The Bélouga is the sailboat that made Eugène Cornu known as a naval architect. Launched in 1943 and originally built in traditional wood, this sailboat has had an active career with more than 1000 units produced. Today, an association still counts nearly 200 Belugas sailing and organizes gatherings of these boats.
In love with this model, Claude Philippe, architect and builder of aluminium boats (CNA Yachting shipyard), wants to relaunch the model that still corresponds to the practice of coastal sailing today. Light, transportable, easy to rig, good walker, the Bélouga is nowadays fishing by its traditional wooden construction which requires regular maintenance. Now in aluminium, built from the original plan, the shipyard has tried to copy the architect's design as much as possible while integrating the constraints of the standards in force in shipbuilding.
Thus the shape of the hull is rigorously identical to the original Beluga. The big modification comes from the daggerboard well and the shape of the daggerboard. Indeed, the Beluga has a triangular pivoting daggerboard. A simple steel plate which, once raised, takes up all the space in the cabin, also leaving the daggerboard well open inside. By adapting a hollow daggerboard to the narrower Naca profile, the builder can plug the daggerboard well (mandatory for the standard and avoiding water ingress) and thus keep the interior clear.
Likewise, the original Beluga has a bulkhead to support the punching of the mast. With aluminium and a porque bar, this bulkhead becomes useless. Thus the interior is completely clear to such an extent that from 2 berths at the origin, Claude Philippe thinks he can install 4 now.
The cockpit is also raised by 12 cm to make it self-draining with gutters in the transom. Finally the curve of the deckhouse is slightly rectified which gives a slightly more taut line to the whole, a small touch of modernity.
The finish of the boat will be painted so well that it will be difficult to tell the difference with an original Beluga.
And on the scale, the Bélouga aluminium is 100 kg lighter than the original model. This weight difference is used to reinforce the ballast in the bottoms. The Bélouga Alu will therefore be stiffer to the canvas, a good point, because this yacht is known as very gîtard.
The end of construction of this model is scheduled for next spring depending on the workload of the site. Indeed, this Beluga, which will then be offered in series, is for the moment the model of the construction site which will use it to present it to future customers.
Features :
Bélouga Aluminium CNA Yachting
Length: 6.50 m
Width: 2.30 m
Draft: 0.24 - 1.14 m
Sail area: 20 m²
Type of rigging : Houari
