitors and screens will have

    to be creative in their placement; there is a minimum of flat area onthe helm console. There is a detailed ship's service panel on theconsole, and stowage for navigation and other electronics is provided

    under helm. A section of the side window opens for naturalventilation.

    As we mingled about waiting to clear the dock lines, the saloon

    remained cool and handled the a small crowd with ease. Sevenchilled-water air conditioning units, three dedicated to the saloon andone for each cabin (including the optional crew quarters), are plenty to

    maintain the comfort zone throughout.

    The faux ostrich settee hosted five adults comfortably on softcushions. There is a large stowage area underneath the cushions and

    even space under the stools. Aicon finely crafted the satin-finishedhardwood soles and high-gloss joinery. Heather added wood stairs for

    visual continuity from the saloon to the step-down galley. Her goalwas to achieve a look found on larger yachts.

    The large stainless steel framed saloon door creates a clear view of the

    transom for the pilot and we enjoyed its picture window quality as wecruised down the Intracoastal.

    The Aicon 52 is a delight to maneuver. I toyed with the thruster and

    maneuvered her about as we held position awaiting a bridge opening.Neither current nor wind bullied this motoryacht. Emerging from theno-wake zones the 52 reached a cruising speed of 21 knots at 2050

    rpm, her fuel burn was approximately 45 gph and the saloon decibel

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    levels were 78. Top end for this well-laden vessel was 26-knots; the

    builder hopes to squeak out a bit more and is still fine-tuning her

    propellers. The waterways were calm, but plowing through boatwakes at speed indicated to me that this yacht will embrace ocean

    conditions just fine. The Hills are quite happy with both theperformance and comfort of their Aicon.

    "We lived on the boat in Sicily for 21/2 weeks, and we knew the boat

    will meet our family's needs. We feel the 52 is perfect, with the

    separation of the cabins and the lower placement of the galley thatkeeps it out of sight", commented Clarke.

    The three-cabin, two-head Aicon 52 motoryacht will indeed meetcruisers' needs. The dinette is up a few steps from the main saloon and

    has seating for six. A close inspection of the fit and finish of thecherry wood joinery work shows why Aicon has long been noted forits interior expertise; it is yacht-quality. Everywhere you look an

    intricate detail, such as where headliner meets joinery, shouts outquality workmanship.

    One level down is the galley, and the area is compact. There is plenty

    of counter space, but I did find it a little restricted by the overhang ofthe stowage compartments above. It is outfitted with a three-burner

    cook top, upright refrigerator and microwave. Aicon also includesdinner service for six.

    The washer/dryer unit can be found off the passageway to the master

    cabin. This cabin affords headroom of 6 feet, 10 inches and a berththat measures a full 7 feet. There is ample room bedside for a novel,

    glass of water and the usual sort of pocket paraphernalia.

    Although flowing curves in the European theme highlight the Aicon'sinterior, the heads included, a teak-and-holly sole in each head tips the

    hat to American tradition. A split door allows easy access into theshower stall. The builder provided a portal in every cabin and head(except the crew's). Each guest stateroom is outfitted with side-by-side

    berths of 61/2 feet. The builder offers a single berth option as well.

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    The crew's quarters are situated aft and are substantially larger than

    those of other yachts in this class. Still, I believe the North American

    marketplace will find other more practical uses for the space.

    Access to the engineroom is also aft through a wide hatch in the teak

    sole of the cockpit. Substantial sound attenuating materials confine thebulk of the noise to the engineroom, maintaining a serene quiet in thesaloon, even at top speed. Aicon's underwater exhaust system puts a

    lid on noise, but it makes moving about the engines a bit cumbersome-

    a small price to pay for the quiet ride.

    The 700-hp C12 Caterpillar engines drive conventional running gearand sit atop Divinycel-cored stringers capped with aluminum. Theengines pull fuel from two saddles and one center aluminum tank. The

    Aicon's dual fuel filters and huge sea strainers are readily accessible.The Americanized electrical system was neatly wired, and AC poweris supplied by a Mase 14kW generator.

    Thoughtful design graces the exterior of the 52, as well. The relativelywide treads of the molded stairs and the shallow angle-instead of asteep ladder with narrow treads-ease the climb from the cockpit to the

    flying bridge. A solid grab rail helps, too. A large family will be ablecomfortably to hunker down on the half-moon settee, dine at the large

    table or relax on the sun pad forward of the helm station. The Hillslike this placement of the sun pad, because it keeps the youngergeneration in plain sight.

    The helm station provides good lines of sight for gauges andsurroundings; the ZF controls are within easy reach.

    Kudos to Aicon for preserving a safe width along the side decks, in

    spite of having devoted so much of the overall beam to the generousinterior volume. Crew and guests no doubt will appreciate the 52's

    substantial safety rail, which borders the side decks for most of theboat's length.

    Aicon Yachts has proven that even within an LOA of 52 feet, it ispossible to minimize the compromises and deliver a yacht that offers a

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    luxurious saloon and comfortable cabins. I am excited to see what

    they will do with 66 feet.

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