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 23, 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

The shipyard produces blue-water cruising fiberglass ketches which included a popular 16 metre series branded Meltem, Mango, Super Maramu, and Amel 54, as well as smaller sloop and ketch series branded Kirk, Fango, Euros, Sharki, and Maramu. All discontinued series were designed by Henri Amel.

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 the Amel 64 flagship and the Amel 55. The design for both boats was done by Jean Berret & Olivier Racoupeau.[8][9]

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. http://www.lexpress.fr/tendances/salon-nautique-la-carte-de-l-elegance-a-la-francaise_1305302.html
  9. http://www.sailingtoday.co.uk/videos/new-amel-55-review-test/


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