Amel Yachts

Chantiers Amel is a French shipyard founded by Henri Amel in 1965. Based in La Rochelle, Amel is known for its production of ocean-going sailboats.

Chantiers Amel
Founded1965
FounderHenri Amel
HeadquartersLa Rochelle,
France
ProductsSailboats
Websiteamel.fr

History

Yacht designer Henri Amel founded Chantiers Amel in 1965.[1] During World War II, Amel noticed that the floating caissons used by invading Allied naval forces in France relied on polyester resin construction,[2] which he would ultimately adopt in the production of his boats.[3][4]

Amel's first boat, the Super Mistral Sport, was built in Marseille after he took over a failing shipyard. The boat itself was a success, but the business failed.[3] In 1963, Amel began building boats in the shipyard of another builder at La Rochelle. He split off on his own, founding Chantiers Amel in 1965. A fire burned his new shipyard to the ground in 1967, but it was rebuilt and a success by 1973.[3]

Amel was blind for an extended period of his career.[5]

At the time of his death in 2005, Amel donated 12,000 of his 13,000 shares in Chantier Amel to the company's employees.[4][6]

Boats

Chantiers Amel has produced a variety of sloops and ketches for blue water cruising and for day sailing. For many years, Chantiers Amel was known for its practice of only producing a single model at a time.[7] Since around 2010, the company has been producing two models at a time; currently the Amel 50 and Amel 60. Both are sloops with optional solent rig staysails, designed by Jean Berret & Olivier Racoupeau.

Models[8]
ModelRigLength, metresFromToDesigner(s)
Super Mistral SportSloop7.0619611972Henri Amel
AlisioSloop9.4019621966Henri Amel
CopainSloop5.2519621968Henri Amel
Pampero5.7419631968Henri Amel
Euros 39Ketch11.7519661972Henri Amel
GarbiSloop619711972Henri Amel
MaramuKetch13.8019781989Henri Amel
MangoKetch15.8219791989Henri Amel
SharkiKetch11.9519791989Henri Amel
FangoSloop1019851991Henri Amel
SantorinSloop1419891997Henri Amel
Super MaramuKetch1619881998Henri Amel
Super Maramu 2000Ketch1619982006Henri Amel
Amel 54Ketch17.2020052011Henri Amel
Amel 64Ketch19.6020102019Jean Berret & Olivier Racoupeau
Amel 55Ketch17.3020112018Jean Berret & Olivier Racoupeau
Amel 50Sloop/Solent15.512017OngoingJean Berret & Olivier Racoupeau
Amel 60Sloop/Solent182019OngoingJean Berret & Olivier Racoupeau

References
  1. France (1 June 1975). "Bulletin officiel des annonces civiles et commerciales" – via Google Books.
  2. Cruising World. July–December 1985. pp. 5–. ISSN 0098-3519.
  3. "Cruising World". 1 December 1998 – via Google Books.
  4. "Cruising World". 1 December 1985 – via Google Books.
  5. "Yachting". 1 January 1983 – via Google Books.
  6. "Cruising World". 13 March 2017 – via Google Books.
  7. "Les chantiers Amel cultivent un luxe tranquille". 10 July 2008.
  8. "Our story". 31 October 2021.
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