If the bold form and workboat-chic aesthetics of the CLX99 feel familiar, you have probably once, twice or more admired her earlier sibling, CL Yacht’s CLX96, a striking design that turned heads when it launched at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in 2022.

New flagship, the CLX99 sports a striking silhouette

A powerhouse combination that brought together the prolific product designer Jozeph Forakis’s vision for performance with an angular primary superstructure and strategic use of carbon fibre, the boat felt definitively different inside and out.

Many areas have been reimagined and extended, including the aft beach area and skylounge

Now Forakis, back on board and lending his unique point of view once again for the creation of the new flagship CLX99, appears to have taken the mould and reformed it.

Forakis, an award-winning designer whose pieces have been shown at New York’s MoMA, has retained a kind of core essence and ethos of the original onboard the CLX99, evident in its rugged good looks but while the first iteration was praised for its wide array of diverse spaces, this latest incarnation pushes the boundary with increasingly voluminous interiors and exteriors – and an overall length of 100 feet.

The designer prioritises light and 360-degree sea views in the sky lounge

“The hull is the same great hull as CLX96,” confirms Martin Lo, CL Yachts Director, but the superyacht displays a substantial difference in terms of naval architecture, layout and choice of materials, he says.

Among many refined features is a transformed skylounge aft of the forward-raked sunscreen, now extended an impressive three metres and featuring a same-level helm separated from the guest saloon. With a bulkhead crafted mostly from glass, guests are afforded good looks at the boat in operation, as well as 360-degree panoramic views that invite the outside in.

Calming styling features rounded edges and beach tones inspired by pebble-decked coastlines

An arch incorporated into the bulwark on the aft-sundeck extends the space and with a dedicated lounge settee that invites relaxation or provides additional space for entertaining.

Meanwhile, the aft end has also been given a new twist, with the water-level beach and swim platform now boasting large drop-down bulwarks that create generous sea terraces on either side.

“The drop-down bulwarks really enhance the aft terrace, while there is an option for a spa pool on the foredeck,” Forakis says.

The skydeck is designed with relaxation and gatherings in mind

Extending space inside was also key for the designer. The main deck has received a two-metre extension, which in turn led to a reorganisation of the interior space.

A generous dining room forward has a galley adjacent, with portside access for the crew, while a spacious relaxation area features an enlarged sofa that runs from this sanctuary to the dining area to the observation lounge.

A redesigned lower deck offers five staterooms on the standard version, which include a large, full-beam master suite, two VIP doubles forward, and two guest twin or double cabins, which are all en-suite.

The aft water-level beach and swim platform has received a crowd-pleasing update

It’s also possible to add a main deck master suite in place of the forward dining and observation lounge, (while retaining five suites on the lower deck) to allow up to 12 guests.

Natural coastlines were a starting point in the comfortable interior styling, which has resulted in sensual curves, circular shapes and smooth finishes that the designer says are reminiscent of pebbles. Outside, hull windows on the lower deck have been redesigned with clean, continuous lines.

Forakis’ angular stylings were informed by rugged workboat design that nodded to the CLX96’s ultimate seaworthiness and reliability, but real functional design thinking is evident in technical spaces like the engine room, which on the new 30.5m CLX99 is fitted with aft generators that makes maintenance on the engines more accessible.

Heralded product designer Jozeph Forakis has been given free rein on the CLX96 and CLX99

Five crew members can be accommodated in quarters located aft between the engine room and the aft bulkhead of the master, ensuring the CLX99 is suitable for fully-crewed charter trips.

If the CLX96’s unusual design was seen as a bit of a risk for CL Yachts on its release two years ago, then the new flagship CLX99, which continues the art of architecturally-refined disruptive design, is proof that the risk paid off.

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