ISA Essence 82m is a Lobanov project buyers should read as a brief

ISA Yachts, the Palumbo Superyachts brand, has unveiled Essence 82m as the third proposal in its large custom yacht collection. Exterior and interior design are by Igor Lobanov Studio, while the naval architecture is developed by the yard. The headline numbers set the scale immediately: 82 metres overall, 12.80 metres of beam, about 2,250 GT, a steel full-displacement hull, aluminium superstructure and an expected range of around 6,200 nautical miles at 12 knots.

This is not a delivery announcement. It is a project statement showing how ISA wants to speak to a client in the 80-metre-plus bracket, alongside the 100-metre flagship already under construction. A buyer should therefore read Essence 82m as an investment brief: what the yard is proposing, which solutions have been framed and where the full-custom conversation begins.

What Really Matters?

The announcement includes features normally associated with larger yachts: a touch-and-go helipad, a lift to the sun deck, a garage for two tenders up to 10 metres and space for an additional crew tender of around 7 metres. The beach club is planned at about 144 square metres with side terraces, while the pool above is described with a transparent bottom bringing light into the space below. Accommodation is arranged for 12 guests in seven cabins, with quarters for 21 crew.

That sounds dramatic, but the purchase conversation should be more forensic. Will the quoted GT survive owner customisation? How does the helipad affect certification, noise and insurance? What is the true cost of operating two large tenders plus a crew boat? Which elements belong to the platform and which would change the build schedule and budget?

We used the same filter in our note on how Monaco tests the market after Cannes: scale alone is not enough if the client does not understand the operational consequences.

Who Is This For?

Essence 82m is aimed at an owner prepared for a long build and a large advisory team. That is a different conversation from buying an existing yacht on the brokerage market. Here, broker, lawyer, surveyor, technical manager and owner’s representative need to work from the first specification.

An owner-side adviser such as W Yachts should break the project into risk areas: hull, propulsion, acoustics, hotel systems, crew, tenders and future resale value. Essence 82m may be a strong signal of ISA’s ambition, but for the buyer it remains the beginning of very specific due diligence.