Amel 55

The Amel 55 is a center-cockpit bluewater ketch built in France by Amel between 2012 and 2018. Designed by Berret-Racoupeau Yachts Design, it represents the culmination of Amel's long-established cruising philosophy: a heavily equipped, CE Class A (ocean) yacht intended to carry its owners safely and comfortably across any ocean with a minimum of fuss. It succeeded the well-regarded Amel 54 and used an entirely new mold, stretching the hull and refining the balance of the rig.

Displacing around 21,800 kg and measuring 17.3 m LOA, the 55 sits firmly in the large bluewater cruiser category. Her long waterline of nearly 15 m delivers good passage-making speed potential, while hefty displacement and moderate hull sections ensure a forgiving, easy motion at sea. The yacht carries CE Class A certification and is intended for extended offshore passages and world cruising.

The hull is built using glass-fibre composite with isophthalic resin and roving glass, laid up by hand. Below the waterline the laminate is solid GRP, while the topsides use a balsa-core sandwich for stiffness and weight saving. Internal structure relies on polyurethane omega-foam and plywood frames laminated directly to the hull, with bulkheads and furniture units similarly bonded in place. The keel is an L-shaped fin with a cast-iron bulb, and both the fin and skeg are moulded integrally with the hull. The rudder hangs on a skeg and is positioned further aft than on the Amel 54, improving helm balance. A 60 mm stainless steel rudder stock is mounted at three points for strength.

Amel's trademark solid doghouse provides a fully sheltered, seated helm position, shielding the helmsman from spray and weather. Solid stainless guardrails and substantial bulwarks run from bow to stern. Standard equipment is extraordinarily comprehensive for a production yacht, including air conditioning, a diesel generator, bow thruster, in-mast furling mainsail and roller-furling headsails, a watermaker, a washer-dryer, and a full suite of electronics. The options list is intentionally short.

The Amel 55 carries a staysail ketch rig with in-mast furling mainsail, a self-tacking staysail, and a roller-furling genoa on the foremast, plus a mizzen. Spreading the canvas across four sails means no individual sail is unmanageably large, making it feasible for a short-handed crew or a couple to handle the boat in all conditions without going forward. Total upwind sail area is approximately 151 m², and a cruising spinnaker can push that figure considerably higher downwind.

The 110 HP diesel engine, paired with a saildrive in the trailing edge of the keel fin rather than a conventional through-hull shaft, eliminates propeller walk and makes the boat straightforward to maneuver under power. The standard bow thruster further simplifies marina docking. Under sail the 55 is not a fast or exhilarating boat by modern standards — Amel's priority is a comfortable, upright motion and steady autopilot-friendly tracking on long passages rather than pace.

Below decks the Amel 55 is offered in two layout variants: a three-cabin version with forward double and two guest cabins aft, and an owner's version with a single large forward cabin replaced by a spacious aft owner's suite with its own en-suite head. Both arrangements include two heads. The saloon features a substantial wraparound dining table to port alongside generous seating, with large coachroof windows and hull ports flooding the space with natural light.

The galley is open plan and integrated into the saloon rather than isolated in a passageway, giving the cook a sociable and well-ventilated workspace. It is generously equipped with a large insulated refrigerator and freezer, ample worktop space, and extensive stowage. Throughout the interior Amel delivers a level of outfitting — dishwasher, microwave, flat-screen television, stereo, freshwater-flushing heads, and more — that leaves very little for an owner to add before casting off for a world cruise.