GRAND DESIGNS

CONSTRUCTION NAVALE BORDEAUX’S STYLISH 76-FOOT POCKET SUPERYACHT IS BEGINNING TO GRACE ASIA-PACIFIC WATERS.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Construction navale bordeaux’s stylish 76-foot pocket superyacht is beginning to grace asia-pacific waters.

PHOTO: WWW.ANDREREISPHOTO.COM
PHOTO: WWW.ANDREREISPHOTO.COM
The CNB 76's sail plan is powerful with a carbon rig and North Sails carbon-taffeta laminate sails, cut in Sydney.
The CNB 76's sail plan is powerful with a carbon rig and North Sails carbon-taffeta laminate sails, cut in Sydney.
PHOTO: CNB
PHOTO: CNB

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE SELDOM WRONG, so walking up the Sydney dock to the CNB 76 Charlotte was a fairly startling affair for even this world-weary yachting journalist. A few years back, I’d been wandering around the Construction Navale Bordeaux (CNB) yard when plans were being laid for this 76-foot performance cruiser, so to see it in the flesh, as it were, was a moment to savour.

Instantly recognisable are the angular lines that grace other production yachts under the Beneteau Group, such as the Jeanneau 64 that is also penned by the prolific Philippe Briand. But the major difference between the mass-production yachts from the Beneteau Group is CNB’s 30 years of custom superyacht building. “We went to Briand with all our most popular superyacht features and asked him to create a luxury yacht from these ideas,” says CNB Sales Director Thomas Gailly.

The result is a four-cabin luxury cruising yacht that can be semi-customised, yet won’t break the bank of Monte Carlo (Euro 2.8-3 million ex-factory), which is a major differentiator from its big-name competitors and major reason why 16 have sold in only two years.

Hull #14 will be delivered in October by Japanese dealer First Marine to a former motorboat Owner who will voyage across the Atlantic, then take the Pacific home during the 2017 Transpac Race to Hawaii.

A key selling point for CNB is the relatively fast build time achieved through a modularised approach to constructing the CNB 76, allowing the in-house carpentry, electrical and engineering teams to work on each section of the yacht while the foam-infused hull is laid up.

The Sydney-based Owner of hull #6 Charlotte had his yacht supplied by Vicsail Australia within eight months of placing his order, and this included the handover in the historic French city of Bordeaux. Having walked around the miles of acreage at the Bordeaux yard, which shares both build synergies and location with Lagoon catamarans, I could see how the large new sheds had plenty space to house the various construction teams.

PHOTO: WWW.ANDREREISPHOTO.COM
PHOTO: WWW.ANDREREISPHOTO.COM
PHOTO: CNB
PHOTO: CNB

The setting is also dramatic, along the shores of the mighty Garonne River that flows into the tempestuous Bay of Biscay; one of the toughest sea trial waterways in Europe. Of course the ex-factory pick-up also allows an Owner to ballast the CNB 76’s deep bilge lockers with the famous Bordeaux wine.

Stepping Aboard
Getting on to the CNB 76 requires a set of steps, reflecting the tall topsides of this voluminous yacht, literally a big step up from CNB’s best-selling Bordeaux 60 (hull #46 is currently in build of this older Briand design).

On deck, the 76’s layout is deliberately minimalist yet bristles with Harken deck gear to control the powerful Hall Spars carbon mast, a Euro 160,000 option that puts a big ‘P’ in the performance cruiser aspect of this yacht. Rod rigging holds the spar aloft and it’s tensioned with twin hydraulic backstays (manually pumped) while, in addition for ocean and heavy weather work, there are running backstays as well.

Halyard work is done from a group of four mast base Harkens, which is the kind of setup that foredeckies like – and will be tested thoroughly by the Owner during the long 2,225nm Transpac from San Francisco. The conventional Bermudan rig has a staysail and genoa plus a top-down furling gennaker that’s hoisted when off the wind. Alternatively, there’s also a track for a self-tacking jib in place as well, for short-handed sailing.

My Reading Room
My Reading Room

Charlotte’s sails were cut in Sydney at North Sails, using a carbon-taffeta laminate code named Marathon and looked in peak condition despite about 6,000nm during the delivery cruise. The carbon Park Avenue boom is a monster with an equally beefy vang. Conventional two-line slab reefing is used with three tucks available, and professional Skipper Harley Florence says the first tuck is taken at 20 knots true.

Reflecting that a vessel as large as the CNB 76 will be a crewed yacht, there are clear areas of demarcation on deck and below. So the sail controls are all aft, away from the cockpit lounge that on Charlotte was fitted with a McConaghy custom-made bimini.

Sail controls are all electric and include a centralised Harken mainsheet winch and a pair of secondary sheet winches on the coamings beside the outboard located helms; which have stylish gunwale seating that opens up lots of deck space for access to the transom. I particularly liked the feel of the carbon-teak composite wheels that changed to a lovely burnished colour when the rain poured on us as we sped up Sydney Harbour.

Raymarine instrumentation is the standard factory-fitted option and the binnacles have plenty space for a plotter on each, along with wind instruments, to give all the information needed when sailing. Alongside these are twin levers for the Sidepower thrusters that drop down fore and aft.

Water Toys
The wide stern houses a tender garage for a 3.85m dinghy. Charlotte had one of the powerful Williams Jet Tenders that scare the life out of me (doing 50 knots one time, I realised turning was not its best feature!). The large hydraulic swimming platform worked well as a launching ramp after we anchored.

Motoring into the anchorage showed the ample power of the 220hp engine, which I pushed to over 10 knots before easing back to a more economical 7 knots (1,800RPM) that the Skipper advised – using a meagre 10 litres per hour, giving the CNB 76 a substantial range. Handling under power also was predictable when going aft, with the twin rudders obediently following a straight line without complaint as the anchor dug in.

Swinging at the anchor was an ideal time to study this pocket superyacht. The GRP hull is fairly upright with hard chines and plumb bow. Underwater, the twin rudders manage the wide beam and this yacht has the optional lead-bulbed keel (3m). Alternatively, a deeper lifting keel is available (that retracts neatly into cupboard space just ahead of the saloon).

Inside the hull, the equipment is well laid out with two access hatches to the centrally positioned shaft driven engine, where filters and oilways are easily accessible. Located at the beamiest part of the hull means oodles of space for the 17.5kva generator, water maker (Aquamatic 280) and Dometic 72, 000 BTU air conditioner. Clear access is available to the shaft drive and hull skin fittings as well.

Noise levels are the bane of Owners, something CNB is well acquainted with, so soundproofing is sumptuous and overall this yacht is one of the quietest I’ve motor-sailed. Elsewhere, main electrical controls are handily in the galley and there’s even a digital management panel so crew can monitor all systems easily.

My Reading Room
My Reading Room

Deck Saloon
Accommodation on the CNB 76 is segregated neatly, with the forward hull section for the Owner’s family and aft devoted to crew and galley. The key attraction of the interior is the spacious deck saloon that is elevated above the engine room – where wide double hatches access the 220hp Volvo D4.

The aft section has the futuristic styled galley, another double cabin and bathroom. Miele AC-powered white goods are secreted behind laminated cupboards with double sinks, four fridge-freezers and a gimballed electrical stove/oven. Cleverly, a large hatch allows food to be passed up to the deck and there’s even a ladder for crew.

Yet more crew bunks and ablutions are in the forepeak on Charlotte, which means the layout is very much superyacht, yet in a manageable 76-foot hull. The downside is losing your only foredeck sail locker, though. However, storage is plentiful throughout with bilge lockers, corridor cupboards and the stern lazarettes (where the rudder shafts and linkages are accessible).

My Reading Room
My Reading Room
My Reading Room

Returning to the deck saloon, the area was custom designed by Jean- Marc Piaton to create an ambience that is opulent but practical – such as a sofa that converts into cosy cocktail area with armchairs, opposite the large dinette area; and the galley bar stools can be moved here as well. Cleverly, the table converts into two coffee tables.

There’s an aft-facing navigation station, but the saloon is all about relaxation with elongated portlights and hatches to create plenty natural light; all finished in oak. Leading off the forward corridor is the Owner’s cabin in the bow. It has panelled walls with generous bookshelf space around the island bed, which sensibly puts your feet forward (the safest position when sleeping underway).

The portside guest cabin has a large double bed that can be separated into singles and Charlotte had a Pullman added to make three singles. To starboard there’s a guest cabin for children fitted with bunk beds and the lower converts into a double bed.

Sydney Harbour Sail
Singing in the rain best describes our wet sojourn as we struggled to find the fluky wind that followed the showers, yet there was plenty to experience on the CNB 76.

Sail setting is done with electrical mast base winches and the cutter rig meant foresails for a wide variety of conditions (without part-furling either one). True to her polar data the yacht matched wind speed up to double digits and proved an enjoyable helming experience – sat out or standing with teak footplate support as the pressure rose to 13 knots.

Only a light touch was felt from the twin rudders on the balanced helms, which powerfully pushed the 45,000 tonne hull through tacks as crew spun the electric Harken Proforma winches.

Sliding back down the harbour, the genoa was semi-furled for gybing and off the wind the CNB 76 proved no slouch either, managing 8 knots in the fickle 12-knot breeze – but this is a yacht made for oceans so mere figures don’t tell the whole story. A high level of design borne from decades of superyacht experience, combined with similar level of refinement, yet at a competitive price all go to make the CNB 76 a highly desirable yacht.
en.cnb-yachts.com
www.simpsonmarine.com

My Reading Room
My Reading Room
My Reading Room