For some boat owners, having a beach club and a bar are the only things that matter, but for those looking for a little more functionality, CL Yachts has created the CLX96 “Sea Activity Vessel” (SAV). Making its debut at the popular Fort Lauderdale Yacht Show 2022, the CLX96 is something of a Hilux for the open ocean and is described by its boatyard as being “not just another pretty boat.”
The CLX96 is the latest vessel to leave the Hong Kong-based yards of Cheoy Lee-owned CL Yachts, with the design for both its interior and exterior coming from the New York-born industrial designer Jozeph Forakis. This isn’t the first CY Yachts design that Forakis has worked on, having previously worked on the CLB88, as well as a diving watch for Swatch and Leonardo’s Heli-X aircraft among other design projects.
The CLX96 certainly makes a statement thanks to the vision of Forakis, featuring a plumb bow and reverse-angle deckhouse that reminds of the exploration boats of times gone by, there’s a sense of distinct purpose that arrives with this vessel. With a sizable lounge area at the pointy end of the CLX96, it also features large deck areas aft of the top deck, as well as an extendable beach club at the water level.
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The interior is equally luxuriating and relaxed, with a galley kitchen boasting full facilities and an island benchtop, immediately adjacent to an internal lounge space if the weather turns. The quartet of cabins in the CLX96 are also enviable, with large windows for maximum natural light, built-in entertainment systems and even a small desk to keep your emails under control.
The vessel itself measures 29.5m in length, with a hull constructed from a resin-infused composite that acts in tandem with a foam-cored monocoque structure. Fibreglass has been used to save weight where possible and the CLX96 features both gyro and fin stabilisation for smooth passage across the water.
CL Yachts projects the top speed to be around 25 knots when fully loaded, and 22 knots cruising, made possible thanks to the twin Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesel engines that each deliver 1900hp. That’s some serious grunt, which combined with such a relaxation-focused and contemporary interior design, makes for a compelling vessel no matter how you want to use it.
