Traditional C&C Quality

C&C is the only sailboat manufacturer that offers infused phenol epoxy hulls, decks and carbon masts and carbon pocket booms as standard, placing us at the forefront of boat building technology. The interior structural components keel timbers, mast step, chainplate attachment points, structural stringers and bulkheads are bonded in place with fiberglass reinforcement and phenol epoxy blended resin.  This Tartan construction technique provides greater strength in these critical structural elements. C&C construction offers our owners the safest hulls in the industry. All thru-hull fittings are installed in solid laminate (no core) preventing water migration into the laminate.  Careful attention to detail is taken when installing all fittings to ensure laminate integrity, moisture resistance and safe operation.  We use only 90 degree throw flush Marelon thru-hull fittings that are UL and ABS approved and corrosion-free, providing years of safe and trouble-free operation.  Our hull-to-deck joint is a 35-year time-tested structure consisting of all inward flange in the hull incorporating a 6061, T6 hardened aluminum backing bar.  The resulting joint is bonded with 3M's sturdy 5200 adhesive sealant.  This C&C construction technique provides our owners the most secure hull-to-deck joint in the industry and also allows serviceability from outside the boat.  The finest hardware and components from leading marine suppliers are mounted to the deck through solid laminate with stainless fasteners that are drilled and tapped into laminated-in-place aluminum backing plates.  All hatches and ports are likewise installed through solid laminate.  In areas where hardware is not affixed, select sealed coring is used to create stiffer, lighter deck structure.  The resulting weight savings in our C&C decks provides a lower center of gravity with increased stability and an easier motion at sea.

The Epoxy Revolution

Just as the introduction of polyester fiberglass laminates replaced wood yacht construction in the early 1960's, C&C's new infused phenol epoxy laminate now makes those earlier lamination techniques obsolete. We use an epoxy based resin system in our laminating process. The other builders use polyester resins, which simply cannot achieve the strength, stiffness and osmotic resistance our hulls. That's why the world's leading grand prix and custom yachts are built with epoxy resins. While our resin is more expensive than polyester resin, there is simply no other sensible choice in hull laminate construction. In constructing our hull laminates, we begin by using the most advanced materials available in the marine industry today. The combination of uni-directional E-glass, synthetic structural foam coring and epoxy based resin produces the strongest and most impact resistant laminate in the marine industry. Our hulls are resin Infused under vacuum to ensure an optimal low-resin, high fiber content. This process consolidates the laminate into a void free matrix and produces the optimum strength to weight ratio in a composite laminate. Additionally, the vacuum infused hull laminate is done in a single process with all components in place rather than bonding each layer separately like other builders. This produces a singular primary bond among the laminate components rather than the weaker multiple secondary bonds between cured laminate layers produced by traditional polyester construction. Our process creates a laminate of far greater strength and stiffness. That also maintains its physical properties through cyclic loading far beyond the abilities of conventional polyester laminate construction. Our process optimizes the strength and longevity of the composite laminate. Hulls built with this proprietary process are the strongest in the industry and of a quality that was previously available only for custom built cruisers or grand prix racers. We are so confident in the strength and durability of our laminate process that we are the only builder to offer a 15-year, transferable, structural, no-blister warranty. Our Superior Hull Construction Superior impact resistance - No other hull in the industry can match the strength and impact resistance of a C&C Yacht. Superior cosmetic appearance - C&C hulls are built to be cosmetically superior and remain that way throughout their lifetime. Polyester hulls are not post-cured in production. Once polyester hulls are exposed to sunlight and temperature, they experience an uncontrolled post-curing process resulting in 7-8% resin shrinkage volumetrically. This creates roving and core print-through that is apparent in most polyester hulls. C&C's  hulls do not experience this post-cure shrinkage and remain better looking for a longer period of time. Superior structural longevity - The adhesive properties of our resins are far superior to those of polyester resins. This characteristic substantially limits micro-cracking within the laminate. Micro-cracking leads to fatigue and a weakening of the hull structure over time. The superior ability of our epoxy based laminate to withstand the negative effects of cyclic loading is an essential advantage of Tartan hulls versus other manufacturers' polyester hulls. Superior retention of shear strength - Interlaminar shear strength is significantly weakened by water absorption in the laminate. Simply stated, decks and hulls that get “soft” from water absorption are much weaker than ones that don't. Polyester laminates lose 35% of their shear strength after one year in the water due to water absorption. In contrast, epoxy based laminates retain nearly 100% of their shear strength during the same period of time in the water. Why? Because epoxy is water resistant; polyester isn't. Superior blister resistance - Superior resistance to water absorption of our epoxy based laminate eliminates osmotic gelcoat blistering in C&C hulls.

By utilizing the unique properties of carbon fiber, which has a tensile strength greater than steel at a mere fraction of the weight, the mast tube laminate can be tailored to meet the various loads imposed on the rig.Conversely, an aluminum mast tube is extruded at a constant weight and wall thickness throughout its length, and thus must be sized for the greatest loads, which occur in the bottom panel.The result is an excessively heavy section, particularly aloft where weight most adversely affects performance and handling.For rigidity the C&C carbon mast laminate is predominately uni-directional pre-preg that runs the length of the rig and is locally reinforced in the bottom section, taking maximum advantage of carbon's strength and versatility.The resulting laminate is light aloft and reinforced in the lower panel for greater strength.Furthering the carbon mast advantage each mast is molded with a taper in the top section. Not only is the overall tube weight less than 50% of the aluminum tube, it also has a lower center of gravity, which dramatically magnifies the performance edge. This attention to weight reduction and distribution makes C&C's yachts more stable.130 lbs saved aloft is equal to having four, 180 lb crewmembers on the rail.The savings also results in less fore and aft motion in a seaway so more energy is delivered for forward motion rather than uncomfortable motion. Weight savings aloft improves racing performance and when cruising, provides a much more comfortable sailing motion.Some builders offer carbon construction as an expensive option ($40,000 on a 40 footer), with the Stealth Fighter and all C&C yachts its standard, “Fly Faster with C&C”.

Our Deck Construction Process Our decks are the strongest and stiffest in the industry. Our custom vacuum infusion process creates the best resin-to-glass ratio, and all deck hardware is mounted through solid glass laminate with appropriate FRP or aluminum backing plates. Built-in Strength and Longevity This produces major benefits: decks of exceptional strength, stiffness and durability. This is the result of a 30% resin to 70% glass ratio rather than the 70% resin to 30% glass used in our competitors process. In this closed-mold system, fabric and treated balsa cores are cut and laid dry in the mold at one time. Then the vacuum bag is applied over the laminate and air is evacuated to achieve one atmosphere of vacuum pressure. Resin feed lines are opened and atmospheric pressure forces the catalyzed resin into the laminates, completely saturating the dry glass and balsa cores. Superior Physical Properties The consistently high glass-to-resin ratio produces very high physical properties of stiffness and strength. Eliminated are the inconsistencies of labor-intensive hand lay-up that's dependent on the individual laminator's skills and it does away with air entrapment and void problems that can compromise durability. There are no voids that can fill with water, no paths for potential water migration through the core which is extremely important to boat owners who install aftermarket deck hardware and canvas goods. Owners also enjoy decks and cockpit soles that deflect substantially less under load and won't crush under localized impacts. The Interior Structural Component Keel timbers, mast step, chainplate attachment points, structural stringers and bulkheads—are bonded in place with fiberglass reinforcement and our unique proprietary phenol epoxy blended resin. This C&C construction technique provides greater strength in these critical structural elements than conventional construction techniques found in other boats. C&C construction offers our owners the safest hulls in the industry. All thru-hull fittings are installed in solid laminate (no core) preventing water migration into the laminate. Careful attention to detail is taken when installing all fittings to ensure laminate integrity, moisture resistance and safe operation. We use only 90 degree throw flush Marelon thru-hull fittings that are UL and ABS approved and corrosion-free, providing years of safe and trouble-free operation. Our hull-to-deck joint is a time-tested structure consisting of an inward flange in the hull incorporating a 6061, T6 hardened aluminum backing bar. The resulting joint is bonded with 3M's sturdy 5200 adhesive sealant. This C&C construction technique provides our owners the most secure hull-to-deck joint in the industry, and also allows serviceability from outside the boat. The finest hardware and components from leading marine suppliers are mounted to the deck through solid laminate with stainless fasteners that are drilled and tapped into laminated-in-place aluminum backing plates. All hatches and ports are likewise installed through solid laminate. In areas where hardware is not affixed, select sealed coring is used to create a stiffer, lighter deck structure. The resulting weight savings in our C&C decks provides a lower center of gravity with increased stability and an easier motion at sea.

C&C Stylish Interiors While C&C is recognized as an industry leader for strength, speed and safety at sea, our interiors provide you the utmost in style and comfort below decks. Here are a few of the many elegant features found in our boats. Handcrafted solid and laminated trim details Ventilated, solid stock cherry cabinet doors Varnished solid stock panel passage doors Dovetail drawers with solid cherry fronts Select, rich Sunbrella fabrics, custom crafted by our in-house upholstery team Hand varnished, carefully placed handholds providing safe movement belowdecks Lightweight composite cherry cabinets Custom molded composite laminate, solid surface countertops in the galley and head areas that are scratch and crack resistant and lightweight We must admit, this is a departure from the Stealth Fighter, with C&C you'll fly faster, and in greater comfort.