CL Yachts has unveiled its CLX99, a new flagship superyacht in the CLX range of luxury vessels.
According to a news release from CL Yachts, the CLX99 is a successor to the CLX96, which debuted during Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) in late October 2022. The CLX96 featured bold styling and design inspiration from outside the traditional yacht sector. That’s how CL Yachts partnered with designer Jozeph Forakis. Forakis would later make headlines in 2023 for unveiling the design of a 3D-printed yacht.
Now CL Yachts is partnering again with Forakis to create the new CLX99. The release notes that at first glance, the new CLX99 draws heavily on its sister vessel’s styling and design DNA. That said, the yacht builder stresses the new yacht isn’t just a facelift to the CLX96, but an entirely new model at superyacht scale.
That means more interior volume, more external space, more design elements and more features that have been refined for the demands of European and Asian markets.
“The hull is the same great hull as CLX96,” said CL Yachts Director Martin Lo in the release. “With its excellent design ensuring performance, stability, handling, and sea-worthiness, the beach area has been extended and the new yacht reaches an overall length of 100 feet. Indeed, there are substantial differences in terms of naval architecture, layout, and choice of materials and finishes.”
Lo continued to state that the desire to create this new model stems from an analysis of market and owner needs, combined with the aim of having a CLX version that can satisfy all markets. He reiterated that focus markets for the CLX99 include Asia and Europe, as well as the secondary charter market.
“With CLX96 I was given free rein to think beyond the boundaries of conventional yacht design, and I was able to meld my passions for intelligent design, sailing, with the imagination and dreams of an ‘outsider,” Forakis said in the release. “ CLX99 takes all those elements, and the double-reverse-angle workboat chic of CLX96, and carries them forward into new -dimensions of style, function and practicality to meet the varied demands of differing global yachting markets. CLX99 is beautifully balanced, wonderfully proportioned and architecturally refined. She is a true ‘navetta’ epitomizing the pinnacle of nautical luxury, promising an unparalleled experience to owners, guests, and charterers alike, no matter how or where they indulge their yachting lifestyle.”
Designing the CLX99
The CLX99’s main deck benefits from a six-and-a-half-foot extension, which has led to a reorganization of the interior space aboard the vessel. Forakis states in the release that the CLX99 features a large dining room forward with the galley adjacent and with portside access for the crew. It also sports a relaxation area with a big sofa and plenty of multifunctional space for diverse needs and further customization.
Meanwhile, the lower deck has also been revised and redesigned. The standard version of the CLX99 has five sizable, en suite staterooms that include a full-beam master suite, two VIP doubles forward and two guest twin/double staterooms.
The crew area is located aft between the engine room and the aft bulkhead of the master, which allows for insulation from technical noise from the owner. This space has been extended and reconfigured to accommodate up to five crew members, making the CLX99 more suitable for fully crewed charter operations. Including crew, the vessel accommodates a total of 12 guests.
Topside, the sundeck, skylounge and flybridge helm have all been modified to optimize the size and emphasize luxury. The release notes that the CLX99 retains the trademark “Terrazza Portoghese” social zone of the CLX96, which creates an expansive seating and sunning area forward of the bridge that serves as a secondary, elevated bow terrace.
Forakis highlights the vessel’s forward-raked windscreen in the release.
“The skylounge has been extended by over three metres, with the helm – which is on the same level as the skylounge – separated from the guest saloon allowing the captain to work freely without interfering with the guests,” Forakis said in the release. “However, the skylounge forward bulkhead is essentially largely glass, which not only means CLX99 retains the 360-degree panoramic views, but also means guests can still observe the operation of the yacht. A sliding door connects the two spaces.”
Elisa Corti, a media spokesperson for CL Yachts, told Yachting that the company is promoting this model through dealers and brokers. While there isn’t a set timeline for release yet, Corti said fingers are crossed that CL Yachts will start production on the CLX99 soon.
