Philippe Briand, who has shaped CNB’s custom and semi-custom designs since 1989, drew the hull. Jean-Marc Piaton’s studio designed the interior, continuing the new CNB identity established by the 78. The result is intended to be an elegant, fast cruising yacht that a couple can sail while still having room for friends and family.
Design and Construction
The CNB 62 is 63.9 feet overall, with a 17.5-foot beam and a 58-foot waterline. Displacement is about 60,600 lb. Her taut but generous lines mark her as a serious ocean candidate rather than a coastal weekender, with a balanced, powerful hull intended for fast cruising.
Built as a semi-custom yacht, the 62 has a solid fiberglass hull and deck, iron ballast, and a fin keel. Three keel configurations are offered:
- Standard cast iron, with a 2.95 m draft
- Optional Weldox with a lead bulb, also drawing 2.95 m
- Shoal-draft Weldox with a lead bulb, drawing 2.45 m
The first hull was built at the Solaris yard in Aquileia, Italy, following CNB’s acquisition by the group in 2021. The boat retains the original DNA of CNB as a performance-oriented large bluewater cruising yacht.
Rig and Short-Handed Handling
Briand describes the 62 as elegant, seaworthy, powerful, and manageable. Its seakeeping rests on the balanced, powerful hull and an extensive Solent sail plan comprising:
- 102 m² mainsail
- 94 m² furling genoa
- 44 m² staysail
- 320 m² asymmetrical spinnaker
All sail controls lead back to the helms. The steering wheels sit well forward, and the cockpit is arranged so the helmsman can cast off all lines without leaving position. A first-look review’s editor noted that placing the winches aft of the wheels could make sail handling easier when short-handed because there’s no need to step around the wheel.
A carbon Targa arch stretches over the cockpit and holds the mainsheet. This keeps the sheet clear of crew and guests and reduces cockpit clutter.
Interior and Accommodations
The interior follows an owner-forward arrangement directly inspired by the CNB 78. The master cabin occupies the entire area forward of the mast, creating what CNB describes as unprecedented space for a 60-foot hull. An optional office can be incorporated into the owner’s suite.
Aft, two large en-suite guest cabins sit beyond a corridor that helps preserve privacy. The port cabin has berths mounted on rails, allowing them to be arranged either as a double or as two singles.
The saloon opens onto a centrally positioned galley designed to be both functional and sociable. Light-colored woods and fabrics contribute to CNB’s characteristically large, bright saloon. The builder chooses the light-colored woods and fabrics, though they can be adapted to an owner’s requests.
In one owner report cited by the review, the light-flooded saloon, owner’s suite, and guest suites were described as really spacious, a transformation, and class leading.
Cockpit and Outdoor Living
The forward helm stations offer greater protection and sit close to the outdoor relaxation and living areas, beneath either a Bimini or a fixed hardtop. High backrests in the guest area leave enough room for people to pass a full cockpit table without squeezing through.
Moving the wheels forward also creates a flat sunbathing area aft. Beneath it is a large longitudinal dinghy garage, designed as an integral part of the boat and sized for a tender of nearly 10 feet. Its almost full-width door folds down to form a bathing platform.
Semi-Custom Choices and Early Ownership
Because the 62 is a semi-custom platform, owners can tailor it from the outset. The principal choices include keel draft, a hardtop or Bimini, and the optional office in the owner’s suite. As a result, the usual brokerage-era refit questions are replaced, at this stage, by specification decisions made during the build.
CNB said three hulls had been sold at launch. The first was then being fitted out for spring delivery, and all three owners were expected to be sailing before the end of the year.
Verdict
The CNB 62 is a modern expression of CNB’s bluewater ethos. Briand’s balanced, powerful hull is paired with a Piaton interior that gives the forward owner’s suite genuine 60-foot-plus generosity while preserving privacy for guests aft.
The boat is conceived for a couple to sail, with every control led to the helm and the cockpit kept clear by the carbon arch. At the same time, it remains a true three-cabin world cruiser.
Pros
- Owner-forward master cabin with unprecedented space for a boat of this size
- All sail controls at the helms, with a winch layout suited to short-handed sailing
- Integral longitudinal tender garage with a door that becomes the bathing platform
- Semi-custom choices for the keel, Bimini or hardtop, and owner’s office
Cons
- A new model with limited real-world fleet history
- The shoal-draft option still brings the cost and complexity of Weldox construction and a lead bulb
