CNB 78 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

At just under 24 metres without its technically removable bowsprit, the 78 stretches to 24.85 metres overall with a 23.05-metre hull and a 22.2-metre waterline. The beam holds at 6.1 metres but has been carried further forward and aft than on the 76, adding volume through the boat and especially aft. A powerful new hull shape introduces upper and lower chines, and the 11ft 5in draught, 105,600lb lightship displacement, and 27,800lb ballast reflect a bluewater platform of considerable mass and stability. A notable structural shift came with Solaris’s return to traditionally laminated-in bulkheads, which the builder claims marks a clear improvement over the Beneteau Group's industrial modular technique used on the 76. Curved walnut veneers with continuous grain on the reviewed boat signal a step up in finish quality, with teak, natural, or brushed oak offered as alternatives.

Rig and Handling

The standard 78 carries an aluminium mast with a stack-packed, slab-reefed mainsail, though the first boat wore a 2-metre-longer performance Hall carbon rig with V-boom furling as a costly upgrade, and CNB also offers in-mast furling with a fixed bimini. The solent-style arrangement places genoa and staysail on cockpit-controlled, push-button Reckmann furlers, while halyards run to mast-base winches and the main sheets to a raised central cockpit winch backed by a powerful vang. Twin pedestals carry full sail and engine controls on both sides, and two large powered winches per side handle the headsail sheets. Sailed in loaded mode just over 50 tonnes, the 78 matched true wind upwind at 40–43 degrees apparent once breeze reached six knots, touching 9.5 knots in 10.5 knots true with full genoa and main in flat water, and held 9.5–10 knot averages close-hauled and reaching. Twin rudders kept her finger-light on the wheels and fully controlled.

Accommodations

The wider, more voluminous hull permitted a third double cabin in place of the 76’s Pullman, and the beam spread forward and aft helped make that possible. Guest and owner cabins sit forward; crew take the entire aft section with the galley, a separation preserved by a deck saloon linking to the cockpit. The saloon is given wholly to guests, the 76’s chart table sacrificed for a starboard drinks and seating area, while twin tables drop to coffee tables or a daybed. The owner’s suite keeps a luxury feel with added wardrobe space, offering a standard aft-headboard offset berth or the more commonly chosen central berth forward without altering the ensuite; the second hull demonstrated room for a piano. A huge sail locker for furling sails could double as a crew cabin, and the reviewed boat’s walnut finish underlined the interior’s custom tone.

Deck and Equipment

On deck, a gentle ramp replaces the step to the side decks, with full-length caulking stern to bow marking a clear passage. The longitudinal tender garage still houses a Williams 395 but now uses an integrated roller system for easier launch, complemented by rollers set into the transom swim platform. The hinged sprayhood is simpler to use and can enclose the whole cockpit, and machinery access with improved insulation reaches the beam-wide engine room below the deck saloon from saloon or aft.

Known Issues

Reportedly very few niggles appeared on the first boat.

The Verdict

The CNB 78 is a thoughtfully evolved successor that trades the 76’s modular industrial heritage for traditional bulkhead lamination and Italian joinery, delivering more volume, a third double cabin, and genuine short-handed manageability on a 78-foot bluewater hull. She sails with surprising urgency for her tonnage and isolates crew from guests without compromising the owner’s suite.

Pros