THE REAL BEAUTY OF CHEOY LEE`S ALPHA 87 SPORTBRIDGE

LOA: 87'1"
BEAM: 21'7"
DRAFT: 5'5" (full load)
DISPL.: 153,200 lb. (full load)
FUEL: 1,800 gal.
WATER: 330 gal.
STANDARD POWER: 2/1,925-hp
Caterpillar C32 ACERT
diesel inboards
OPTIONAL POWER: 2/2,600-hp
MTU 16V 2000 diesel inboards
TRANSMISSIONS: ZF 3050V
w/ 2.20:1 gear ratio
PROPELLERS: 39 x 43 6-blade
Platzer Nibral
BASE PRICE: $5,459,510
PRICE AS TESTED: $5,971,210
THE REAL BEAUTY OF CHEOY LEE’S ALPHA 87
SPORTBRIDGE IS IN HER HERITAGE.
BY CAPT. RICHARD THIEL
Pedigreed
PERFORMER
46 POWER & MOTORYACHT / JUNE 2014
JUNE 2014 / POWER & MOTORYACHT 47
T
The first thing I noticed when I stepped into the expansive saloon of the Cheoy Lee Alpha 87 was the
name Recaro. It was embroidered into the headrests
of the three helm seats, just forward of the eight-person dining table, and it hinted at what I was about to
discover about this boat. Recaro, as most everyone
knows, is famous for the custom seating found in
most of the world’s top performance and race cars.
But beyond that, when’s the last time you saw three
individual helm seats on an 87-footer? Clearly the
reason they’re there is that they tell you this boat is
about performance, and everyone is going to want to
be in on the action.
The seats were not just there for show either.
Powered by a couple of 1,925-horsepower Caterpillar C32 ACERTs, our test boat put up some impressive numbers: a top speed just a tick under 31 knots
and 26.5 knots at a moderate 2000-rpm cruise setting. Frankly, those are what you’d expect out of a
pair of considerably more powerful engines. How
did Cheoy Lee do it?
For starters, they began with a hull designed by
Michael Peters, who’s drawn more than a few fast
boats in his time. One of the characteristics that
impressed me about this particular fast boat is its
relatively moderate running angles, even during
aggressive acceleration. That’s not the norm in a Vdrive vessel that puts the weight of those big motors
all the way aft—and I do mean all the way. Unlike
most boats of this size that site the crew’s quarters
abaft the engine room, the 87 has them forward of it.
Indeed, the engines are right under the cockpit sole.
An aft-engine configuration is widely recognized
as being optimum for a planing hull as it allows more
of the running surface to uncover, reducing hydrodynamic drag. But in a motoryacht it carries with it
another benefit. In a typical layout with the engines
forward, the owner’s stateroom—or more accurately,
the owner’s head—lays up against the forward engineroom bulkhead, necessitating either the extensive
use of sound-deadening materials or the acceptance
of higher sound levels in this important living space.
In the 87, the full-beam crew’s quarters provide the
acoustical buffer. Any increase in sound levels there
is of little concern because the crew so rarely occupies
this space while the boat is underway. On the other
hand, the owner’s stateroom, still buffered by a large
head and walk-in closet, is whisper quiet at speed.
But back to performance. There’s another big reason
why the 87 so deftly tops 30 knots: her moderate displacement. The lamination specifications include all of
the latest weight-saving technologies: resin-infusion
utilizing carbon fiber and E-glass, a hull bottom cored
with high-density foam, and foam-cored superstructure, decks, soles, and bulkheads. (The goal, it should
be noted, is not only saving weight but also lowering
the center of gravity.) But for Cheoy Lee, a list of materials provides only a starting point for our story.
At this point it may be helpful to recap Cheoy Lee’s
48 POWER & MOTORYACHT / JUNE 2014
Update: ELECTRONICS
Better Boat: Completely Connected
Y
ou’d expect an example of high-technology boatbuilding like the Alpha 87 to also be packed with
the latest electronic systems, and indeed she is.
Although she’s available with a choice of electronics according to the owner’s preference, the package on our boat was grounded in Furuno’s NavNet, with
data primarily displayed on two Furuno TZT9 black box
multifunction touchscreen monitors—one at each helm
station—and three KEP repeater monitors—two below
and one up top. This boat also has the optional Glass
Dash, so there are no bezels; the units sit flush with the
mounting surface for a clean, uncluttered look.
On the 87, vessel trim is normally adjusted manually
using standard Humphree Interceptor trim tabs, but
since our boat had the optional Humphree automatictrim system, trim could be automatically and continuously optimized at the touch of a button.
Both maneuvering and throttle modulation could be
handled by ZF’s Joystick Maneuvering System (JMS),
which includes a standard Hold Heading Function that
maintains course despite changes in current, wind, or
other external forces. Basically, you need not touch
the wheel until you want to change course. The 87 I
tested also featured JMS control of the optional stern
thruster and the JMS iAnchor feature, which employs
a dedicated GPS to maintain vessel position and orientation at the touch of a button. The joystick controlling
all these functions is conveniently positioned on the
helm-chair armrest.
Perhaps the most impressive piece of electronic
whizbangery aboard is the alarm, monitoring, and control system. It interfaces with the vessel’s own alarm
system and employs color-coded displays that not
only alert the crew to a problem but also to the severity
of it according to the display’s color. It even offers links
to appropriate resolution tools, such as checklists,
manuals, and diagrams.
As do most such integrated control systems, this one
can display engine data, tank levels, camera inputs,
lighting status, maintenance records, climate control
conditions, and flood-control information on one of the
three lower-helm monitors. But it also can provide the
latest information on weather, sea state, anchoring status, and security threats and be a repository for manuals and other important data, including the ship’s log.
The system can even track personnel and valuables using small radio frequency identification tags.
All of this information is easily accessible—you’re
never more than one click from the menu screen. Since
the system is compatible with an iPhone or iPad, you
need only touch the app icon on your mobile device
from anywhere on the boat (Wi-Fi is also part of the
system) or off, and you’re presented with the Situation Screen, which tells you virtually anything you could
learn if you were actually standing at the helm.
How many
helm consoles
look great
from every
angle? The
Alpha 87
makes the
most of these
sweeping
staircases
to a foyer on
the accommodations
deck. That's
the master
through the
door in the
middle.
WWW.PMYMAG.COM
WWW.PMYMAG.COM
JUNE 2014 / POWER & MOTORYACHT 49
uSee the Cheoy Lee Alpha 87 Sportbridge
from every angle @ www.pmymag.com
history. Established in 1870 and in continuous operation
since then the shipyard over the years has produced not
only sail and power yachts but also scores of ferries, patrol
boats, harbor and offshore tugs, and pilot boats. (Today it’s
also well known for its Z-Tech 6000 harbor tugs, which
have 360-degree azimuthing pod drives. See “Panama
Rising,” on page 62) Customers of all stripes are drawn
to this Chinese yard not to save money but because of its
reputation and engineering expertise.
In the case of the 87, that expertise is reflected in what
you think you see but actually do not. The vessel is as profligate as any other luxury yacht when it comes to the use
of expensive hardwood, granite, and marble. The difference is that on this boat nearly all of those materials you’re
admiring are veneers—in the case of marble, 4-millimeters thick. (This allows the marble in the master shower
to be book-matched.) In nonstructural uses the laminate
is backed by composite or aluminum honeycomb. But
in other instances, it is vacuum-bagged to high-density
foam. The beautiful wood sole is actually a veneer that has
been vacuum-bagged to high-pressure laminate and foam
off the boat, then brought aboard and vacuum-bagged
into place. Even the cabinetry is veneer over honeycomb.
Extensive use of such weight-saving technologies produces a boat whose luxury is the match of any yet weighs
significantly less: 153,200 pounds, per the spec sheet. How
much less is that? The answer is elusive, but one estimate I
got from Cheoy Lee Alpha project manager Gene Weeks
of 20,000 pounds less seems credible. And note that this
boat’s scantlings have not been compromised to trim her
displacement. A beam of 21 feet 7 inches is as much as two
feet wider than some comparable vessels, producing both
a generous saloon and eminently workable side decks.
Also not compromised are the engineering details you’d
expect to get from an experienced shipyard. Take the standard sunroof, a nifty piece of design that somehow fully
retracts into the flying bridge to maintain that sleek profile. And sleek it is: viewed from the side the flying-bridge
helm is all but invisible, yet it offers excellent sightlines.
Another smart piece of design is the 87’s modularity. Many interior and exterior features, like the aft spa
and cockpit bar and the foredeck seating area, are built
as stand-alone modules, a feature which gives the prospective owner great latitude in customizing the layout
to suit his or her needs. Not so visible but every bit
as important is the 87’s sea chest and common drain
system which reduces through-hulls to the bare minimum. But everyone will notice how elegantly the Bruce
plow anchor nests into the stem. The engineering by
which this is accomplished without human intervention would take pages to relate.
On the other hand the basic philosophy of the Cheoy
Lee shipyard can be succinctly summarized: Whether it
will be pushing ships around a harbor or taking a family
on the voyage of a lifetime, create a boat that’s strong, safe,
efficient, and built to go to sea. And if she can do so at
almost 31 knots, all the better. ❒
Cheoy Lee, 954-527-0999; www.cheoylee.com
50 POWER & MOTORYACHT / JUNE 2014
RPM
650
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000
2250
2350
The formal
dining area
is at the
forward
end of the
saloon abaft
the helm
seats (above
right).
Directly
beneath
the helm is
the master
stateroom
(above),
finished in
eye-catching
zembrano
veneers.
KNOTS
7.5
11.0
13.3
17.5
22.0
26.0
30.2
30.9
GPH
6.0
24
40
64
100
150
180
196
RANGE
2,025
743
539
443
356
281
272
255
dB(A)
60
62
63
64
65
67
69
71
TEST CONDITIONS: Air temperature: 72°F; humidity: 55%; seas
4'; load: 1,350 gal. fuel, 330 gal. water, 3 persons, 1,000 pounds
gear. Speeds are two-way averages measured with Furuno GPS.
GPH taken from Caterpillar engine display. Range is based on 90
percent of advertised fuel capacity. Sound levels measured at
lower helm. 65 dB(A) is the level of normal conversation.
NOTEWORTHY OPTIONS: 900-gpd Sea Recovery watermaker
($11,520); custom Platzer-designed props ($23,000); 2/24-volt
DC Maxwell aft warping winches ($2,950); 3/Recaro helm seats
($12,700); JMS joystick system w/ stern thruster ($45,000) and
iAnchor ($9,000); Jastram electro-hydraulic steering ($33,500).
WWW.PMYMAG.COM
WWW.PMYMAG.COM
JUNE 2014 / POWER & MOTORYACHT 51