All about Amel
From humble beginnings in the post-war era, Frenchman Henri Amel laid the foundations for what would become some of the most sought-after bluewater cruisers. But it was his pioneering use of composites in the 1960s that really marked the brand.
Written by Sam Fortescue
20 July 2024
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When Henri Amel first began building composite sailing boats back in 1962, you could say the writing was already on the wall. They were big boats by the standards of the times, and their fame spread by word of mouth. Techniques and technology may have evolved since then, but today, Amel still builds large yachts for discerning customers who are remarkably loyal to the brand.
It began with a legend. The yard’s founder was active in the French Resistance during World War II, and he adopted the nom de guerre, Amel. Wounded in one eye, and temporarily losing his sight altogether, he built small wooden boats for friends and family from the relative safety of Lyon, which initially remained outside the occupied zone. After liberation, he decided to stick with his new surname and his boatbuilding activities.
It wasn’t until 1962 that things changed up a gear, however. First, Amel set up a base in the Mediterranean port city of Hyères. Then, two years later, he bought the ARPIN company in La Rochelle, which specialised in fibreglass construction. “I met Amel before he died in 2005,” says Sales Director Antoine Rioton.
“Of course, I had some discussion with the Captain – you know, we weren’t allowed to call him monsieur. He was a real leader, and people were really pleased to work with such a great guy. He was one of the first ones making boats in fibreglass.”
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A series of these innovative composite boats followed in quick succession, designed with Amel’s partner Jacques Carteau. First out of the factory gates was the Super Mistral Sport, a compact 7.06-metre cruising boat. She could sleep four at a pinch, with a little galley and a foldaway saloon table. Luxury it was not, but there were already clear signs of the brand that Amel was to become – small details such as the solid stainless-steel guardrail and the deep, sheltered cockpit are prized features of the much larger yachts of today.
Next came the 5.25-metre Copain (which means mate in French), then the more ambitious 9.40-metre Alisio masthead sloop. But Amel’s true potential was revealed in the Euros 39, first launched in 1966. At 11.75 metres LOA, it was unusually large for the period – competitors such as Beneteau were still churning out 4- to 5-metre minnows, and Jeremy Rogers in the UK had just launched the 7.77-metre Contessa 26. And, in what may have been a first in composite yacht design, the Euros 39 was ketch-rigged.
It set the yard on a course that even a major fire in 1968, burning the ARPIN sheds to the ground, could do little to alter – a love affair with twin-masters. A 16-metre called the Meltem followed in 1974, then a 15.82-metre called the Mango and the 11.95-metre Sharki in 1979.
Besides the rig, all these boats shared a deep, protected central cockpit with the wheel by the companionway tucked behind a broad doghouse/hardtop structure.
It revolutionised the helm position and freed up the space aft for a superbly comfortable master cabin with full standing headroom and an all-round view of the sea.
Some 51 Mangos were built and even now, 40 years on, a well-kept example can fetch up to AU$400,000.
Amel continued to design and build sloops during this period, but the momentum was in favour of two masts. “For many people, an Amel boat is a ketch,” says Rioton. “With a narrow beam and narrow stern, the ketch allows you to have smaller sails and an easier way to operate them. The mizzen also helps to balance the boat.”
It all came to a head in 1988 with the launch of the Super Maramu. Similar in size to the Meltem and the Mango, this yacht was a step up in design terms. Henri Amel had by this stage appointed a CEO to run the business day-to-day, but he felt he had one last big boat in him. And so, he poured all his experience and enthusiasm into designing the ultimate bluewater cruiser – one that was safe, comfortable and easy to handle.
“The Super Maramu was to be the Captain’s last boat, and it was the boat – his apotheosis,” says Rioton. “It combined all Amel’s innovations – electric furling and reefing system for the mainsail, electric genoa furling, retractable bow thruster, electric windlass, and a huge lazarette for the dinghy.
“Below deck, the volumes allowed more storage and more room for guests, as well as more comfort, including a big freezer, dishwasher and air conditioning.”
Slight changes were made to the design in 1998, and it was rebadged the Super Maramu 2000, scooping Cruising World’s Boat of the Year award in the US. Essentially, it was the same model on sale for an incredible 17 years, with 480 boats built.
“It is certainly a strength of the Amel shipyard that we stick with the same models for longer,” Rioton says. “But the same design for 17 years? It’s not possible these days! Equally, changing every three years is not in our make-up, either.”
By the time the Super Maramu had finished its long tour of duty, there was a new CEO – Jacques Lemonnier, elected from the position of sales director.
It’s a quirk of the Amel shipyard that the company belongs to its employees, who make collegiate decisions. This dates back to the aftermath of the devastating fire of 1968, when the yard burned down.
“The Captain got a loan to rebuild and told the employees that when the loan was paid off, he’d give them the company,” explains Rioton.
“He sold his apartment and put everything he had into the business. He gave the shares to the employees so everyone was fully involved in the business, keeping just one for himself.”
Henri Amel passed away in 2005, having overseen the steady growth of the brand that carried his name. The same year, Amel launched its hugely successful 54 – the first boat not to carry the name of a wind or an island. A new 4,000-square-metre production hall soon followed, designed to accommodate the yard’s biggest model ever – the Amel 64, measuring nearly 20 metres overall.
Despite more modern lines and updated equipment, the basic DNA of the Amel ketch was strong in both these boats. They won awards and captivated customers with their safety and the simple push-button operation. Here was something more akin to the ease and convenience of a motor yacht but without the noise, fumes and waste of a big engine.
Then everything changed. At the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2017, the yard proudly debuted the first hull of a new 50-foot (15.50-metre) design with a sloop rig. Rioton insists it was business as usual because the yard had always built sloops, but it was the first since the 14-metre Santorin ceased production in 1997. “I’d explained for 20 years that the ketch was balanced – then we switched to a sloop,” says Rioton.
“But it’s not difficult to explain that a sloop can be well-balanced, too. Today, the beam goes all the way back to the stern, which means that there is no real advantage to having a mizzen. The performance and balance of the boat are amazing.”
The Amel DNA is still very much there, but it’s wrapped in a modern Berret-Racoupeau hull form with twin rudders and finished to a standard that drew praise from the European Yacht of the Year Award jury, who voted it Best Luxury Cruiser in 2018.
In just over six years, 120 of the boats have been built – an astonishing performance for a yacht that today costs upward of AU$2.2 million. “It was a little scary with the 50, but really exciting to do something new,” says Rioton. “We started with a blank sheet of paper, just thinking about what we’d heard from our customers.”
When the Amel 60 was launched two years later, it confirmed the new design. “Never say never, but I don’t think we’ll build another ketch,” says Rioton. “We’ve caught some new owners by launching a sloop.”
In line with Amel’s principle of longevity, these two outstanding models will stay in the limelight for a few years yet. But the yard is not standing still – Amel is investing heavily in modernising its facilities. “We were going to knock down one building and construct a new one,” says Rioton. “Then we thought, let’s reorganise it to be more efficient so the boatyard will be like new for another 30 years. We’ll also be able to build a few more boats each year, but this wasn’t the first thought.”
What won’t change is the quality that underpins the brand. Hulls are vacuum- infused and bulkheads are both glued and laminated for strength. “We don’t have any subcontractors; we build the furniture in- house, laminate it to the hull and so on – each element of the boat is part of the structure,” explains Rioton, who admits the brand isn’t a technical pioneer, but tried-and-tested equipment is part of what makes Amel boats so sought-after by bluewater sailors.
That, and the legendary aftersales service, says Amel’s exclusive Australian dealer, Flagstaff Marine. The Sydney-based company took the opportunity to sell the Amel brand in 2015 and has never looked back.
“Each sale is a fully guided process of option, upholstery and sail selection, with bespoke additions to every yacht,” says broker Greg Larkings. “The handover is seven days of training, sailing, docking and preparation for each owner.”
With Flagstaff’s support, Amel has become the pre-eminent bluewater sailing brand in Australia. Most clients live the dream from the moment of handover, taking delivery in La Rochelle and cruising the boat by stages into the Med or across the Atlantic and home via the Pacific.
“Amel yachts offer adventurous sailing couples the ability to sail anywhere in the world in complete luxurious comfort and with the highest level of safety,” adds Larkings. What more could you want in a bluewater cruiser?
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