dares to buy a bigger kite than the 540m2 sails flown by some of the Mk1 boats. The best real-world performance figures thus far are actually from hull number one, which has logged 24 kts and averaged 17 kts over two hours during a regatta. CNB is encouraging and helping its owners to participate in the Rolex Maxi World Cup. ‘Last year we had three CNB 76s competing,’ Harvey says. ‘They made up half of the mini- maxi fleet and enjoyed some very close racing. The owners had a lot of fun and now they are planning to return with professional crews on board. We’re likely to have six boats competing this year at Porto Cervo, which would make the CNB 76 the biggest class in the regatta.’ The shipyard also hosts an annual rendezvous for its owners in mid- June, in Calvi this year, with an informal regatta and lavish parties. The yard provides the full support of a large after-sales service team based in Bordeaux – 15 people in total including three who are completely dedicated to CNB owners. Every boat has a nominated service manager to ensure owners get the best level of service. This event is more like a family get- together with a relaxing and pleasurable feeling on board the yachts all together.
To sail the boat efficiently in racing mode you need a minimum of six crew and a maximum of 12, Harvey says. But in cruising mode it can easily be handled by just two people. It is designed to be driven by a professional crew, so that owners can charter their boat to generate a bit of income. There is separate crew accommodation, a nav station in the galley, a way into the engine room without disturbing the guests and a deck hatch that serves as a separate crew companionway.
About two-thirds of CNB 76 owners employ a crew of two: a captain and a hostess. The rest of the owners are experienced sailors who like to run the boat themselves when they are on board. They tend to just have a captain and to hire extra crew for delivery passages. In charter mode, the CNB 76 normally sleeps six guests in three cabins with the captain in the aft cabin and the hostess in the forepeak, but it’s possible to accommodate eight guests in comfort if necessary. The captain and hostess are often a couple and can share the forepeak, leaving the double aft cabin for additional guests. Alternatively, the two main guest cabins amidships can sleep three guests each: there’s an extra pullman berth in the port- side cabin and the lower bunk in the starboard cabin can extend to make
Top: CNB’s clever modular
construction process
allows for a lot of interior customisation while enabling the shipyard to maintain an efficient production schedule which cuts the build time considerably. Above: the new MkII
version of the CNB 76 has an integrated bowsprit which
promises a useful
improvement in downwind performance
a big double berth.
While it’s true that the charter market – like the new boat market – is currently seeing far higher demand for motor yachts than for sailing yachts, the demand for CNB 76 charters is remarkably high. Four of these yachts are currently available: one that offers seven-week seasons in the Caribbean and Mediterranean and three boats that just offer ten weeks of summer charters in the Med. All of them are usually fully booked a year in advance. ‘The demand for these boats is so high because the design of the CNB 76 makes it look so comfortable and elegant,’ Harvey says. ‘It delivers full levels of comfort both outside and in. You never, ever get the impression of going down into a cave, like so many sailing yachts and you get a perfect view out, wherever you are. Also, the interior design by Jean-Marc Piaton and Rafael Bonet achieves the perfect balance of white and wood, which makes the ambience inside the boat inviting and very comfortable.’ The CNB 76’s standard layout is smart and successful. Although this is a semi-custom yacht, the layout was extensively studied and most owners are happy to leave it largely
the way it was conceived. Some do want modifications, for example changing the orientation of the bed in the owner’s suite from forward-facing to aft-facing to gain a feeling of extra space, or swapping the seating on the starboard side of the saloon for a desk and a sideboard. ‘The only real limit is that we can’t move the structural bulkheads,’ Harvey explains, ‘because that would affect our production schedule and the delivery time of the yacht.’ CNB 76 owners have made some significant voyages. One has sailed up to Spitsbergen from the Med and is currently on the west coast of the USA, planning to cross the Pacific next year. Several others have made long blue water voyages and the next boat to launch is probably headed south to Patagonia and beyond. The CNB 76 and its smaller sister, the 66, might look similar on the water but they’re designed for very different types of people. Nearly all CNB 66 buyers are experienced yacht owners, brand loyal to Beneteau, who are moving up from yachts in the Sense/Oceanis range. CNB 76 owners, by contrast, are mostly people who haven’t owned a sailing boat before and who want the reassurance of a captain and crew.
cnb-yachts.com
Specifications – CNB 76 Length: 23.2m (76ft) Beam: 6.10m (20ft) Draught: 3m (9ft 10in) Air draught: 34m (111ft) Upwind sail area: 304m2
(3,217sq ft)
Tender garage: 3.9 m (12ft 10in) Water capacity: 1.500 litres (396 gal)
Fuel capacity: 2,500 litres (660 gal) SEAHORSE 67
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