Choey Lee 76 Alpha Main

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Photo by: Forest Johnson

After testing and evaluating boats for more than a decade, you acquire a calloused layer of cynicism. For example, you’re inevitably presented with the Mark XXV version of a model that a builder promotes as “completely new,” yet it really only showcases the latest in counter surface technology and soft goods — not much else sets it apart from the previous 24 versions. Or even more suspect is the boat marketed as a “new build” constructed with 25-year-old tooling that’s been collecting dust in the corner of a defunct factory. 

My hackles really stand up when I’m told by a builder, “Wait until you see what we have coming — it’s totally different and fresh. But I can’t say anything now. We’d both be in danger. Shh.” That general context sets off all types of alarms and caution signs. So, such was my initial reaction when Cheoy Lee began to drop hints of its new Alpha 76 Express — the builder’s first model in its Alpha Series.

The more I tried to guess what this venerable boatbuilder was working on, the more confused I became. The company has set trends over the past several decades with eye-popping builds from Tom Fexas, who created early “Euro” design motoryachts long before some public relations whiz — most likely a European — coined the phrase. During the same period, Cheoy Lee graced the waterways with the traditional Hargrave-designed 92 and 103. Considering this breadth of design, trying to guess where they were going next was not easy. Drum roll, please.

Three years ago, Cheoy Lee identified an opportunity in the highly competitive large express market. B.Y. Lo, vice president and a co-owner of Cheoy Lee, is a savvy businessman who runs the company with the perfect balance of risk and deliberate, well thought out action. Lo has no notion of dominating the express market. He simply recognizes that there is room for a different take on an express yacht — one that capitalizes on his company’s strengths and centuries of experience.

In order to ensure the company’s mission was accomplished, the builder called on yacht designer Michael Peters to design the hull and style the exterior, and Luiz de Basto to design the interior. The express cruiser market is a tough segment of the industry to crack, especially for a company that earned its reputation building commercial ships and long-range yachts for the cruising crowd. Yet by creating a pedigree-fueled team, Cheoy Lee has created quite the stir since the model’s October debut.

One aspect of the Alpha 76 I like is the builder’s choice of straight shafts coupled to V-drives. The team explored pod-drive applications, yet was hesitant to get into triple or quadruple pods. When long-anticipated higher horsepower pod models did not materialize, Cheoy Lee and Peters went with twin 1,900-horsepower Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesels joined to ZF 350V gear boxes. Although the builder continues to tweak the props, our test ride proved that this power package combined with Peters’ hull is a damn fine combination. At 1800 rpm, running in three- to five-footers in a short fetch, we effortlessly maintained an average cruising speed of 27 knots. In these snotty conditions, everyone on board was comfortable, standing, carrying on a conversation and enjoying the ride.

See more photos here.


An even sweeter spot is 20 knots at 1500 rpm, burning a total of 80 gallons an hour. I personally spend a lot of time offshore and I rarely find the conditions that let me consistently take a boat to more than 30 knots, or higher cruising speeds. Although, when we put the throttles down to a top speed of 38 knots on the 76, we never took a drop of spray over the windshield.

Peters drew a moderate V-shape hull, with convex forward sections, transitioning to a 17.5-degree deadrise aft. If an owner is intent on hitting that 40-knot top speed mark for bragging rights, Cheoy Lee is confident it can achieve the speed with additional engineering.

The high-performance inspired helm seats create a snug perch for piloting this thoroughbred. Our test boat featured a joystick steering option and a removable conventional steering wheel. The concept is that the helmsman can sit back comfortably in the chair and make easy adjustments without moving. I get it. Yet, for me, a good old reliable wheel and an autopilot remote will do just fine.

The helm itself is a superbly designed piece of furniture by De Basto that could be on display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. There was simply no bad angle. The line of sight from the helm was good and it was easy to see traffic in all corners.