With a heritage in ship and yacht building dating back over 150 years and a history of innovating with new designs and build technologies, the journey of CL Yachts is one of creating yachts without compromise. The latest model to join its impressive fleet is CLX96, and once again the yard’s no-compromise approach has produced a yacht that is as stunning to look at as it is irresistible for enjoying time on the water.
This ethos is embodied in CLX96’s bold design – the result of an equally bold decision to look outside the yacht industry for inspiration, which CL Yachts found in renowned designer Jozeph Forakis. The Milan-based maestro has been creating iconic designs in sectors as diverse as furniture and watches for over two decades, with yacht design being his latest venture.
“In early 2017, CL Yachts reached outside the industry and asked me to rethink yacht design and yachting experiences,” Forakis says. “They gave me a clean slate to conceive a new vision for the yacht of today and tomorrow. With in-depth research methodologies and a focus on intelligent design, complementing my passion for sailing and ‘outsiders’’ imagination and dreams, the result is a vessel that departs from convention.”
CLX96’s angular, workboat-chic lines are more than a mere styling exercise – the forward-raked windscreens on the main and upper decks are designed to reduce both glare and heat while also increasing interior living space. Combined with the expansive glazing, the result is an interior that is light and airy and seamlessly integrates with outside areas and seascapes, offering near-uninterrupted 360-degree views. It speaks to a design philosophy that incorporates style and substance in equal measure.
CLX96, Forakis says, pushes boundaries of innovation and yachting experiences with flowing indoor and outdoor spaces, and it speaks not only to good design but also to the idea of an uninhibited lifestyle and the opportunity to enjoy the sense of being on the water even when inside. “Unprecedented amounts of light penetrate the interiors – made possible by advanced composite structures with lightweight, thin, strong mullions allowing oversize windows throughout,” Forakis enthuses.
This is reinforced on the main deck with trifold doors to starboard that open the midship area to the side deck and bulwark cutaway, creating a near-alfresco dining area in the heart of the main deck’s open-plan living space. This area blends seamlessly with the comfortable aft saloon and forward country-style galley with the island and Champagne Lounge – the perfect spot for cocktails and canapes while enjoying the seascapes beyond. “The saloon’s open, loft-like plan, large windows, and narrow columns – a showcase of CL Yachts’ extensive experience with composite structures – give uninterrupted 360° views and full visibility from aft to the bow,” Forakis offers.
The sense of space and the inside-outside feeling continue on the upper deck, with the enclosed helm and Sky Lounge forward offering shade and climate-controlled comfort, and the huge aft sundeck area combining everything needed for an outside living – sofas and dining table, grill, fridge and ice maker. The Sky Lounge’s electric windows can be fully opened to create the feel of an open upper deck with a hardtop for shade, and the aft coachroof extension that provides shade to the alfresco seating and dining area offers a sunroof. In front of the bridge, Forakis’s rethink of conventions has led to a ‘Terrazza Portoghese’, a generous additional deck space unique to this yacht that is perfect for sun loungers, while on the foredeck there is an inviting ‘Piazza del Sole’ – a circular aperitif lounge that converts into a giant sunbed. Aft, the generous swim platform makes for a perfect beach club, with the Z-lift central transformer section creating an additional terrace extension on the water.
Below, CLX96’s standard configuration offers four guest cabins including a vast master suite forward complete with skylight over the king-size bed, a full-beam midship VIP cabin with virtual skylight, and two twin/double convertible guest cabins with ensuites. There are crew quarters aft for up to four crew. The master stateroom includes his-and-hers ensuite in the bow, while a bow-mounted forward-facing HD camera can send the forward view for display on the 65-inch television on the bulkhead forward of the bed which, combined with the views through the large hull glazing to port and starboard, completes a panoramic view. The ensuite features smart glass for added privacy. The materials and palette include walnut for the walls, teak and holly soles for the main and upper deck interiors, black Marquina and satin snowflake marble for the bars and countertops, and a range of textures and materials in off-whites, warm greys and browns punctuated with occasional orange highlights.
It is another part of the holistic design philosophy that creates a sense of luxury and lifestyle that both hides and highlights the fact that you are on a yacht. Designed both for living and for life on the water without compromise, CLX96 marks a bold new step both for CL Yachts and for yachting.
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Photo by Quin Bisset
Article edit by Karl Webber