Famed for its robust, finely crafted, globally cruising motoryachts, Cheoy Lee Shipyards draws on 150 years of boat and shipbuilding experience to deliver advanced and highly capable motoryachts from 19m to 60m across two key brands.
Cheoy Lee has remained family run since it was founded in the 1870s, with current management made up of the family’s fourth and fifth generations. It’s a testament not only to the longevity of the brand – which encompasses everything from yachts and superyachts to commercial vessels and workboats – but also to the forward-thinking ethos the shipyard has always applied to its builds.
After starting with yachts constructed in teak, Cheoy Lee was one of the first builders to explore and embrace GRP in the 1960s, becoming a leading brand for GRP yachts and helping pioneer glass and foam sandwich construction.
That drive to break new ground has continued throughout the shipyard’s history, and it comes in all aspects of vessel design and construction; from the adoption of hybrid technologies for the ferries it builds, to the application of hybrid styling and design to its latest range of modern explorer yachts.
Today, Cheoy Lee channels its heritage, history of innovation and highly skilled workforce into creating award-winning yachts, with two key brands: Cheoy Lee Yachts, which continues the lineage of the shipyard’s superyachts and custom builds with vessels up to 60m finished to the highest standards; and CL Yachts, launched in 2018 and which specialises in series production of refined modern GRP yachts.
Quality and safety remain key considerations – the yachts are built in ISO-certified production facilities, and all are built to class with RINA-certified GRP hulls.
The custom superyachts and CL Yachts models are constructed in Cheoy Lee Shipyard’s advanced facilities, which include state-of-the-art CNC water-jet, laser and plasma cutters, 3-, 4- and 5-axis milling machines, Leica 3D scanners, 3D prototyping and semi-automatic pipe welding machines.
Martin Lo
Martin Lo, Director of both Cheoy Lee and CL Yachts, and a fourth-generation family member, said: “These cutting-edge tools enable us to continuously enhance our manufacturing processes, ensuring the highest levels of precision and efficiency.”
CHEOY LEE YACHTS
Renowned for their quality, coveted for their go-anywhere capability and cherished by generations of passionate owners, Cheoy Lee yachts have a deserved reputation among discerning owners who are serious about their cruising. Modern design, construction techniques and technology define the cruising experience of Cheoy Lee yachts.
Cheoy Lee’s all-new 127 Discovery harnesses the shipyard’s DNA and adds modern styling and luxury to deliver a 38.7m trideck that offers a 4,000nm range at 10.5 knots. Part of Cheoy Lee’s Explorer series, the 127 Discovery is a collaboration with Nick Boksa of Boksa Marine Design who, like Cheoy Lee, draws on an extensive background in both commercial and leisure projects.
CGI of Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery
The result is a compact and efficient go-anywhere explorer that packs the features and spaces typical of a larger yacht.
It’s not just about style and space, however. Cheoy Lee approaches the engineering and construction of its superyachts in the same way it tackles commercial projects, and that means robust systems design and inherent reliability with commercial-level equipment to ensure self-sufficiency and issue-free operation even when cruising far from the beaten track.
The 127 Discovery has a traditional steel displacement hull with sharp entry and spray chine to ensure comfort and safe passage in heavy sea conditions. Features include a main-deck master suite, four guest suites on the lower deck, an aft beach club made possible thanks to stowing the main tender on the main deck aft, and a generous sundeck with a bar, grill, jacuzzi and multiple seating areas.
CGI of Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery
“The 127 Discovery draws on everything we know about building seaworthy global cruisers and hardy, reliable commercial vessels and workboats, and combines it all into an elegant, contemporary ocean-going yacht that delivers luxurious world cruising without compromise on facilities or service,” Lo states.
“While the yacht can be operated with a smaller crew, we have made provision for up to 10, including the possibility for a captain’s cabin on the bridge deck, and comfortable crew spaces with two crew lounges. These aspects, along with the consideration of things like professional galley design and storage space, are critical for extended explorer cruising, and they epitomise Cheoy Lee’s approach to the design and construction of exceptional yachts for adventure and fun.”
CL YACHTS
The CL Yachts model line brings the Cheoy Lee experience and expertise to three ranges of series custom and production yachts – CLX, CLB and CLA. “From the timeless elegance of Series A and B to the cutting-edge design of Series X, each model is meticulously crafted for exceptional performance, unparalleled comfort, and sophisticated style,” Lo explains.
CLX96
Heading the pack are CLX96 and CLX99, two modern explorers that combine the essential ruggedness and seaworthiness of Cheoy Lee’s explorer yachts with styling by Milan-based industrial designer Jozeph Forakis. CLX96 splashed in late 2022 to wide acclaim, with its larger CLX99 sibling – unveiled in autumn 2024 – serving as an evolution of the model with increased interior volumes, more exterior space, and the same futuristic styling from Forakis.
Angular lines, an aggressive plumb bow and reverse windscreen – mirrored in reversed profiles at the aft end of the superstructure – serve not only as references to the shipyard’s workboat heritage but also have practical functionality, improving vision from the helm, increasing the sense of interior space, and maximising natural light and connection to the outside.
CLX96 features best-in-class innovations, including five large, distinct outdoor zones and a striking main saloon with windows that are almost without mullions. This, plus the impressive performance which allows for cruising at close to 20 knots and a top speed around 25 knots, has been made possible by marrying Forakis’s disruptive design ideas with finessed naval architecture by Earl Alfaro and structural engineering by Al Horsmon and the CL Yachts team.
CGI of CLX99
It’s the same combination that has created CLX99. “The groundbreaking CLX99 is fully designed and is ready to be built as soon as an order is placed,” Lo confirms.
It’s not just the Series X which is grabbing all the attention. In the Series B line-up, the Forakis-styled 24.9m CLB80 brings exterior space and interior comfort to a highly capable cruiser with more conventional raked windscreens and distinctive boomerang fashion plates in the superstructure.
An angled bow with a large overhang and an extended sundeck – which not only provides shade for the aft cockpit but which also serves as a boat deck with launch crane for a tender – deliver a contemporary take on classic bluewater motor cruisers.
CGI of CLB80
Offered with an aft-galley, forward-seating layout as a main deck option, with the main helm located in the sky lounge, CLB80 can be configured according to a client’s needs. These include the enclosed skylounge – a boon both for cooler climates and off-season cruising, as well as for hotter climates where shade and air-conditioned spaces are at a premium – and an impressive beach club that serves as a base for waterborne activities.
Series B is also getting a boost with CLB65 SUV, which was presented at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May 2025 and is currently in production. The 19.7m yacht takes the SUV concept to new heights as a compact and versatile model that strikes a balance between timeless elegance and practical functionality.
That functionality is coupled to versatility in deck spaces and interiors, including a multipurpose area that can serve as a beach club, command centre for fishing and diving, or even a temporary crew cabin to complement the master suite, VIP stateroom and ensuite guest twin cabin. In addition, CLB65 SUV presents fine performance with either Caterpillar or Volvo Penta engines that can push the yacht to a 30-knot top end.
CGI of CLB65 SUV
“CLB65 SUV is the sportiest and most compact yacht to date in the CL Yachts series, and it builds not only on the success of our CLB65 but also on five generations of boatbuilding prowess to deliver performance, manoeuvrability and comfort in equal measure,” says Lo.
“It’s the perfect embodiment of all that learned experience and traditional seaworthiness offered in a model that features the contemporary styling and modern features that clients expect from CL Yachts.”
GLOBAL REACH
It’s not just in construction and design that Cheoy Lee has been investing. The brand now boasts an extensive network of dealers around the world, building on its key operations in Fort Lauderdale, US. The network extends to Australasia, the Middle East, Europe, Turkey, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, ensuring that clients worldwide can enjoy a seamless yacht-buying and after sales experience.
The culmination of that heritage, design, engineering and global network is a portfolio of yachts that are not only continuing to enthral owners but which are also garnering international acclaim. CLX96 has won multiple awards, while CLB80 came out top in the 2024 GOOD DESIGN Awards.
Martin Lo and Fiona Li at the Yacht Style Awards
Cheoy Lee and CL Yachts combined have also received recognition, winning Yacht Style’s 2025 Builder in Asia award. Not that the shipyard is resting on its laurels. As has been the case for more than 150 years, it continues to push boundaries.
“Beginning in 2022 we embarked on the development of hybrid and alternative-powered vessels tailored for our commercial endeavours,” Lo explains. “This expertise also extends to the creation of new yachts as we see increasing demand from yacht owners for sustainable and more eco-friendly alternatives to traditional diesel power and conventional materials.”
Cheoy Lee Shipyards is also collaborating with prestigious universities in Hong Kong to explore innovative technologies and approaches to production, such as artificial intelligence and human-robotic manufacturing techniques. The goal is clear: to enhance production efficiency while at the same time enhancing quality in all the shipyard’s offerings.
“With both the Cheoy Lee and CL Yachts lines, we’re driven by innovation, design and performance, and our brand creates visionary solutions that set new benchmarks,” Lo concludes. “With every detail carefully considered, we deliver creations that inspire and excel in every way.”
cheoylee.com
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