Weeks after debuting at Cannes and winning Best Exterior Design, ICONA 70 earns the Special Award for Outstanding Innovation at the Design Innovation Award 2026.
Just a few weeks after its world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival and winning the Best Exterior Design award at the World Yachts Trophies 2026, ICONA 70 adds another prestigious recognition to its journey: the “Special Award for Outstanding Innovation” at the seventh edition of the Design Innovation Award, promoted by Confindustria Nautica and the Genoa International Boat Show on the occasion of the 66th Genoa International Boat Show.
The recognition is particularly significant as it is one of the three Special Awards presented by the jury, confirming the strength and originality of the inaugural project by “ICONA inspired by Mangusta”, an expression of the shared vision of the Balducci family and Stefano Arlunno, co-founders and partners of EFFEBI NEW PROJECT, the company behind the new brand. Created with the aim of moving beyond established formulas and exploring new perspectives in the sub-24-metre yachting segment, the ICONA 70 concept draws inspiration from Mangusta’s pioneering spirit, transforming research, automotive culture and nautical heritage into a new way of conceiving the contemporary yacht.
Igor Lobanov, who previously created the styling language of the Mangusta REV range, developed the exterior, interior, ergonomics and helm station as a single, integrated project, interpreting the yacht as a true sculpture in motion. The purity of its lines is combined with volumes and spaces normally associated with larger yachts, together with highly innovative solutions. These include the curved-glass windshield inspired by fighter jets, the side garage, and the transformable stern which, thanks to the opening side wings, creates a 40-square-metre platform on the water—a space designed around people and the experiences to be enjoyed on board.
The Special Award for Outstanding Innovation at the Design Innovation Award 2026 thus represents another milestone in the story of ICONA 70 and confirms the direction of a project created to challenge the traditional codes of yachting. A journey that has only just begun, with its sights firmly set on the future.
