CL Yachts has released the first finished images of the CLB65 SUV, the flybridge-free version of the smallest yacht in its B-Series, along with a full specification sheet. The photos show the single-level layout we first reported on in August.
The SUV is offered with twin Caterpillar C18s at 1,136hp each or twin Volvo Penta D13s at 1,000hp each. It's full-load displacement of 47,760kg (a little under 7,000kg more than the flybridge model) and about 4,000 litres of fuel.
The trial numbers
With the Caterpillars fitted, CL Yachts says the SUV reached 28 knots at half load during sea trials and cruised at 21 knots. Earlier projections ran a little higher. When the model was unveiled ahead of Australia's Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May 2025, early coverage republished on CL Yachts' website quoted 30 knots, and coverage of the hull's launch in Zhuhai earlier this year expected 29-plus.
Set up for the owner at the wheel
On the flybridge model, Powerboat described the C18 alternative as conventional shaft drives set in tunnels. The SUV's optional control system points the same way. ZF's Joystick Maneuvering System is designed to give twin-engine, shaft-driven boats pod-like control at low speed, coordinating engines, gearboxes and bow thruster through a joystick. On the SUV it's concealed and can be used from either wing station for docking. The spec sheet doesn't say whether the 1,000hp Volvo package is a shaft or IPS installation, which is worth asking for anyone weighing up joystick systems and servicing.
For stabilisation, owners choose between electric fins, or a gyro paired with active interceptors. They also choose between a RINA Hull Construction Statement and CE Category B certification. CE design category B covers winds up to Force 8 and significant wave heights up to four metres.
The hull is a resin-infused composite, reinforced with carbon fibre to save weight, from naval architect Howard Apollonio, with structural engineering by Gurit. The Swiss-listed composites group runs a long-established engineering and testing operation in North Auckland.
One level, three cabins
The main deck runs from the aft deck through the galley to the saloon on one level. On the port side, a flip-up window and sliding door open the galley to the aft deck, where an electric grill and two bar stools sit at the counter. A breakfast nook faces the galley across the deck. The saloon has an opening roof section, a pop-up TV that rotates, and a twin-seat helm forward.
At the stern, CL Yachts pitches a multipurpose area that can work as a fishing and dive station, a beach club or an overflow cabin, above a teak-laid swim platform. The Fore Lounge, on the foredeck, has sun pads and seating.
Below, the full-beam master gets hull windows on both sides, a king-size bed and an ensuite with double vanities. A VIP cabin with its own ensuite sits under a skylight, a third ensuite guest cabin has a convertible bed arrangement, and a utility room or crew cabin completes the plan. Hong Kong's Supertomato Studio designed the interiors, offered in walnut or white oak.
CL Yachts director Martin Lo calls it "our first SUV yacht and our sportiest, most compact model to date", aimed at "year-round family adventures".
Where to see it
Selected clients and brokers get a private premiere at the shipyard first. The first public outing is now the Lantau Yacht Club Boat Show, Festa Nautica, at Discovery Bay from 6 to 8 November, followed by the Hong Kong International Boat Show at Club Marina Cove in Sai Kung from 3 to 6 December. When sea trials wrapped up in August, the builder had pointed to the December show as the boat's public debut.
Closer to home, CL Yachts lists Sydney Marine Brokerage, run by Andrew Withers at Newport on Pittwater, as its Australasian representative. The builder offers a limited 10-year warranty against structural hull defects across its range.
