A whole new yacht brand will be revealed next week in Miami
Hong Kong–based yacht builder Cheoy Lee will be revealing its new brand, CL Yachts, at the Miami Yacht Show next week (February 14 to 18). The 130-year-old builder’s CL Yachts aims for the next-gen yacht owner, who wants speed and luxury. The CL Yachts CLA76f and CLB72 models, the first to debut, will demonstrate the new marque’s low-key but contemporary approach. Designer Jozeph Forakis dipped his toe in the water for the first time and teamed up with Cheoy Lee in creating CL Yachts. His studio is known for product designs, so this was a bit of a departure for the designer.
“We decided together to be very ambitious and to match this ambition with bold strategic moves. During development of the first boat we realized that if we truly wanted to push innovation, to create entirely new yachting designs and experiences, then it also made sense to start with a clean slate in terms of the name, brand identity, marketing, services—all the touch points that define a world-class, state-of-the-art luxury experience,” says Forakis.
We will all have the opportunity to see this new approach next week. The CLA76 is a flybridge yacht that follows from Cheoy Lee’s Alpha Express Series.
The 76-foot, 6-inch yacht offers up a lower-deck full-beam master stateroom, a VIP, and a guest cabin with two twin berths, as well crew cabins.
The main saloon, galley, dining area, foredeck lounging, shaded aft-deck lounging and dining area, and beach platform all flow along the main deck. Up top, on the flydeck, guests will find the flybridge, a shaded L-shaped sofa, and a grill and fridge.
The CLA76’s lightweight, resin-infused, composite hull was designed by Michael Peters with naval architecture provided by Al Horsmon. This yacht with classic, fluid lines sports a top speed of 30 knots.
The 76-foot, 9-inch CLB72 also features a resin-infused, composite hull and foam-cored monocoque structure. This model was designed by naval architect Howard Apollonio structural engineering by Gurit. It, too, is efficient and sports a 30-knot top-end speed. Offering up outdoor gathering zones at the shaded aft deck, sun-soaked foredeck and beach platform, as well as the flydeck with helm station, barbecue and refrigerator, and sofa.
The main deck houses the saloon, dining area, and galley, and the lower deck is home to the master stateroom, VIP, and a guest cabin, as well as crew quarters.
An almost-90-foot CLB88 is still in development.