CK70 - Blue water cruising à la carte

Presented for the first time at the Cannes Yachting Festival back in September, the CK70 impressed show visitors by the volume offered and the standard of finish. Add to these qualities the choice of aluminum construction: this material is perfectly suited to extreme sailing programs and upstream of the build, allows almost infinite customization possibilities. We got the chance to test this serious blue water boat off Menton, on the French Riviera.

Our appointment was set for the week following the show: the big catamaran hadn’t gone far - it just ventured some 30 miles to the east, within touch distance of the Italian border. A very short hop for indeed for a multihull that had just crossed the Mediterranean: this CK70 was built in Bizerte, Tunisia, by Squalt Marine International. The shipyard occupies three-quarters of an acre (3,000 m²) and is right next door to the Aventura Catamarans yard and employs around 40 people. It is managed by Claude Kermoal, a well-known figure in the marine industry - both in the boatbuilding and charter sectors. Our man has already built more than 20 aluminum catamarans, was part of the Catlantech adventure, organized charters in Dubai, worked in Vietnam, was part of Alumarine... in fact, a career almost entirely dedicated to multihulls. Claude recollected: “The first time I set foot on a catamaran was in 1982, aboard Elf Aquitaine, which had just won the Route du Rhum with Marc Pajot at the helm.” Claude has been living in Tunisia for the past 6 years, and the CK presented today by the build...