wouldsmooththewaterflowpastthepropsforefficiency,maximizethe
effectivenessofthepoddrivemaneuverabilityandmaintainthetraditional
CheoyLeeall-weatherseaworthiness.
“Whenwesea-trialedthefirstCLB72,VolvoPentadidn’tbelieveeither
ourspeedorourfueleconomynumbers,”Virtanensayswithagrin.
Apollonioadds,“TheyendedupsendingfactoryengineersfromSweden
andtheUStooverseeourperformancetests,andournumberswereright.”
TheCLB72isindeedfast(32knotswithadozenengineersaboard)and
economical(54gphata22-knotcruise).
Bycreatingahullformspecificallyforpod
drives,theCLYachtsteamwasalsoableto
eliminatetheneedforboworsternthrusters
withthefingertipmaneuverabilityoftheVolvo
joystickhandling.Besidesimprovingthe
“dockability,”theabsenceofthrustersremoves
bothahydraulicsystem(lessmaintenance)and
extraholesinthehull(seaworthiness).
Otherrequirementsgiventothedesignteam
includedaflushmaindeckextendingtotheside
decksandtheforwardseatingarea,adayhead
onthemaindeckandfourstaterooms.“We
didn’twantthemtobelikephonebooths,
either,”Virtanensays,andApollonioaddswryly,
“Thatwasachallenge.”
Onekeytohavinglargecabinswastheuseof
Volvopoddrives,whichtakeuplessspacethan
conventionalpropulsionsystems,leavingmore
foraccommodation.Thismeantthatbulkheads
couldbemovedforbetterroomutilization.
TheinteriordesignwasdonebyInteriors
byCarmenand,sinceCarmenLauispartofthe
fifthgenerationoftheLofamily(CheoyLee’s
owners),sheunderstoodwhatwasrequired.
“Iwantedthespacetohaveasenseofopenness“BY wanted a yacht that not only looked
contemporary, but which would also remain timelessly
in style, like a classic BMW,” Apollonio says. The yacht
doesn’t rely on swoopy curves or angles to catch your
eye, yet there’s no question that it will turn heads when
arriving in any harbor.
Apollonio also designed the lines for the CLB72 with
Volvo Penta pod drives in mind and worked closely
with Volvo Penta engineers to craft a slippery hull that
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