ICON Yachts unveils "most rugged and reliable explorer yacht on the market"

Dutch yard ICON Yachts has revealed a new expedition concept at this year's Monaco Yacht Show, designed to be the "most rugged, reliable and safe explorer yacht on the market".

Measuring 50.5 metres and 499GT, Mission M has been engineered on the yard's ICON 50 technical platform. The result is an Ice Class 1D-certified build that can accommodate commercial-grade, heavy-duty equipment for operations in both tropical and Arctic remote regions. With safety as a key priority, Mission M has also been designed in accordance with the regulations for yachts over 500GT, seen in her uncharacteristically long, 7,000-nautical-mile range.

Typical of explorers, Mission M has an open, 10-metre aft deck equipped with a commercial-grade crane capable of lifting up to 9.6 tons with a 15-metre reach. The design also offers an optional "science configuration", in which the aft deck can hold two six-metre containers, one laboratory module and a separate staff module for up to four scientists, allowing her to become a platform for scientific research and ocean conservation.

The model's unconventional, split-level design is carried over all six decks for an "exceptional sense of space and volume". Inspired by commercial offshore design, she features a 270-degree bridge and a spacious adjacent skylounge, allowing guests to be part of the journey and mission planning.

Accommodation spans four guest cabins on the lower deck and a private owner's deck with its own balcony, with interiors undisclosed but designed by Carla Guilheim. As a semi-custom project, Mission M offers owners the choice of personalising the layout and interior.

According to BOATPro, ICON Yachts has four yachts currently on the water, the largest of which is the 67.5-metre Loon. 

The Dutch yard recently celebrated the technical launch of its 70-metre conversion project, Project Master. Originally built by  Kleven as the offshore rescue and support ship Ocean Ness, Project Master is undergoing an extensive rebuild to transform her into one of the “world’s most capable explorer yachts."