CNB France Yachts Review

Based out of Bordeaux, France, CNB stands for Construction Navale Bordeaux. Founded in 1987, CNB is part of the Bénéteau group, a world-leading manufacturer of large, luxurious sailing yachts. Located on the banks of the Garonne River, CNB does its in-water testing in the Garonne since the facilities are situated on a 984-foot waterfront quay that is deep enough for launching. CNB produces both custom and semi-custom sailing yachts. Semi-custom CNBs are available in three yacht sizes that fall between 65' and 115'. Over the years, CNB has constructed more than 40 prestigious yachts, recently winning a 'Best Sail 23-36 m Superyacht Design' award for the yacht, 'Only Now'. The same yacht has also won the BMW prize for Design and Technological Innovation as well as the Elegance Award at the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. More than 80% of CNB yachts are exported out of France. CNB sailboats can be found in the Mediterranean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and in the Caribbean. New CNB customers have the option of having their yacht built of either aluminum or composite materials. In terms of composites, CNB uses vacuum-infused resin, resulting in advanced composite construction. This year, CNB is constructing the Briand 115’ and the Briand 105’, both named after designer Philippe Briand. Expanding into a new market, a CNB 31-meter aluminum monohull motor yacht is expected to undergo production later this year.

Pricing

New CNBs are out of most peoples’ price range. In fact, many CNBs go right to charter agencies since new CNBs are in the multimillion-dollar range. Pre-owned CNBs are for sale all over the world. A 2002 104’ CNB Cruising Sloop goes for around $7.9 million. If you want to pay considerably less for a CNB, there is a 2002 93’ Sloop available for $3.8 million.

Pros

• CNB yachts are extremely well-built from state-of-the-art materials, including aluminum and composites.
• CNB sailboats are known the world over for their award winning quality.
• CNB yachts have many innovative accessories and luxurious finishing touches.
• New CNB yachts are highly customizable.

Cons

• New and used CNB yachts are extremely expensive.
• CNB yachts are very large and require whole crews to sail them.

Featured Models

CNB yachts are custom ordered and there few typical models, other than to say they are all sailboats ranging from 65' to 115'. Some are called Lagoon and others Bordeaux.

Conclusion

CNB Yachts of France produce extremely well-made and expensive sailboats that are used for private pleasure, chartering, as well as race competition. Part of the Bénéteau group, CNB is considered to be an international leader in high-performance and luxury sailboats that are 65' to 115' in length. CNB makes a handful of customizable sailboats each year and launches them in the Garonne River right outside their facility doors. The multimillion-dollar sailboats tend to win international awards for speed, comfort, and design.