amel 50 yacht price

THE AMEL SPIRIT NEW GENERATION

Designed to offer maximum pleasure and simplicity, the AMEL 50 pushes the boundaries but remains faithful to the brand’s fundamentals. Comfort, safety and ease of use combine with performance and a desire for innovation.

With this model, the shipyard broadens the scope of use and opens up new prospects at sea. While not aiming to compete with racing yachts, the AMEL 50 promises superb sensations, allowing owners to choose the way they use their boat. A family weekend away, a getaway for two along the coast or a cruise on the high seas… The AMEL 50 is all this at once.

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A NEW AWARD-WINNING BREATH OF FRESH AIR

In 2018, Amel 50 was awarded « European Yacht of the Year ». This title rewards the best yachts in 5 different categories : Family-Cruiser, Performance-Cruiser, Luxury-Cruiser, Multihulls and Special Yachts.

« We are very honoured and grateful that the Amel 50 won the award of European Yacht of the Year in the Luxury Cruiser category. Above all, we are very happy for the whole team at the AMEL Yard, because everybody has worked with a real commitment and much enthusiasm, and we hope that the success of the AMEL 50 will keep on growing ! »

Emmanuel Poujeade, Chief executive of the AMEL shipyards.

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8 rue Joseph Cugnot, 17180 PERIGNY, FRANCE.

+335 46 55 17 31

© 2019 Chantiers Amel | Legal notice – privacy policy

Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (AGEC)

Under the above French law, since the 1st of January 2022, each producer (company that places a product in the market) has his unique producer identifier number (Article L.541-10-13). This unique identifier number, assigned by the ADEME (French agency for the environment and energy management), proves that the placer on the market is a member of the APER (French association for eco-friendly pleasure boating) and that it fulfills its regulatory obligations. The AMEL SHIPYARDS’ U-ID number is: FR028009_18AOCF.

Amel 50 on test : Modern cruising boat in the 50-foot luxury class

Jochen Rieker

 ·  19.04.2024

The competition: other models in the 50-foot luxury class

The measured values for testing the amel 50, the amel 50 in detail, price and shipyard, yacht review of the amel 50.

The list, which does not exist in this form and completeness at any other series boatyard, is an internal document. No owner will ever get to see it. Because everything it contains will be on board when Amel hands over the new yacht. It lists almost a hundred items: Oil and fuel filters, for example, a set of zinc anodes, an impeller, a V-belt, shackles, jumper cables for the batteries, a can of WD-40, grease for winches and propellers - everything you need if you want to be autonomous at sea for longer.

However, it is not just spare and wear parts that are part of the unusually extensive equipment. There are also deck scrubbers and boat hooks, a pump for the dinghy, a flagpole with a national flag and the saling flags Charlie and November. Below deck, the shipyard's care goes even further: the list includes twelve pillows, two bathrobes, two sets of towels and beach towels, two hot-air hairdryers, 30 bin bags and 40 clothes hangers, to name but a few. As well as, it goes without saying in France, two bottles of champagne, a bottle of Pineau, a bottle each of cognac and wine, 16 bottles of Evian or Vittel, a can opener and a bottle opener.

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The all-round carefree package could be dismissed as a mere nice-to-have, even as a matter of course in view of the proud purchase price of 1,249,500 euros. But it is far more than that. The internal list of endearing features is part and parcel of the very concept that has always characterised Amel yachts. Designed and built for a life on the water, they are intended to take their crew safely and comfortably wherever they want to go. This is no small task. All the more reason for the shipyard to endeavour to achieve this - which is by no means limited to equipping them with sparkling wine or cleaning sponges.

Modern construction

In fact, the French pursue their mission with almost Prussian seriousness and Swabian thoroughness. In the past, this sometimes made them seem quirky, because company founder Henri Amel, although following his own innovative agenda, was nevertheless reluctant to embrace some technical innovations. In the meantime, however, the employees have taken over the shipyard and set in motion an unprecedented wave of modernisation. They have retained many typical unique selling points, while at the same time setting new trends.

The lines of the Amel 50 already signalise that it is in tune with the spirit of the times. Her vertical stem, the high freeboard, her large beam, which hardly tapers towards the stern, and the overall rather angular design language clearly set her apart from her predecessors. A fixed stainless steel bowsprit extends the hull, serves as a mount for the anchor and as an attachment point for Code Zero or gennaker. For the first time, there are also twin rudders on an Amel, which are intended to ensure better controllability when the boat is in position.

However, the most visible change to her 55 and 64-foot sister models is above water. For the first time in almost half a century, Amel is building a sloop again with the 50. Before that, all boats were rigged as ketches, which meant better adaptation to the conditions at sea and greater course stability, but also increased construction and operating costs. Gone!

Nevertheless, the Amel 50 is no ordinary cruising boat. Even in the luxury class, to which it clearly belongs, it still clearly stands out from the competition. On the one hand, there are design features. The deep bilge, for example, serves as a collector for grey water and is specially sealed towards the saloon for this purpose. As a result, there are far fewer hull openings and sea valves than on other yachts in this segment - a plus in terms of safety and ease of maintenance.

The engine, generator and other installations are also located centrally in an engine room that is easily accessible from the cockpit. It is so spacious that servicing is a real pleasure. If necessary, all units can be dismantled and winched through the large hatch on deck. The crew remains completely untroubled by such drudgery below deck - a comfort feature that you have to search long and hard for elsewhere.

The cockpit itself is also unrivalled in this form. Covered by a fixed windscreen with a hardtop, it offers protection from almost all weather conditions. In summer, it can be pleasantly ventilated through a window in the centre and two hatches in the roof. In the rain or cold, the sides can also be completely sealed off using fabric panels.

Comfort and ease of use are persistent virtues of the Amel 50

High coamings enclose the large cockpit, which looks as secure as a fortress. The crew never has to leave their retreat to operate the sails - all the sheets can be operated from here, and the furling systems for the main, genoa and staysail can even be operated from the helm at the touch of a button.

It is located on the port side and is so well equipped that the watchstander almost feels like he is on a modern freighter. From the swivelling armchair, you really do have everything under control and, more importantly, in view. The feeling here is almost uplifting. Amel has the genoa, stay jib and code zero from Incidences, one of the most renowned French sailmakers, cut higher in the foot so as not to restrict visibility. Aerodynamically, this results in a loss of pressure, but on the other hand offers a decisive safety advantage in heavily travelled coastal regions, where keeping a lookout is essential.

This is where the shipyard's determination in pursuing its philosophy becomes clear. While other boat builders may well make compromises in favour of aesthetics and dynamics, Amel stubbornly remains true to the brand's typical virtues such as comfort and ease of use.

Improved performance

This is definitely noticeable during the test off La Rochelle. In an unusually light breeze for autumn, the 19-tonner struggles to shine as expected. To do this, the boat would need 4 Beaufort or more, which we were denied two days in a row. But the Amel has unmistakably gained in temperament compared to her sisters.

Thanks to her long waterline and with the help of a gennaker and code zero, she delivers respectable performance values. In particular, her straight line speed hardly differs from that of most competitors. The Amel 50 does not run quite as high as others, and the indirect ratio rudder system does not provide a usable feeling for the flow conditions at the two blades. However, it runs cleanly straight ahead and hardly requires any corrections to the wheel.

Olivier Racoupeau, the designer, has succeeded in creating an efficient crack for long sea voyages. "Of course it's an Amel," he says. "But we have tried to give it better sailing characteristics as well as seaworthiness and superiority."

Flexible sailing plan

It is particularly easy to adapt to changing conditions. The code zero and gennaker are stowed in the sail locker in the bow; setting or retrieving them requires only a few simple steps. In stronger winds, switching to a smaller sheet is even smoother - it takes less than a minute to switch from the genoa to the optional staysail jib, as both are permanently attached and are furled and unfurled electrically. With this and the infinitely variable furling main, the Amel 50 is equipped for a wind window of 5 to 45 knots, even without a mizzen mast, a range that is rarely seen on production boats.

The driving noise under engine proved to be surprisingly loud on construction number 1 - otherwise a parade discipline of all Amels. The noise in the aft owner's cabin was particularly unruly. This was a new phenomenon for the shipyard, which had previously relied on a self-developed aquadrive in which the propeller exits at the trailing edge of the keel fin. The Amel 50, on the other hand, has a conventional shaft system for the first time. The propeller thrust hits the hull at the level of the double berth, where the fittings act as a resonating body.

The shipyard responded immediately. Additional insulation measures on the floor assembly and a modified propeller have reduced the noise level measured in the YACHT test from 83 to 70 decibels. This means that the Amel 50 is within the normal or quiet range everywhere at a cruising speed of 8.1 knots. Anything else would be inadequate, because owners and guests should feel comfortable under all circumstances - even when passing through a calm zone under engine power, of course.

The shipyard has gone to great lengths to ensure a pleasant stay on board. Below deck, the crew is surrounded by an ambience of dignified elegance. Yes, you could even call it a wow effect. Thanks to a maximum of natural light and harmonious colours and surfaces, the yacht appears bright but not cool, modern but not uninhabited - simply harmonious and beautiful.

High-quality finishing

The interior was designed by Isabelle Racoupeau, the wife of the designer, who demonstrated great stylistic confidence. The realisation by Amel's boat builders was equally masterful. Perfect fits and minimal gaps are evidence of great craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail.

High-quality fittings and sophisticated solutions can be found throughout the boat. For example, the drawers on the cupboard module that connects the galley and saloon can be securely locked with a stainless steel bar, even in the heaviest weather. Where storage spaces are concealed under the floorboards, these are attached to hinges that make access easier. The shower doors lock so securely that they will never shake loose, even in rough seas. The fore and aft sections are acoustically decoupled from the saloon to such an extent that no chit-chat on the sofa disturbs the sleep of your fellow sailors.

Going to sea or lying at anchor in this boat is almost like being in a safe, everything here seems so solid, so reassuringly (over)dimensioned. The foredeck and aft compartment can even be sealed off watertight in the event of an accident - another sign of Amel's unconditional striving for safety.

None of this is new. But the technical expertise has never come across as unobtrusively, as casually as in the Amel 50. While the utilitarianism of earlier models was even more characteristic, with form more often following function, the new model from La Rochelle presents itself in a surprisingly relaxed manner. It offers everything that characterises the brand in a highly attractive and contemporary package. After the shipyard came away empty-handed twice in a row, the Amel 50 was named European Yacht of the Year 2018. The successful synthesis of substance and design, solidity and sophistication has rightly helped her to victory.

Technical data of the Amel 50

• Designer: Berret/Racoupeau
• CE design category: A
• Torso length: 15,51 m
• Waterline length: 14,51 m
• Width: 4,79 m
• Depth: 2,15 m
• Theoretical torso speed: 9.25 kn
• Weight: 18,75 t
• Ballast/proportion: 5,4 t/29 %
• Mast height above waterline: 22,50 m
• Mainsail: 62,0 m2
• Furling genoa (109 %): 64,0 m2
• machine (Volvo Penta): 81 kW/110 hp
• Fuel tank: 675 l
• Fresh water tank: 600 l
• Grey/black water tanks: 180 l

Hull and deck construction

GRP foam sandwich, laminated in vacuum infusion. Deck and bulkheads glued and laminated over. Four watertight sealable compartments. Cast iron keel. Stainless steel rudder shafts

• Base price ex shipyard: 1.249.500 €
• Standard equipment included: Engine, sheets, railing, navigation lights, battery, compass, cushions, galley/cooker, bilge pump, toilet, sailcloth, anchor/chain, fenders, mooring lines, fire extinguisher, electric cooler, holding tank with suction, antifouling included.
• Guarantee/against osmosis: 2/2 years

As of 04/2024, how the prices shown are defined can be found here !

Chantiers Amel S. A., 17183 Périgny Cedex, France, e-mail: [email protected] , Web: www.amel.fr

Distribution

Kronenberg Yachting, Munich, [email protected]

The Amel is currently the most modern cruising boat in the 50-foot luxury class. No competitor offers the crew more protection and comfort in the cockpit, and none offers such a special ambience below deck. An absolute recommendation for long, well-cared-for blue water cruises

Design and concept

• + Clear focus on long journeys
• + Consistently realised down to the last detail
• - Full body, high superstructure

Sailing performance and trim

• + Respectable temperament with Code Zero
• + Extremely safe, protected cockpit
• + Very easy handling

Living and finishing quality

• + Harmonious design below deck
• + Plenty of natural light
• + Very high-quality workmanship

Equipment and technology

• + Extensive standard equipment
• + High ease of maintenance
• - Engine clearly too loud on the test boat

The article first appeared in YACHT 25/2017 and has been updated for the online version.

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Amel 50 review: An indoor sailing experience to excite even hardened sailors

• May 9, 2019

The Amel 50 is the French yard’s first sloop in over 20 years, Pip Hare takes a 48-hour test to see if the new format works

Amel has a long established following for yachts designed and built to match the needs of liveaboard and bluewater cruisers. It is reputed for its singular way of doing things and is famed for its ketches , designed for ease of sailing by a couple.

So when the La Rochelle yard unveiled this Amel 50, its first sloop since 1997, one with a broad, modern hull shape and twin rudders, it was met with surprise. Had Amel abandoned its heritage in favour for what’s in vogue?

Fortunately not. Step aboard and you quickly understand why this is a brilliant new model, one true to the brand’s DNA but versatile enough to suit everything from coastal sailing to global cruising.

Jib, staysail and main halyards are managed at the mast using a track and car system that locks the halyards in place. Photo: Jean-Sébastien Evrard

When I arrived in La Rochelle for my two-day liveaboard test, I wasn’t greeted with the sparkly weather I’d seen in Amel’s brochure. It was a dark, wet, windy and cold December morning. But, with its fully enclosed doghouse, the Amel 50 was made to take on weather like this. Would ‘indoors’ sailing leave me metaphorically cold, I wondered – surely the beauty of our sport is achieved through connection with the elements?

Setting out in a brisk westerly wind and lumpy seas that broke over the foredeck, the heat from below decks soon flowed up the companionway to fill the enclosed doghouse, bringing with it the aroma of fresh bread and coffee.

Within minutes we were punching our way confidently upwind, oblivious to the weather raging outside. I sat in the doghouse, feeling overdressed in salopettes and sea boots, and with every wave that crashed into the windscreen I felt my need to be out in the elements melting away.

Bold first impressions

The Amel’s lines follow modern trends including a blunt stem, full volume bow, high topsides, modest sheer and a beamy transom. But this latest model from the Berret-Racoupeau design team has rung some substantial changes. Amel’s first sloop in two decades, it is also the yard’s first model with twin rudders and the first built using resin infusion techniques.

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For close to 30 years Amel has favoured ketch rigs in the belief that splitting the sail area across two masts should make large cruising yachts more manageable for couples to sail. Ironically this way of thinking may have put off some sailors who actually consider two masts to be double the work, not half.

With the new 50 being the smallest in the range, the sail area was considered small enough to be comfortably handled as a sloop. Losing the mizzenmast unlocks additional benefits of reduced build costs, a larger cockpit and more below-deck versatility, making the Amel 50 an attractive package.

Absorbed or alienated?

Taking the helm for the first time I was acutely aware of my position on the boat – at the front of a central cockpit and offset to port. Looking forward, with only half the boat ahead and a small wheel in my hands I had the impression of sailing something much smaller.

The helmsman’s chair swivels and adjusts in height and there are reasonable views of the sails. Photo: Jean-Sébastien Evrard

The pillarless windscreen offers a panoramic view and the cockpit is high enough to give vision to windward, even on a starboard tack. The mainsail can be seen through hatches in the doghouse roof, while the view of the jib luff is great on a starboard tack – straight up the slot – but more difficult on port as the forestay sags to leeward. There’s a helmsman’s chair behind the steering position but I found standing more comfortable as, when seated, my arms were at full stretch.

The steering system uses push-pull cables onto the port rudder quadrant resulting in a helm that is sensitive to movement, but has little feeling. The rudders are a good size and the linkage direct, so small wheel movements have immediate impact, but as the cables do not load up no feedback can be felt through the wheel.

Once I’d acknowledged this I tuned into other performance indicators, using angle of heel particularly to guide me upwind. Immediately the helming experience came alive, I was watching for gusts, reading the waves, taking note of everything around me. Before I knew it, I was fully absorbed and unquestionably engaged with the sailing experience.

Joystick sail handling

The mainsail unfurls from the mast at an impressive speed using joystick controls in front of the wheel. The outhaul runs at the same pace on a continuous line system, which moves the clew in and out via a boom track. To avoid damage, both use a current-sensitive ‘time out’ feature – so if either is placed under heavy load they will momentarily stop, alerting crew to a potential sail jam or rope snag.

The jib sheets neatly through a wide shroud base, via coachroof tracks outside the doghouse and on to electric primary winches. Manual secondary winches allow jib cars to be trimmed while sailing. Powered-up under full main and genoa in 18 knots of wind we ploughed through waves at a decent 8.1 knots with a true wind angle of 50°, which is perfectly acceptable for offshore passagemaking.

The Amel 50 is a Berret Racoupeau design. Photo: Jean-Sébastien Evrard

Our test boat had the optional cutter rig adding a 24m 2 self-tacking staysail to the 126m 2 sail plan. Setting the staysail while beating in 20 knots gained a further 0.3 knots of boat speed, with no adverse effects to balance. Personally, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t tick the staysail box; it adds a manageable sail area to the forward triangle, while providing a dedicated heavy weather sail.

Finally calling an end to our upwind slog, we put the bow down looking for a lunchtime anchorage in the lee of Isle de Rey. Off the breeze we waddled a little with jib alone. A furling gennaker soon saw us scooting across the waves reaching 9 knots of boat speed in 20 knots of wind. Helming required concentration, but once again it absorbed me and I unashamedly grinned at this ‘dry’ sailing experience.

In the blink of an eye, the sails were away and the anchor deployed using the remote windlass controls behind the wheel. With the cockpit table extended to full size and set with warm food on china plates the full transformation was complete and our rugged sailing experience of the morning was definitely a thing of the past.

The Amel philosophy

Over lunch I learned more of Amel’s ‘maximum enjoyment, minimum work’ philosophy, which not only covers sail plans but every aspect of design and construction. These boats are built to stand the ravages of time and the sea while incorporating details to reduce maintenance, make repairs uncomplicated and ensure life on board is simple and safe.

It seems that Amel has thought of everything, whether it is the specially extruded four-compartment mast section that keeps halyards, electrics and furler separate, the spyglass in the bottom of the hull giving direct sight of the propeller, or chafe protection at every point a locker lid might scratch the stainless-steel handrail.

The saloon table folds out to seat eight – the small tables double as stools. Photo: Julien Girardot

With every new detail I became more impressed by the Amel 50. It’s as though the everyday inadequacies and compromises I’ve grown to accept as part of yacht ownership have been wiped away in this boat.

After lunch, with the sun breaking through, I put my hosts to work; first poling out the headsail with the huge, vertically mounted jib pole, then trying the Code 0.

The white sails downwind set-up is good. There is a welded tang mid-boom that allows a preventer to be attached from inside the footprint of the deck, and the substantial jib pole, though a bit of a handful to lower in a rolling sea, is utterly fit for the job once in place.

Downwind performance was comfortable and efficient, making close to 9 knots dead downwind in 22 knots true. As the breeze died we maintained our VMG by setting a Code 0 with the jib pole. Sailing like this in the sun felt heavenly and the whole crew naturally gravitated to the aft deck, leaving the autopilot to drive while we took in the stunning islands of the Charente.

As the light faded on our first day we found a mooring buoy on the shores of Isle d’Aix and I took the controls on approach. This didn’t prove easy in the gusty breeze as there’s a lot of windage on the hull and superstructure, which makes manoeuvring the Amel 50 at low speeds tricky.

The twin rudders provide little prop wash effect to counteract any last-minute gusts so on my second attempt I resorted to the bow thruster, leaving the wheel in the centre and driving using throttle for speed and thruster for direction – this proved equally efficient when reversing into the berth at the end of the test.

From the bathing platform to the bowsprit the attention to detail on this Amel 50 is phenomenal. Photo: Jean-Sébastien Evrard

The cockpit sole lifts to reveal an impressively spacious and entirely watertight engine room, accessed via a small ladder. In line with the ‘trouble free maintenance’ approach, everything in this space is well set out with good access and room to work.

As well as the 110hp Volvo engine, the test boat housed a generator, watermaker, air conditioning unit and two inverters. Through-hull fittings have been kept to a minimum using a single inlet and seawater manifold.

All tankage is housed under the cockpit sole, including a grey water tank set in the bilge sump, which collects waste from all sinks and showers, serviced by a float switch for automatic emptying. This system ensures a dry, clean bilge elsewhere, creating extra room for storage.

Luxury for serious sailors

Below decks the Amel 50 is every bit as luxurious as you’d expect for its €790,000 price tag. The test boat finish was light oak with stainless steel details, which give a contemporary vibe, though may require endless wiping to remove finger marks.

There is a great feeling of space throughout, especially in the saloon, which, despite the raised cabin sole, has nearly two metres of standing headroom. Natural light floods from mid-height windows in the topsides and high-level coachroof hatches.

The use of a passageway galley helps to open up the spacious living area. Photo: Jean-Sébastien Evrard

A snug chart table surrounded by switchboards and repeat navigation instruments is set into the aft corner on the port side, while to starboard there is a step down to the corridor galley.

Two large sofas flank the saloon, one wrapped around the dining table to port. A couple of occasional tables can double-up as stools and provide all-round seating when the dining table is extended. These are anchored away under the folded table while sailing.

The Amel 50’s master cabin is situated aft, accessed through the galley passageway. It has a large double island bed, writing desk, sofa and en-suite facilities. Another big double in the bow shares a heads and shower with the bunk-bedded cabin to starboard. This twin cabin is disproportionately small compared to the space everywhere else, but the top bunk folds away to create a little more room if required.

Living on board the Amel 50 would be no hardship. I spent the evening in perfect comfort, eventually retiring to a fantastic night’s sleep in the forward cabin, leaving the blinds open so I could watch the twinkling lights ashore, through the large hull portlight from my bunk.

The aft island berth lifts up with stowage beneath and can be fitted with lee boards. Photo: Jean-Sébastien Evrard

Aside from the five-star hotel experience, the thing that really grabbed me below decks was how well this luxury combines with a set-up for serious sailing. All bunks come with well-fitting leeboards or cloths making even the island beds into usable sea berths.

The accommodation is separated from bow locker and lazarette by watertight bulkheads and internal bulkheads can be made watertight using clamps across the doorframes with their special seals.

The galley is large and well equipped with a proper sink, pull-out fridge and freezer drawers and plenty of worksurface. The passageway is wide enough for two people to pass, yet slim enough to brace while at sea.

The head-height storage lockers open to reveal a drawer front that slides out on tracks, keeping the contents retained when the locker is ‘uphill’ while still allowing access to the contents at the back.

The galley is overflowing with sensible and user- friendly storage. Photo: Julien Girardot

The only area that doesn’t seem commensurate with a life offshore is the passage forward from companionway steps across the saloon. This open space has few grab handles and would be a challenge to cross while pressed up on port.

The Amel team has addressed this in more recent builds by lengthening the stainless steel grabrail on the folded dining table-top, while repositioning and adding other holds at the bottom of the companionway steps.

The full sailing experience

The sun rose on the second day of our test to reveal, flat water, light winds and a cloudless sky. The change in weather gave great opportunity to try all aspects of the Amel 50 sailing experience and we spent a fun morning, hoisting and dropping every sail in the inventory.

In a wind range from 8 to 12 knots true, with a Code 0, gennaker and downwind asymmetric, no matter which way I pointed the bow, the boat performed. Speeds were less spectacular under white sails alone, so for those who like to sail until the last I’d recommend some additional offwind sail area.

The twin bunk cabin forward is a little cramped. Photo: Jean-Sébastien Evrard

Moving about the deck hoisting and dropping sails, I become more aware of the solid handrail and the security it offers. Not only is this feature higher than normal guardrails but it will take the weight of a person should they fall. The Amel teak – the company’s trademark gelcoat deck made to look like planked teak – offered good grip under foot.

The morning disappeared in sunshine and sails. Now it was warm I opened the central windscreen to get the feel of wind on my face while helming, though in these conditions it was a shame to stay ‘indoors’ and the best place on the boat became whichever pushpit seat had the sun.

With the rise in temperature the breeze died away and just when I thought we’d seen the limit of this boat’s sailing ability, it surprised me again. I have come to accept that poor lightwind performance is the trade-off to make for comfort in boats of this genre but, as the breeze died, the Amel 50 just kept going. With the jib set in just 5 knots of true wind speed we maintained a boat speed of 4.5 knots at a 60° true angle.

We were blessed with perfectly flat water and a stable wind direction, but this final flourish of performance confirmed my growing feelings of admiration for the boat and reminded me never to judge a book by its cover.

Our verdict

I can’t sit on the fence about the Amel 50; it is a brilliant boat. It’s neither revolutionary nor showy, and the unequivocal adherence to making everything maintenance light and easy-to-handle results in a boat that is not at all svelte.

I arrived with some heavy preconceptions perhaps as much about the kind of sailor I am as the kind of boat I would be sailing. I was treated to the full Amel 50 experience and my hosts did everything possible to show this boat in the best light.

But if you take away the fine food, endless espressos and crisp white bed linen, the Amel 50 still shines. It sails well, it is beautifully built and it made me smile. I left surprised and ever so slightly in love.

Specification

LOA: 16.50m (54ft 2in) LWL: 14.50m (47ft 7in) Beam: 4.79m (15ft 9in) Draught: 2.15m (7ft 1in) Displacement (light): 18,750kg (41,336lb) Ballast: 5,360kg (11,817lb) Sail Area (100% foretriangle): 126m 2 (1,360ft 2 ) Sail Area/displacement ratio: 19.9 Displacement/LWL ratio: 171 Berths: 6 Engine: 110hp shaftdrive Water capacity: 600lt (132gal) Fuel capacity: 675lt (148gal) Price from: €790,000 (ex VAT) Price as tested: €940,000 (ex VAT) Design: Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

• Theo Stocker
• February 27, 2018

Ketch builder Amel has launched its first sloop for 20 years, a sloop with modern twin rudders at that. Pip Hare travels to La Rochelle to test her

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

French builder Amel has, for 50 years, been selling a dream, and the Amel 50 is no exception; with this boat you could head off anywhere. Imagine cruising through the Chilean channels with a panoramic view from your warm and cosy doghouse, shortening sail at the touch of a button.

Amel’s philosophy is everything on board should be designed in such a way to make the owner’s life easier and the onboard experience more pleasurable – making long distance cruising achievable for anyone who can afford one.

Although Amel’s current smallest, this boat is still 50ft and made for the open ocean, but don’t expect to tack through narrow channels, even though she’s the first sloop the company has produced in two decades.

The decision to make her a sloop was chosen to keep costs down, while still having a rig that can be easily handled.

PERFORMANCE

Cocooned under a hardtop, surrounded by glass on three sides I was surprisingly engaged by sailing Amel 50.

I didn’t expect to feel connected to the sailing experience without feeling the wind, but in a full range of conditions I really enjoyed it.

I did, however, prefer to open the windscreen windows and get a bit of breeze in my face when the weather allowed.

Upwind in reasonable seas and 20 knots of true wind our close-hauled angle was not great but acceptable for offshore passage making and our boat speed a good 8.4 knots.

More impressive was our light airs upwind performance; managing to hold 4.4 knots of boat speed in only 5 knots of true wind.

The steering system uses push-pull cables, rather like those on an engine control, to move the quadrant.

Combined with the well-balanced twin rudders this results in a helm that gives little feedback, but has a good level of response when the wheel is turned.

It takes good concentration to hand steer but the autopilot coped well in all situations.

We tried additional offwind sails during our test, boosting our light airs performance and increasing downwind boat speed from 7.8 to 9.2 knots in the heavy breeze.

If haring downwind with a spinnaker is not your cup of tea, the poled-out headsail gave us reasonable performance in all but the lightest airs.

However, I feel the boat really benefitted from the extra sail area and would recommend a code zero on a furler as an easy-to-manage compromise that will keep you sailing for longer.

There is no hiding the size of the Amel 50.

It looms over an alongside pontoon requiring a fender step to get up the high topsides – the alternative is to drop the bathing platform and come over the stern.

Despite the size I found the steering position high enough to have good vision of all the ‘corners’ while manoeuvring in the marina, and I was comfortably able to reverse into a finger berth using the joystick bow thruster control and minimal wheel steering.

Turning tightly without the bow thruster is almost impossible as the position of the rudders relative to propeller gives very little turning moment from prop wash.

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THE TEST VERDICT

The Amel 50 is a luxurious, well-engineered yacht which genuinely exceeded my expectations on sailing performance – for a boat designed to cross oceans in luxury.

The Amel philosophy of a maintenance free boat results in features that are clever but at times chunky.

Thanks to this approach I believe this is a vessel that could sail tens of thousands of miles and show little sign of wear and tear.

At €790,000 ex VAT the Amel 50 would clearly suit couples seeking adventures in their retirement and I believe she caters well to this market, offering a sailing experience with minimal physical effort and a high standard of living accommodation.

There are some aspects of sailing the Amel 50 that smaller people, women in particular, may struggle with, such as the seated steering position and handling the jib pole.

However, the electric furling and winches make sailing this boat a generally inclusive experience.

WOULD SHE SUIT YOU AND YOUR CREW?

This boat is clearly aimed at couples with occasional guests who are looking for maximum comfort and space.

It is designed to sail well but with minimum effort.

This type of low engagement sailing offers a compromise; it allows those with a thirst to see the raw beauty of remote places to do so without having to endure physical hardship along the way.

This boat will not suit those seeking more interactive quality of sailing but it will be great for effortless offshore passage making; and when you eventually decide to drop the hook, the Amel 50 will provide a sumptuous standard of living on-board regardless of conditions on deck.

For those looking to explore the world by boat, and who have the funds to do so, the Amel 50 offers the opportunity to take on the challenge with a mix of luxury, style and practicality few other boats this size offer.

FACTS & FIGURES

Price as tested €1,128,000 Inc VAT (Approx £995,180) LOA 16.47m (54ft) Hull Length 15.51m (50ft 10in) LWL 14.51m (47ft 7in) Beam 4.79m (15ft 9in) Draught 2.15m (7ft 1in) Displacement 18,750kg (41,337 lb) Ballast 5,360kg (11,817 lb) Ballast ratio 28.6% Displacement / Length 170.7 Sail area 126m2 (1,356sq ft) SA/D ratio 18.2 Diesel 675 litres (148 gal) Water 600 litres (132 gal) Engine 110hp Transmission Shaft Drive RCD category A Designer Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design Builder Amel Tel +33 546 55 17 31 Website https://amel.fr/en/amel-50/

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Boat Review: Amel 50

• By Herb McCormick
• Updated: April 27, 2020

The hardest part of ­writing a review of a boat like the Amel 50 is beginning it. Where to start? Do you launch into the legacy of Frenchman Henri Amel, the ex-war hero who launched his legendary, eponymous La Rochelle boatyard in 1964? Should you focus on the yard’s celebrated attention to detail, and the fact that every Amel always comes fully equipped for bluewater voyaging, right down to the plates and cutlery? Or is it best to first address the specifics of this rangy new 50-footer, and the fact that it’s a true departure for Amel, the company’s first sloop—after a long string of ketch-rigged thoroughbreds—in over two decades? Seriously, what’s the hook to get this party started?

It’s probably best to just state the obvious: The Amel 50 is très cool, and oh-so remarkable in oh-so many ways.

In the 2020 Boat of the Year competition, the Amel was runner-up to the X-Yachts X46 in the Full-Size Cruiser 45 to 55 Feet class. It was the most heavily contested division in the competition, one that the judging panel agonized over during extensive deliberations. The fact that the sea trials for both boats took place in vastly different conditions—the X-Yacht had an ideal, 12-to-14-knot breeze, while the Amel was tested in a zephyr—may have affected the outcome. But the panelists had high praise for the 50-footer. Here are a few of their observations.

Dan Spurr : “Amel has long been one of the only worldwide companies to offer what is essentially a ‘ready-to-cruise’ boat. Some of the details include secured floorboards, four watertight bulkheads, bulkheads tabbed to the hull and deck, and aft-deck stowage for the dinghy. We all also liked the 24-volt electrical system and the solid, tubular handrail rather than wire lifelines. The boat can be operated from the security of the cockpit, which has a windshield and hardtop, as with many solo offshore ocean racers. Admittedly, one of my colleagues didn’t like this feature, feeling it isolated the helm from feeling the weather and conditions. The boat is not inexpensive, but it also seemed to have one of the highest-quality finishes of anything we judged.”

Ed Sherman : “The Amel 50 is truly an oceangoing globe-trotter. With a signature, watertight forward crash bulkhead; a centrally located ‘sea chest’ (and manifold system) with a single through-hull (for seawater intake for the engine, Onan generator, air-conditioner and desalinization system) to easily isolate a leak and shut it down; and a global shore-power system that can deal with 50 or 60 hertz and 120 or 230 to 240 volts, Amel has designed a boat that will cover you wherever you travel. As with some of the other larger boats, the DC side of the electrical system is 24 volts. By doing this, the builder can save considerable weight just in the wiring, and create a more efficient low-voltage electrical system.”

Ralph Naranjo : “I felt the fit and finish was at a higher level than I’ve seen on earlier Amels. Her hull was vacuum-infused, with solid glass below the waterline and foam core above it (and in the deck). Attention to detail in areas that could be seen belowdecks revealed good structural engineering and careful finish work. The design decision with the keel to go with iron rather than lead ballast affects both seaworthiness and long-term maintenance; lead could’ve improved the righting moment and enhanced her upwind sailing ability. This is a well-built vessel that, to me, is more of a motorsailer than a traditional cruising sailboat; it will spend much time under power. As such, good attention has been given to the engine room and related equipment such as the drivetrain and generator.”

There’s your overview. Now let’s focus in on some of those details, with the caveat that you’d require a book, not a mere magazine article, to delve deeply into all of them.

In both profile appearance and the design’s overall execution, the major, overriding feature of the Amel 50 is the prominent deckhouse with its enclosed steering station, the actual seat for which is a comfy armchair. From this cozy perch, to port, and with the wide array of instruments, joysticks and related controls an arm’s length away, you can basically operate the entire boat. For instance, you can bump the throttle and/or the retractable bow thruster with one hand. The electric winch for the in-mast furling main and twin Profurl headsail furlers are right there, as is the Lewmar windlass control, autopilot buttons, B&G chart plotter and so on.

The deckhouse is doubly important in that, by raising the hefty floor panel to which the cockpit table is fastened, you have wonderful access to the deep engine/technical room, which houses not only the 5-cylinder, 110-horsepower Volvo engine (coupled with the three-blade Varifold prop, this is a significant power plant), but also the chargers, inverter, watermaker, etc. This is an ideal setup for maintenance and inspection, and twice as nice in that you don’t have to lift the companionway stairs or rearrange staterooms to get at everything. Big props.

Down below, I’m not at all exaggerating when saying I’ve never seen a more efficient use of space on any cruising boat. Storage lockers are simply everywhere; there are a half-dozen alone under the floorboards, and many more under the settees (as well as a freezer) in the very open, comfortable saloon (bathed in natural light with hull windows, coachroof ports and overhead hatches).

To port of the companionway, there’s a tidy navigation station with a long, ridiculously comfortable settee. To starboard, down two steps, is the excellent straight-line galley that also provides the passageway to the owner’s stateroom aft. The huge berth there lifts up for yet more stowage beneath it, and also reveals the inspection port for the rudder (one of the many unusual details that are practically everywhere). There is, of course, a well-executed head and shower, not to mention the washer/dryer. Forward, the guest stateroom is equally comfortable; there’s also another cabin with bunkbeds ahead of the saloon, with lee cloths that will make sweet sea berths.

Topside, there’s a big sail locker forward and a single bow roller on a stainless-steel sprit, from which a code zero or asymmetric cruising chute can be set. Aft, the generous drop-down swim platform unfolds from the transom; yet another nifty feature is the passerelle that is stashed in the lazarette. Our aforementioned test sail was conducted in 5 to 6 knots of light Chesapeake Bay wind, but the boat still acquitted herself well, skimming along at better than 3 knots. It would be a lot of fun to put her through the paces in a blow.

Concluding an Amel 50 review is much easier than launching one. The summation is simple. It’s a superb yacht, one that will take its lucky crews wherever in the watery world they wish to go.

Herb McCormick is CW ’s executive editor.

Les Chantiers Amel

914-381-5900

• More: amel , Boat Reviews , new boats , print 2020 march , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Amel 50 - A Luxurious Worldcruiser

The french yacht builder amel - known for their renowned  amel 64 - presents now the amel 50 - a design by berret-racoupeau ..

Just one helm station? And this arranged like on a motor yacht? The yachts by AMEL are designed for long journeys where you can use the autopilot. That arrangement provides a sunbathing area on the aft deck and a large almost full beam owners cabin with en-suite bathroom and a desk.

The new yacht is the first sloop-rigged yacht since 1997 by AMEL.

“The development of embedded techniques such as motorized furlers means that maneuvering a 50-foot sloop is much easier today and ketch rigging is no longer necessary on a boat of this size.” – Oliver Racoupeau, Yacht Designer

The AMEL 50 welcomes six guests in total. Alongside the owner’s cabin, there are two guest cabins. One double cabin in the bow and a smaller bunk bed cabin on starboard side.

The yacht offers a generous and bright salon with two sofas, navigation desk and a lot of daylight through windows in the hull (that also removes this “cellar feeling”), in the superstructure and a skylight. The galley is placed on the way to the owner’s area next to the engine room.

The central cockpit with the large deckhouse protects from waves and rain during trips in bad weather conditions. The roof has a retractable bimini to protect from sun and rain as well.

Emmanuel Poujeade, Managing Director comments:

“At AMEL we are all enthusiastic, deeply attached to the history of our shipyard and always striving to continue to express our know-how and perpetuate the AMEL spirit”

Click to start a virtual tour of the AMEL 50

The price for the AMEL 50 starts at 720.000 EUR without VAT. The yacht has won the award as European Yacht of the Year 2018 in “Luxury Cruiser” during the boot Düsseldorf 2018.

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