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2023 Boat of the Year Best Multihull: Neel 43

• By Dave Reed
• December 16, 2022

Sailing World Magazine’s  annual Boat of the Year tests are conducted in Annapolis, Maryland, following the US Sailboat Show. With independent judges exhaustively inspecting the boats on land and putting them through their paces on the water, this year’s fleet of new performance-sailing boats spanned from small dinghies to high-tech bluewater catamarans. Here’s the best of the best from our  2023 Boat of the Year nominees »

The Power of Three

• Neel 43 2023 Best Multihull
• Stated purpose: Family cruising, casual pursuit racing
• Crew: Two to four
• Praise for: Easily handling, open interior layout, overall positive sailing experience
• Est. price as sailed: $600,000

In the sea of slab-sided catamarans that make up “multihull alley” in the US Sailboat Show, there’s a homogeneity that makes it almost impossible for one cat sailing condo to stand out among the others. (Gunboat and HH Catamarans being the high-ticket exceptions.)

Unique and mixed in among them, however, is the Neel 43 trimaran. From the dock perspective, it’s a big and imposing vessel. It’s also a proven bluewater performer that’s already won its share of hardware. While previous French-built Neel performance cruising tris have been overlooked by the racing set, that’s starting to change, as are opinions of multihulls. Ask the Texans in Galveston how many performance cruising multis are now doing their annual Harvest Moon Regatta—more than ever. And the Caribbean Multihull Challenge in St. Martin? It’s growing bigger by the year, and that’s because boats like the Neel 43 can be one heck of a ride and capable of being first to finish in a coastal overnighter.

“What surprised me is how much it sailed upwind like a monohull,” Allen says. “When you start flying the weather hull—when it’s just skimming the surface—the boat takes off. We didn’t have a ton of breeze for the test sail, but it was easy to see how you could really cover some ground with the right sail combination. I could see this boat being easily raced point-to-point by two people. With four crew on a coastal race, it would be a blast—go around the island and then park the thing and have a great night.”

Neel-Trimarans, explains Alex Sastre, the North American agent, was founded 20 years ago by Eric Brunel, founder of catamaran giant Fountaine Pajot. Neel now builds nearly 200 boats per year at its facilities in La Rochelle, France, and it’ll build plenty of these entry-level cruising tris.

The boat’s overall interior concept is to have one large and connected living space, visible from hull to hull. Step through the main salon sliding door and the living quarters are all right there before you with a near panoramic view. There’s an owners cabin in one hull, a guest cabin in the other, and a sunken V-berth forward. The layout is a striking change from similar-size catamarans, where cabins are down and low in the hulls. On the Neel 43, there’s a feeling of inclusion, like a loft apartment. It’s not necessarily better or worse in terms of owner privacy, the judges say. It’s just different. What the trimaran’s large center hull provides is a giant mechanical room below. Open a hatch and climb down a short ladder to an airy and brightly illuminated space with all the boat systems accessible.

The boat is primarily intended for family cruising, Sastre says, but it’s ultimately for a sailor who appreciates performance. “When you trim in the sails, the boat lurches forward,” he says, thrusting his hips forward, “like whoosh! It takes off!

“With four on a long-­distance race, it would be a blast [to] go around the island and then park the thing on a mooring and have a great night.” —Chuck Allen

“A trimaran,” he adds, “is more stable than a catamaran and is faster than a catamaran, so sailing this boat is a lot of fun because helming it gives a feeling of great sensation. With the keel, mast and rudder on the center hull, trimming the amas is like a balancing act. It doesn’t heel too much, and it’s very stable. This is a platform for adventure.”

“It was the least multihull-like of all the multihulls we sailed,” Powlison says. “It handled like a monohull, and the third hull really makes a difference in being able turn the boat easily without stalling.”

The boat is an impressive build of vinylester and foam core, with nearly the entire hull built off with one mold. Neel touts use of eco-friendly and recyclable materials, and even cork is used as coring in some interior elements. Solar panels on the roof power the fridge and electronics.

With a displacement of nearly 9 tons, there’s a lot of boat that spans 24 feet at maximum beam. Looking bow on, it’s a formidable-looking craft that glides quietly across the water when there’s all of 1,100 square feet of upwind sail area on the carbon rig. With its roller-furling gennaker deployed, the boat really lights up, as it should, Allen says.

The single helm is up high to starboard with good visibility, the judges note, with all the reef and control lines spilling into the helm area and into sheet bags.

The Dyneema cable steering, Stewart says, was very responsive: “This is Hull No. 25, which is a good indication they’ve hit it right with the type of owner drawn to this type of boat. It definitely meets its purpose and does what it is supposed to. It’s stable and powerful, and accelerated well, even with the small jib. It felt far more nimble than other big multihulls we’ve sailed in the past. The way that it tacked easily is a really appealing trait for the type of racing an owner can do, like in the Caribbean, where the races are around islands and there can be a fair bit of tacking.”

First around the island means the first ­relaxing, and that’s what the Neel 43 is designed to do.

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Neel 52 trimaran review

• Rupert Holmes
• December 22, 2023

Neel broke ground with its cruising trimarans a decade ago. So what’s changed with its new 50+ footer, the Neel 52?

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

We’re beating out of the approach channel to La Rochelle in 8-10 knots of true wind, with some tacks as short as 90 seconds. The yacht is tacking cleanly and accelerating willingly afterwards, underlining how manoeuvrable it can be in skilled hands. Yet this isn’t a lightweight monohull – it’s a 52ft semi flybridge multihull weighing more than 13 tonnes, the Neel 52.

The first generation of Neel trimarans, including the Neel 51 launched in 2017, set a new standard in combining handling that echoes that of a monohull with accommodation of a scale that can only be found on a multihull. The concept of the Neel 52 remains the same, using the hulls of a fast racing trimaran with narrow waterline beam, as a platform for expansive four- to six-cabin accommodation.

On paper there’s no significant difference in the key dimensions of each boat, but that conceals a number of important changes. An example for this market is a much improved owners’ cabin which now occupies part of the bridgedeck and can also include the entire starboard ama.

There’s also a big difference in how the new boat handles. Offshore racing multihulls are designed to optimise straight line speed, but that’s rarely the key priority for cruising yachts. As a result the shape of the main hulls and amas of this new Lombard design are very different to those of the Joubert-Nivel-designed Neel 51 it replaces (42 built).

In particular the forward sections have a very shallow forefoot compared to the old model, where maximum waterline length was a key priority. The change improves manoeuvrability and is an important factor behind the ease with which our boat tacked in the conditions we experienced for our test. The Neel 52 is also lighter, with improved balance thanks to a mast (and engine room) further aft and a larger jib.

Most sail handling operations, except using spinnakers and furling the headsails, can be carried out single-handedly from the helm station. Photo: Rupert Holmes

On the helm

Close-hauled in more open water, with the true breeze still predominately between 8-10 knots, we consistently made just over seven knots of boat speed at a true wind angle of 60°-65°. In these conditions there’s very little heel – just enough for the windward ama to skim above the water and markedly reduce wetted surface area.

Steering is via Dyneema cables, which gives a more direct response than many alternatives, though the boat’s heavier on the helm than a well set up monohull, with a less precise feel. Nevertheless it’s still good by the standards of many cruising catamarans.

The standard Neel 52 sail plan includes a square top mainsail, slightly overlapping headsail of around 120% and staysail. Our test boat also had a very flexible 150m2 furling gennaker that can be used for reaching in 10 knots of true wind or less and broad-reaching in winds well above 20 knots. Neel also offers a larger asymmetric spinnaker as an option, as well as a marginally taller carbon rig with higher-spec Hydranet sails.

All lines, except spinnaker sheets and furling lines, are led to three electric winches at the helm station. Separate luff and leech pennants for all three mainsail reefs help tame the sail quickly. There is, however, lots of rope in this area and insufficient rope bins to handle it.

The flexible gennaker on our test boat can be used for reaching in up to 10 knots of wind and at 140° TWA in well over 20 knots

Downwind and reaching sails sheet to the back of the amas, while genoa and staysail furling lines are led to the aft end of the starboard ama. This arrangement for the furling lines greatly reduces friction compared to the convoluted route they would have to take to lead to the helm station, but means furling these sails isn’t an easy single-person operation.

With the true wind building to 10-11 knots and puffs to 13 we consistently made speeds of around 9 knots, with occasional bursts just into double figures when reaching at 110°-120° TWA, with the gennaker and staysail set. This was easy sailing at speeds that will quickly gobble up the miles when on passage.

Visibility from the Neel 52 helm station is excellent on port tack, but there’s a big blind spot on starboard – you need to descend four steps to see under the jib or gennaker. A semi flybridge above the hard top, with space for up to eight people, includes generous sunbeds. This is right next to the helm/winch station, so communication between the two is easy and, unlike many multihulls, it doesn’t feel as though the helmsman is isolated from everyone else on board.

You have to be sure guests are sitting before tacks and gybes, when hoisting and dousing the mainsail, and when reefing on port tack. There’s a bimini for sunshade over the helm area, with a clear overhead panel for sail trim, but no provision for sun protection over the flybridge area, though the hardtop over the main aft cockpit gives plenty of shade.

A key selling point for Neel is offering a very refreshing change to the familiar layouts of cruising multihulls of similar length, and the Neel 52’s arrangement feels generally bright, welcoming and innovative.

The saloon adjoins the cockpit, however you need to stoop to see out of forward windows. Master cabin is to starboard but you need to draw blinds for privacy

Neel 52 – bridgedeck cabin

The older Neel 51 benefitted from Neel’s trademark bridgedeck level cabin, which gives a fantastic view out almost all round the boat when you wake up. This comes at the expense of some privacy, though, which is largely solved by closing the window blinds in the bulkhead that separates the cabin from the saloon. But this space was small compared to typical catamarans owners’ cabins.

Owners with guests will still need to close the blinds on the main bridgedeck cabin on the Neel 52, but this now links to the whole of the starboard ama. This is a private area with a desk/dressing table and a generous amount of stowage in hanging and shelved lockers. Ventilation is provided by several overhead hatches and there’s a long hull window above the desk which provides plenty of natural light.

The mid part of the owner’s ama has a heads with a separate shower stall, while further forward is an additional space that was left fairly open in our test boat, with the exception of a washer/dryer. This area has obvious potential for much more stowage, or even a workbench.

Large and well appointed galley.

The aft cockpit under the hardtop is relatively small, but this doesn’t feel important since this space fully opens up onto an expansive saloon, with the interior and exterior tables together forming a dining table that can be extended almost seamlessly to just over 3m in length.

Ahead of the saloon area is a large navstation with a double seat and a good view forward, to port and aft. However, the bridgedeck owner’s cabin creates a large blind spot on the starboard quarter and there is no hatch above to view the mainsail.

All layout options have a large and well equipped galley forward on the starboard side of the saloon. There’s acres of worktop space, a four-burner gas hob plus oven, large refrigeration and freezer capacity, plus a slimline dishwasher. Stowage is in 17 lockers both under the counter and at eye level. The saloon has two opening panels in the front windscreen for natural ventilation, plus a small opening hatch over the cooker.

In four-cabin boats steps lead down to a double cabin in the port ama, with a large double berth aft, above which is a long hull window that gives a great view out. Stowage here is primarily in a small hanging locker, plus empty space under the berth that can be used for easy access to kit bags. Forward of this are heads and shower compartments mirroring those of the starboard ama, and further forward a space similar to that with the washing machine on the starboard side.

Bridgedeck level owner’s cabin.

Alternatively the port ama can be fitted out as two doubles that share a central head/shower compartment. This option is also available in the starboard ama for six-cabin charter specification boats. These also gain additional saloon and dining space on the bridgedeck as there’s no owner’s cabin at that level.

Seven steps at the front of the saloon descend into a further double cabin in the centre of the main hull, under the solid bridge deck. There’s plenty of space, but natural light and ventilation are restricted, with the former coming solely from the two escape hatches. There’s stowage plus a heads compartment (without shower) shared with a forward cabin at the front of the main hull.

On the test Neel 52 this is fitted out as a Pullman-style cabin with bunkbeds. Crew cabins, each with a single berth and head/shower, can also be specified at the aft end of each ama.

Owner’s hull space in starboard ama

On the downside, some elements of the interior have hard edges in places that may not wear as well as rounded corners. And traditionalists won’t be impressed by the inside of lockers which have a similar feel to mass market home furniture.

Neel’s trademark full height technical area with engine and systems is restricted to the back of this model. Nevertheless, it remains a well laid out and useful space that will make maintenance and repair easier than on many yachts. Unlike cruising catamarans, Neels have only a single engine in the main hull, so a bow thruster is fitted as standard. A stern thruster is offered as an option that can make Mediterranean-style mooring a lot easier.

Deck stowage includes large lockers that can accommodate sails, fenders and watersports toys, while the tender rests on purpose made chocks at the aft end of the main hull. It’s lifted using a line from the end of the boom – a simple arrangement that avoids the weight, complication and cost of davits. Access to the water is from the extended bathing platforms on the aft end of each ama and the transom of the main hull.

Our test Neel 52 was set up with just under 2kW of solar panels on the coachroof. Neel says this is almost enough for complete autonomy while cruising when combined with the boat’s lithium iron phosphate battery bank, though as standard 625Ah of 12V AGM batteries are fitted.

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There’s much to like about this boat for anyone who needs the accommodation volume offered, or is seduced by the appeal of Manhattan-style loft living. The Neel 52 also offers a big advantage over its predecessor thanks to the reconfigured owner’s suite with immensely more space. Speeds under sail are unlikely to differ noticeably to the 51, which already had potential for very quick passages when reaching, although upwind and downwind VMG for both models is less impressive, other than downwind in a blow. However, the way the new boat behaves under sail gives it a feel closer to that of a cruising monohull. More importantly for this part of the market, the 52 is easy to handle, with few operations requiring more than one person on deck. These factors, combined with the various layout options, boost this yacht’s appeal and by the time the prototype had been in commission for three weeks, delivery schedules were already stretching into early 2026, with 26 boats sold.

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How do you judge the success of an ocean cruising yacht? You can tell a lot from where you see them and where you don’t. It’s also instructive to look at the builder’s order book. If you buy one now, how long will you have to wait for delivery? Another indicator is how well (or poorly) they hold their value on the secondhand market. By any of these measures, Neel Trimarans is absolutely nailing it.

You’ll often see Neel tris anchored in remote parts of the Hebrides and far-flung atolls of the South Pacific but they’re rarely seen in crowded, mainstream cruising destinations like the Ionian, the Virgin Islands or the Solent. Depending on which model of Neel tri you want, you’ll probably have to wait at least eight months and possibly up to two years. And a survey of brokerage websites suggests that there isn’t a great deal of difference between the asking price of a two-year-old Neel and the cost of a new one.

Despite the disruptions of the Covid pandemic, the La Rochellebased shipyard is still steadily growing. ‘We built about 30 boats last year,’ says Neel founder Eric Bruneel, ‘and this year we expect to build 45 to 50.’ The latest, smallest model, the Neel 43, is coming off the production line at a rate of one boat every two weeks and demand is still outstripping supply.

That said, due to the shipyard’s recently increased capacity, now is a good time to order a new Neel as the waiting list, at the time of writing, is shorter than it’s been in years.

Neel’s new Leen power tri have the same core values, and designer Bernard Nivelt owns one…

Neel is one of just a few brands that have carefully positioned themselves between these two extremes. ‘Where other multihulls have to choose between performance and comfort, a Neel combines both,’ says Charline Picon, an Olympic gold medallist the the RS-X class, who knows a thing or two about performance and is Godmother of the Neel 51. ‘We’re definitely performance-oriented but it’s absolutely not about racing,’ says Eric Bruneel, pointing out that while his yachts have performed very well indeed in ocean passage events like the ARC and ARC+, these are competitive cruising rallies rather than races.

Bruneel has a strong personal racing pedigree, having won his class in the 2004 OSTAR and 2005 Fastnet aboard the 50ft Trilogic, which he built himself, plus a second place in the 2006 Route du Rhum and various exploits in bleeding-edge C Class cats. He also has a lifetime of experience at the forefront of multihull production with 27 years at Fountaine-Pajot, including 10 years as managing director, before he left to found his own shipyard. In the decade since the first Neel trimaran sailed out of La Rochelle’s historic harbour, his boats have earned widespread respect among experienced ocean sailors.

So why choose a tri? There are several reasons why three hulls are better than two, especially if you’re sailing offshore. First and foremost: weight distribution, which is far more important in a multihull than a monohull. The central hull of a trimaran is the ideal place to put all the heavy stuff, Bruneel explains, and having a single engine amidships is much better for stability than twin engines at the aft ends of two hulls. ‘It changes everything, all the dynamics – like a skater in a spin, moving her arms in and out to control her speed,’ he says. ‘Catamarans have to carry weight in all four corners and that’s why the motion of a trimaran is better, much softer, at sea.’ The pitching motion is less pronounced when sailing closehauled and on a beam reach there’s less of a tendency for the boat to rock back and forth from hull to hull.

Another advantage is better performance in light airs, Bruneel says, which directly translates to more enjoyment for the owner and crew. The combined wetted surface of a trimaran’s main hull and one float is smaller than the wetted area of a cat with both of its hulls still immersed, and the trimaran is designed to sail with a small amount of heel, rather than bolt upright, which helps the sails hold their shape in very light winds. Also, a single rudder with a simple direct linkage gives a better ‘feel’ to the helm than a twin-rudder setup, particularly upwind, and saves weight in the stern where it has a significant effect on the boat’s fore-and- aft pitching motion.

The front end of a Neel 65’s bridgedeck has two separate lounge seating areas, either side of the yacht’s main nav station.

Neel’s ‘cockloon’, an original concept by Michel Joubert, turns the saloon and cockpit into a single indoor/outdoor space.

One of the Neel tris’ most useful characteristics is the ability to sail deeper angles downwind than most multihulls

Other key features include a cutter-rigged mast stepped amidships (long before it became fashionable to bring the mast step aft) with a big genoa and a working jib with a much lower centre of effort than the part-furled genoa of a sloop-rigged yacht; plenty of lateral resistance to ensure good upwind VMG – equivalent to a monohull racer-cruiser of similar length in almost any conditions – without needing a daggerboard; and the ability to sail efficiently downwind at deeper angles than most other cruising multihulls can manage, which is a distinct advantage for trade wind sailing.

Exotic materials are used only sparingly in the boats’ construction, for good reason. ‘We use unidirectional carbon only in crucial places like the beams and deck,’ Bruneel explains. ‘For long-distance cruising you don’t want carbon in the hulls because even a small hit can do a lot of damage to the boat, and we don’t need it because our boats are light enough without it.’ A carbon rig with square-top mainsail is available, which gives better performance than the standard alloy rig in light airs, but Bruneel says that in most conditions there isn’t much difference between the two rigs.

Almost all part of the boats, even the interiors, are vacuum-infused GRP foam sandwich using materials that can easily be recycled when the boat eventually reaches the end of its life. Social aspects of sustainability are taken equally seriously and the gender pay gap within the shipyard is actually tilted in favour of female employees. Environmental concerns are paramount even in the new range of Leen motor yachts. ‘I couldn’t ignore that even if I wanted to,’ Bruneel says. ‘My design engineers would simply refuse to produce a dirty boat.’

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Neel 43 review: re-birth of the cruising trimaran

• David Harding
• June 23, 2023

If you’re torn between the performance of a trimaran and the accommodation of a cruising cat, the Neel 43 might offer a solution, says David Harding

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

For anyone who doesn’t follow the world of multihulls , it might be easy to imagine that catamarans are for cruising and trimarans are for racing. After all, two hulls offer vast potential for living space, both inside and out.

Many cats have expanded in all directions to take full advantage of that, becoming high, wide and, some might think, not particularly elegant. Trimarans, on the other hand, are the light, spindly ones that fly around at high speed while giving you no accommodation. Right?

So you might think. After all, that’s how things were once upon a time. My father used to describe the typical cruising cats of the day as ‘Dutch barns.’ Our own family cruiser when I was growing up was one of John Westell’s ‘swing-wing’ Ocean Bird 30ft trimarans. When we sold it, the new owner invited me to help him sail it to the Caribbean – so we did.

In those days the Ocean Bird was one of relatively few cruising tris, following those from the 1950s and 1960s by multihull pioneers such as Arthur Piver. Then there was Norman Cross who, like Piver, designed many of his tris with solid wings (decks between the floats and the main hull), allowing full-width accommodation out to the floats.

Since those early years of the production cruising trimaran, when three hulls helped to establish the names of Derek Kelsall, John Shuttleworth, Walter Green, Lock Crowther and Dick Newick among others, solid wings have largely disappeared.

Racing trimarans have beams (akas) joining their slim hulls, while some of the later-generation multi-purpose tris designed with marina berthing (or trailing) in mind have had floats that fold in – just as the Ocean Bird did in the late 1960s. A few had solid wings combined with folding floats, such as Tony Smith’s Telstar 26 from the 1970s.

Sail controls are led to a pair of winches at the helm. Photo: David Harding

Two hulls or three?

For all the twists and turns in the evolution of the trimaran, it’s the catamaran that has managed more successfully to adapt to the differing needs of cruising and racing sailors. Some cats only have beams and trampolines between the hulls. Others could easily accommodate a sauna, a gym and several four-poster beds.

At mainstream boat shows we mostly see the cruising and charter cats – all that deck and living space is a charter-operator’s dream – but there are plenty of alternatives, such as the Dazcats, Rapiers, Gunboats, Outremers and Schionnings, for example, that place the emphasis firmly on performance.

This brief dash through multihull history leaves us with one big question: what happened to the solid-wing trimaran? Didn’t Nigel Tetley actually complete his solo circumnavigation in the 1968 Golden Globe race in just such a boat? Yes he did, just as Donald Crowhust didn’t (not the boat’s fault), but some things are too readily forgotten.

So why is it that most trimarans designed in the past 30 years have limited their accommodation to the main hull? Unless marina-berthing is a constraint, why not extend it between the hulls as on a catamaran?

Offset well to starboard, the helm station leaves the enormous cockpit space clear for non-working crew. Photo: David Harding

Cross and Piver were among the designers who did exactly that, and many of their creations are still sailing. In the Canaries before setting off across the Atlantic on the Ocean Bird we became friendly with an American family on a Cross 46, and very spacious it was too. We also met Geoff Pack, long before he became editor of Yachting Monthly, on his 30ft Wharram cat. We were all heading west.

This background, together with a fair few miles sailed on a whole host of cruising and racing multihulls, meant that I was more than a little interested when Neel trimarans started to appear from a factory in La Rochelle about 14 years ago. Here was a modern-day, solid-wing trimaran with full-width accommodation that took on the big cats and, in some ways, beat them at their own game.

A hatch in the bow gives access to the anchor locker. Photo: David Harding

Of course, how you see a trimaran in relation to a cat depends on a multitude of factors, but Neel is keen to point out some of the tri’s virtues.

One is that a trimaran feels more like a monohull in many respects, most of the weight being carried by the centre hull. The Neel’s hull is rockered and, with its single low aspect-ratio (LAR) keel (as opposed to a keel or daggerboard on each hull with a cat), it’s easier to tack. The floats are only lightly immersed at rest, so as soon as the boat starts sailing in any breeze the windward hull lifts clear of the water to minimise wetted area.

A single rudder should give a more direct feel to the helm, addressing one of the monohull sailor’s common gripes about catamarans in the form of a rather muted feel. Then there’s rig tension: it’s easier to achieve in a trimaran because the forestay is anchored to the bow of the main hull.

The right moment

On the issue of stability, catamaran enthusiasts will sometimes cite research showing that, in extremis, the twin-hulled form is more likely to see you through severe conditions than a monohull or a trimaran. Neel’s argument is that a catamaran achieves its maximum righting moment at about 12° of heel, beyond which it reduces rapidly. A trimaran like the Neel, by contrast, heels more progressively and reaches its maximum righting moment at closer to 30°, giving you more warning before it becomes over-pressed.

In addition to this, the concentration of weight in the centre hull should contribute to stability as well as reduced pitching, while the greater beam and the closer relative positions of the centre of gravity and centre of buoyancy should make for a smoother motion in a beam sea.

Arguments about the relative pros and cons of trimarans and catamarans will often be batted back and forth. So many people have or have had a foot in both camps. Eric Bruneel, the man behind Neel trimarans, used to work with Fountaine Pajot (catamarans). Multihull designers are often known for both cats and tris. MI Cats, the UK dealers for Neel, are also Fountaine Pajot dealers.

Few builders, sailors or designers of multihulls would unequivocally support two hulls while dismissing three, or vice versa.

As for the 43 itself, it’s a big, wide boat, with a beam that’s about 2ft (0.6m) greater than that of a typical catamaran of the same length. Nonetheless, at 9 tonnes it’s surprisingly light. You can see why by looking below decks: it’s fitted out very simply, with just enough in the way of trim and furnishings to stop it feeling too stark.

A reef in the main and a couple of rolls in the headsail balanced the boat nicely and led to a light and responsive helm. Photo: David Harding

You feel the power-to-weight ratio when you’re sailing. I headed out with MI Cats’ demonstrator on a brisk autumn day with the breeze hovering around 20 knots much of the time, and the boat didn’t hang about.

I had recently spoken with some friends who had been skippering and managing a new Neel 51 for the owner having taken delivery from the yard. They said it was very sensitive to sail balance, so it was interesting to find that the 43 was pretty tolerant on the whole. We sailed with one slab in the main and a couple of rolls in the jib, and it was fine. Some weather helm became apparent before the jib was sheeted in as we came out of a tack. Then we accelerated rapidly and would carry on almost in a straight line if I let go of the wheel, just a reassuring touch of weather helm remaining.

True to Neel’s promise, the helm is indeed direct and responsive, and the boat tacks positively. You really can enjoy sailing this boat for sailing’s sake. That, in my experience, is more than can be said for many cruising cats.

The saloon gives a nearly 360º view of the outside world. Photo: David Harding

In the relatively flat water of the Solent the log showed us clocking up to 10 knots upwind on starboard tack at about 60° to the true wind and, most of the time, closer to 8.5 knots on port with a true wind angle (TWA) of around 45°. Some calibration of instruments was probably needed.

In any event, our tacking angle of around 100-110° by the compass tallied with the TWA readings, even if the angles were offset.

Smooth sailing

Once the tide started to ebb, running against the wind, the water chopped up a little but our motion remained remarkably smooth. The main factors to be mindful of are keeping a lookout under the headsail on starboard tack – the helm station being on the starboard side – and handling the headsail sheets on the single Antal 48 winch (electric on our test boat), That’s more of a challenge if you choose to back the headsail during a tack. The chances are you will rarely need to.

Cracking off a few degrees took us up to around 12 knots. Like many multihulls, this one will get you around pretty quickly when it comes to ‘straight-line’ sailing, even if a performance monohull might have the edge upwind. That said, taking the trouble to sheet the headsail in fairly hard to narrow the sheeting angle made a difference to our VMG.

ABOVE: A simple linear galley to starboard adjoins the owner’s cabin outboard. Gimbals are not needed for the hob or oven as they would be on a monohull. Photo: David Harding

Performance could be enhanced by some additions, such as headsail tracks. Fixed thimbles give no adjustment for twist and could lead to a slack leech when you have more than a few rolls around the headfoil. Twin mainsheets, taken to strong-points a few feet apart on the stern, give some control over mainsail twist until the wind comes aft. Strong-points along the gunwales would be useful for sail control and a variety of other purposes. All the basics are fitted; nothing more.

At the helm station you’re well away from the cockpit, so non-working crew can spread out under the hard-top around the large table. You have big lockers aft in each hull, but little in the way of small stowage and nothing under the seats in the cockpit or the saloon. That seems a waste of space.

Double cabins each side in the floats are separated from the saloon by windows with curtains or blinds, although the cabin to port is not fitted with a door. Photo: David Harding

More large stowage areas are forward in each float, reached by hatches in the deck. They’re big enough to be used as cabins, separate from the main accommodation. Each of the three bows has a collision bulkhead and this, combined with the foam-cored (and resin-infused) construction should give the Neel a good chance of staying afloat if you hit anything. The literature says these features ‘guarantee that the craft is unsinkable.’

A few details on deck are worthy of note, such as the Dyneema guardwires – far more practical than the plastic-covered stainless wire that used to be the norm. Otherwise it’s all about simple sailing and loads of space.

Inside and out

Neel use the word ‘cockloon’ to describe a cockpit and saloon that merge into each other. They’re separated by sliding doors which, when fully open, create an almost seamless inside/outside living space.

In the saloon, as elsewhere, you’re greeted by a lot of shiny moulded surfaces that simplify production and save the weight of more elaborate trim. Additional joinery units are on the extras list.

On the wind the Neel clocked up to 10 knots. Photo: David Harding

You have a table to port and a nav area forward of it with a view through about 300°, obscured to starboard only by the heads and the door to the owner’s cabin that extends into the starboard float.

A second double cabin is in the port float, this time with no door. Both wing cabins have windows to the saloon, making it light and giving that nearly-all-round view. Curtains or blinds can be used for privacy when the cabins are occupied. Cabin No.3 is in the bow, down a level from the saloon and with a slightly narrower bunk.

One space that’s particularly useful on the Neel is below the sole of the saloon. Drop down through the hatch and you find the utility area running most of the length of the main hull. Aft is the engine – a 50hp Volvo that gives nearly nine knots at full tilt and a comfortable 7-plus knots at cruising speeds. All-round access is pretty well unrestricted. Down here you also find the tankage and electrics, all neatly laid out and easy to reach.

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vIt seems strange that the solid-wing (solid-deck) trimaran has taken so long to reappear in the mainstream. The success of the Neels, from the 43 up to the truly massive 65, suggests that the world has been ready for something like this for a while. Like a cruising catamaran, the Neel offers a lot room. Just don’t fill it with too much heavy kit or you will lose the fizz-factor under sail. It would be interesting to see how the 43 performs in a seaway, and good to have a little more scope for sail-tweaking, which the yard might be persuaded to discuss if you started waving a cheque book. On the basis of what I experienced, this could be an excellent alternative to a high-volume cruising cat or a low-volume performance tri if you want some of the best features of each.

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NEEL Trimarans just celebrated their 10 year birthday and they have already launched over 100 multihulls. They have one more international awards and transatlantic races than many other builders in this short period of time.

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Neel 65 Review

In this review topRik's expert team shares their experience of exploring the largest three-hull sailboat made by Neel Trimarans . You can also check out the additional reviews from sailing journalists who have tested the Neel 65 in various weather conditions. As always - a lot of photos and enough videos to appreciate the trimaran in motion and on board.

• FEATURES OF NEEL 65

At the Transom

Going into the cockpit, ending up in the cockloon, at the flybridge.

• ADVANTAGES OF NEEL 65
• REVIEWS OF NEEL 65 FROM PROFESSIONALS
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In 2019 at Cannes Yachting Festival Neel Trimarans presented two innovative models at once - Neel 47 and Neel 65 Evolution trimarans. The Neel Trimarans shipyard, based in La Rochelle, at the time of the launch of the first hull of its almost 20-meter flagship, had already successfully sold fifteen Neel 45 trimarans. Inspired by this success, the shipyard decided to expand the size range of its sailing trimarans, and later, as we have already told, the factory for the production of motor trimarans, Leen Trimarans , emerged from it. This suggests that the time when the first Neel’s trimarans were perceived as an exotic purchase has already passed.

If Neel's smaller three-hull sailboats were geared towards performance, which has been proven in practice, the same cannot be said for the Neel 65. It’s obvious at the first glance at this colossus...

As though the shipyard defined the style of this cruising trimaran as "Sport-Chic", topRik's experts questioned the accuracy of this definition when they first saw the trimaran at Cannes Yachting Festival, expressing the opinion: “Chic - maybe, but Sport - hardly”.

Well, judge for yourself what kind of sailing we can talk about if the displacement of a sailboat even at half load is 22.5 tons. Although in fairness it should be said that even standard sailing equipment impresses non-glamorous yachtsmen: a full battened mainsail with 374 m² total, furling genoa - 305 m², the automatic staysail - 130 m² and gennaker - 525 m². Add to this the optional carbon fiber mast and other options from the Performance version that allow you to reduce the weight of the yacht by a ton, and maybe you can not only move this monster, but also feel the wind in your hair under sail.

Looking ahead, the topRik team managed to do both, and quite easily. We believe that for a cruising three-level sailing trimaran, an average sail speed of 9-10 knots is more than a brilliant result, which we honestly did not expect, as well as ease of handling. This is such a deceptive first impression.

We can safely say that the Neel 65 Evolution has retained all the main features of Neel's DNA. We remind you that almost all representatives of this line are nominees or winners of various yacht competitions in their category.

Features of Neel 65

• Brand: Neel Trimarans
• Hull type: Trimaran
• Overall length, m: 19.81
• Width, m: 12.03
• Draft, m: 1.79
• Displacement, t: 22.5
• Air draft, m: 27
• Water tanks, l: 1195
• Exterior design (Architect): Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group
• CE Certification: ICNN
• Mainsail type: Fully battened
• Jib type: Furling genoa
• Mainsail area, m²: 374
• Jib area, m²: 304.8
• Self-tacking, furling staysail, m²: 131
• Engine, hp: Diesel, 150
• Fuel tanks, l: 1195

Review of Neel 65 Trimaran by TopRik Team

Cannes Yachting Festival 2019 impressed with its record number of world premieres. If you notice, then many reviews of popular yachts by topRik team starts from this festival. From the photo below, you can get an impression of how difficult it was for our experts to select candidates for our SimpleSail fleet. But the new sailing trimaran Neel 65 Evolution did not get lost in this diversity from the exacting eyes of our reviewers.

We already described TopRik team's first impressions of the Neel 65, so for now we'll just go to the transom of this trimaran and begin our usual path, and will keep progressing in the study of the proposed boats from there. We invite you to join us...

Is this spectacle really confusing? Ladder to the deck - only from the platform of the central hull? Of course, here you can make a descent into the water for swimming, but isn't this design taking up too much space? And where to place the boat considering that the davits are not even provided? Yes, and the stern of amas could be used more rationally, it seems.

The rationality is not easy to recognize as you keep looking at the Neel 65 transom, but it’s there! That’s actually what the rational use of volumes looks like in the decision of the naval architects and designers developing the Neel 65. Three in one: a cockpit ladder, a bathing platform and a garage for a boat.

But that's not all. The amas also has huge spaces aft that can be used for kayaks and other board-shaped swimming aids, as well as for any water toys needed for cruising or more unitary accessories such as fenders or life-saving equipment. You just need to open the lid of these roomy lockers.

And now let's lower the ladder to the central hull and climb it into the cockpit.

What we used to call a cockpit on a monohull sailboat or catamaran is just the beginning of the vast space of the Neel 65 trimaran, for which the developers have come up with a new term - cockloon. This term combines several areas that are on the same level of the loft-style deck - the cockpit and saloon, which, in turn, includes the owner's cabin, one of the helm stations and a huge galley. Don't we use the term "huge" too often? Of course, we do - it's Neel 65 Evolution after all...

The beginning of this cockloon looks impressive, it is a great seating area in itself with huge sun loungers on either side.

It's also a great place to dine al fresco with a large table, L-shaped roomy sofa and a mini galley with grill and sink. Pay attention to how freely you can stay and move around here. But the lack of handrails on the gangway leading to the flybridge should be considered as a disadvantage, which was immediately noticed by the expert of the topRik team, who tested safety on board the boats.

But in order to go through the entire cockloon, you do not need a ladder - this entire area is on the same level as the cockpit.

A huge (again!) sliding structure opens the way to the main residence of the owner of the trimaran, if we are talking about the owner’s version. Everything that is located at the level of the deck in the loft style is given to this lucky one in sole and unconditional rule. Sure, everything that is located on all three levels of the trimaran belongs to him, but the main apartment can be found at the middle level.

On the starboard side of the entrance you have your dining area. It includes a large table that can be transformed into a dining or coffee table, an L-shaped sofa that can be complemented with pouffes if needed.

Behind the sliding window you get a spacious, well-equipped galley.

Based on our own experience of cooking on board, it is a well-thought-out solution: the kitchen fuss is hidden from the eyes of diners, smells do not spread throughout the yacht. Ventilation is carried out through the opening porthole. The galley has all the kitchen equipment needed, including stove, refrigerator, freezer, oven, sink with fresh and sea water supply, etc. There is enough space for storing kitchen utensils: in addition to floor cabinets, there are also cabinets under the ceiling.

Let's continue moving along cockloon. From the dining area there is a view of the control station in the center, and a seating area to the right of the chart table with a coffee table, a soft sofa and a chest of drawers for storing personal items. In the dining area you can also find many lockers. A large TV screen is a great addition to the possible entertainment on board.

A full-fledged chart table is equipped with all the necessary navigational devices, communications and indicators. Here the skipper can lay out a route, monitor the movement, display maps of the water area using a chartplotter, and also control the operation of all trimaran equipment by checking the indicators displayed on the navigator's panel. With the help of the autopilot, the skipper can control traffic from here without having to go up to the control stations on the flybridge.

On both sides of the navigation table and the recreation area, a descent opens into the cabins located in the buildings. There you can accommodate crew members, relatives or guests of the owner, as well as passengers if the trimaran is purchased by a charter company. In the forepeak of the central building there is also the possibility of setting up a double bed.

But before descending into the hulls, let's first examine the master cabin, because it is located on the same level, right behind the navigation post.

A large island bed with easy access is "facing" the porthole. Falling asleep and waking up, you can admire the fabulous sea sunsets and sunrises, and if this spectacle gets boring, lower the blinds. In addition to natural lighting, natural ventilation is also available to the inhabitants of this cabin.

Since the cabin is very spacious, here you will find plenty of storage space for clothes and all those things without which the cruise will not be comfortable enough for you. Large wardrobes for storing evening dresses and suits, drawers and small lockers, lots of shelves - you and your couple can not limit yourself in the selection of luggage for the cruise.

What unpleasantly surprised our expert, who check out the height of doorways and other parameters of a limited space, is the toilet room. Our 2-meter giant noted that with such a size of the trimaran, it could have more freedom, especially the shower.

After his words, we took turns entering the shower compartment and imitating the process of taking a shower - no one thought that the partitions were too small. We decided that our giant has been spoiled lately, and it's time to send him to test single-hull boats so that he remembers what a really cramped toilet room combined with a shower and a lavatory is.

And now it's time to go below deck, as we promised, to see how the cabins are located here. The trimaran we surveyed was intended for charter use, so there were double cabins in each hull as well as in the forepeak.

Remarkably, each of these cabins has its own bathroom with a shower. These cabins, of course, are not so abundantly equipped with storage space, but in everything else they are quite comfortable, including natural lighting. Bathrooms for each of these cabins are equipped with everything you need and are quite spacious.

With natural ventilation, of course, things are more problematic in these cabins for obvious reasons. When moving at high speed, water spray can even enter the open window of the master cabin, since when the trimaran rolls, the ama on the windward side lifts up in the air.

This 33 m² space makes a lasting impression when you first climb up to the flybridge. It seems that you will have to walk, walk and walk towards control posts... Is there a scooter included?

But our skipper coped without a scooter: he is simply drawn to the helm on any ship, and even more so on an unfamiliar one. As we were still examining the cabins in the hulls, our leader was already mastering the helm stations on the flybridge.

Dual helm stations are located on both sides of the mast. Here are the main winches with containers for halyards and sheets. But the working area is located so far from the relaxation area that the rest on the flybridge will not get you entangled in lines.

Another pair of winches is located behind the helmsman on both sides. It is unlikely that even an experienced skipper will manage alone with the control, when setting or changing sails, you cannot do without an assistant. Although practice has shown that our leader coped with this task – of course, he was insured by our entire team, but there was no need to interfere. As a result, we nevertheless agreed that it was better not to go out to sea on this trimaran alone. Even an inexperienced cruise partner can cope with the role of an assistant, subject to the skipper's solid practical experience.

Navigational instruments are placed on the control panel: compass, chartplotter, autopilot, thruster. Indicators of all yacht equipment, communications equipment are also displayed here, as well as gas-reverse switching levers.

The rest of the flybridge deck is used as a large sunbathing area as well as a dining area. Interestingly, the deck here has two levels, unlike the main one: the natural solarium and the dining area are both on a raised platform, which clearly separates the work and leisure areas.

Advantages of Neel 65

After conducting all the practical testing, we found two, in our opinion, significant shortcomings. The first we mentioned in the review is the lack of railings or handrails at the flybridge ladder and the general lack of them throughout the trimaran.

The second drawback is the sharp corners of almost all furniture, which reduces the level of comfortable stay on board. Given the lack of handrails, this can lead to injury to passengers and crew in strong waves and moving at high speed.

Other than that, the Neel 65 sailing trimaran retained all the advantages of Neel's DNA and at the same time became much more comfortable:

• high precision steering;
• centralized maneuvering, characterized by simplicity and ease with such significant dimensions;
• excellent balance, which the developers have achieved by centering the mass in the technical compartment located in the center of the vaka (middle hull);
• excellent indicators of seaworthiness and comfort for the crew;
• high performance for its weight even with standard package;
• increased performance in the Performance version with carbon mast, fabric standing rigging and hydrodynamic sails;
• a comfortable stay on board on a long autonomous cruise, which is provided by a single-level main deck with an owner's cabin, excellent natural light and ventilation, the ability to stock up on groceries and food for a long time.

Reviews of Neel 65 from Professionals

Here are excerpts from reviews of the Neel 65 trimaran from well-known yachting journalists from the leading yachting media. You can read their full reviews by clicking on the links to the pages of the respective websites.

The author from the Multihull World visited the trimaran production website at the shipyard in La Rochelle and together with managing director Eric Bruneel inspected the new Neel 65.

Kevin defined the Neel 65 in two words - luxury and performance. This fast cruiser is ideal not only for offshore cruising in a small company, but also for ARC rallies. Its light draft makes it ideal for the Caribbean coast.

The author of the review noted that the developers have provided a version for the owner and for charters. He described in detail the features of both versions.

The anchor chain is passed through a massive capstan, attached to the anchor on the bowsprit, and collected in a chain locker behind the ram bulkhead.

Describing the handling of the sails, Kevin noted that it is done with three Antal winches that control the main halyard and two main sheets. Hanging blocks at the end of the boom provide excellent control over the sail.

Having declared the high stability of the trimaran, the author explained that this was achieved by placing all heavy equipment and systems in the middle hull: generator, engine, water and fuel tanks, etc.

Engine power circuit allows servicing air conditioners, a watermaker and a generator.

To give the structure rigidity and reduce weight, special materials were used. The body is made of polyester with closed cell foam and PVC honeycomb sandwich. Structural integrity is also reinforced by three bulkheads in each ama.

The trimaran Neel 65 has good upwind speeds of 6 knots upwind at 40° in 10 knots and 10 knots by the wind at 150° in 15 knots using a gennaker.

Barche’s author tested the Neel 65 Evolution in La Rochelle, where the shipyard for the production of these trimarans is located.

He immediately appreciated that this 19-meter trimaran moves quickly under sail, and its smoothness exceeds that of catamarans.

Speaking about the dimensions of the yacht, Niccolò, with his usual humor, noted that comfort requires additional space.

The author confesses that he had never been on a trimaran with such cabins and was curious to know how different it was from a cat.

Niccolò was glad that the weather was suitable for his meeting with Neel 65 with a wind speed of at least 15 knots and a small wave up to 40 cm high.

The author reports that in such a wind the trimaran sailed at a speed of about 9 knots, but as soon as the wind increased to 18 knots, the Neel 65 sailed at a constant speed of at least 10 knots.

The author enjoyed the trip and admitted that he prefers the Neel 65 Evolution because the catamaran never rolls. Unlike a cat, a trimaran's windward hull is always above the water, but without a dangerous extreme.

Niccolò noted that he was disappointed with the feel of the hydraulic steering wheel, which he found to be quite stiff.

In conclusion, the author advised to avoid tacking, remembering that you are on board a large houseboat.

Video Reviews of Neel 65

In the meantime, we already got to the section in which we provide the most informative videos on Neel 65 that we could find online.

Let’s start from Neel Trimarans themselves – who else can make such an inspiring teaser:

Moving on to a more in-depth walkthrough of the trimaran:

Even longer tour around the boat, which sailing footage included:

Another high-quality review from the shipyard:

And, finally, short and sweet tour from International Multihull Boat Show 2019:

Neel 65, a very spacious three-hull sailing yacht, thanks to her design, cabin layout options and excellent seaworthiness, can successfully meet the needs of different categories of yachtsmen and entrepreneurs whose business is related to cruising. Our research has shown that Neel 65 trimaran is perfect for:

• all lovers of offshore navigation;
• those who want a vacation at sea in comfortable conditions;
• yachtsmen who do not want to lose their sailing skills, with various sailing wardrobe options available;
• lovers of a long stay away from the coast together with a significant other;
• wishing to provide their family with a comfortable and safe cruise;
• a group of yachtsmen who decided to club together in order to buy the Neel 65, as it expands the capabilities of a double-hull and even more so a single-hull vessel, and can satisfy the needs of yachtsmen with different preferences in sailing.

For the charter version, in addition to the double cabin on the main deck, there are 4 more double cabins in the hulls and forepeak. Together with the possibility to arrange a double place in the dining area of the main deck gives us 12 beds. As for the rest of the passengers, from the descriptions above and the photo you could see that the trimaran can easily accommodate up to 30 people, if you take into account all the seating on the main deck and flybridge. A great opportunity to arrange a fun party for passengers and their guests at the berth in the marina!

It is clear that such a non-standard boat will attract many who want to test its capabilities. So, renting it out is a great way to earn profit from this amazing trimaran.

Price calculator

Where to buy neel 65 trimaran at a bargain price.

The trimaran is really not the cheapest, but if you are reading these lines now, then you already know where to buy the Neel 65 at a bargain price. Just take advantage of the topRik marketplace and contact our experts. Each of them is an experienced yachtsman and will give you comprehensive advice on all issues that have arisen. In addition to free consultations after signing the contract, we undertake the following obligations:

• search for trimaran Neel 65 at a bargain price;
• negotiating with the manufacturer or reliable dealers on queuing for the purchase of a trimaran;
• sequence tracking;
• control over the layout of the trimaran in accordance with your requirements;
• registration of all necessary documentation - a contract of sale, insurance, customs clearance, etc.;
• driving the trimaran to the agreed delivery point.

You can order maintenance of Neel 65 from us for any period and for various reasons: routine inspections, seasonal preparation, winterizing for short-term or long-term storage, etc. You are guaranteed a place in our marinas upon arrival in Croatia.

If you do not have an official skipper qualification, you can take a “International Bareboat Skipper” course at SimpleSail’s yachting school , which is an official partner of IYT Worldwide. Our Bareboat Skipper qualification will allow you to automatically receive the ICC - International Certificate of Competence.

Captain Lo 21.05.2023, 20:26

You mixed up square feet with meters for the sail surface….

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Neel 47 Boat Review

• By Herb McCormick
• Updated: July 24, 2020

There’s no question that the Neel 47, designed by the ubiquitous, ­performance-oriented French naval architect Marc ­Lombard, was an outlier in this year’s Boat of the Year contest. ­After all, it was the lone trimaran in the fleet of a half-dozen multihulls, the other five being cruising catamarans. But it was also a winner, named by our judging panel the Best Full-Size Cruising Multihull for 2020 . When the votes were tallied, it truly proved to be in a class of its own.

A big reason for that was its stellar sea trial. Eric Bruneel, the company founder, earned his boatbuilding stripes as a longtime top executive at cat-builder Fountaine ­Pajot, but in his spare time, he ­campaigned fast offshore ­multihulls on solo transoceanic yacht races. Superb sailing prowess isn’t a passing interest to him; it’s the primary point of the exercise. And it’s the reason, when he struck out on his own, that he went into the trimaran business. The fact is, a well-executed cruising tri will outperform a fully loaded cruising cat. There. I’ve said it.

With a fitful Chesapeake Bay breeze fluctuating around 8 knots, give or take a knot or two in the lulls and puffs, it wasn’t a particularly windy day. But that was more than enough for the Neel 47. Even with a reef in the big, roachy square-topped mainsail, there was plenty of grunt in that ­primary under-sail powerplant. You steer the Neel from an elevated helm station to starboard, and the view is panoramic; sightlines and visibility could not be better. The boat is close-­winded, tacking through 90 degrees with ease, and there’s never a moment of hesitancy like there is on some cruising cats, where you’re left wondering if the bows will spin across the breeze and complete the tack. I made a point of it in my notebook: “Turns on a dime, feels like a monohull.”

As for speed, given the ­conditions, there was plenty of it. In fact, both upwind and on a reach—the latter while flying a sweet asymmetric cruising chute off its integrated sprit—boat-speed figures basically matched the true-wind number: In 7.5 to 8 knots of breeze, we easily knocked off 7.5 to 8 knots. And the helm was as light and feathery as could be. It was truly a great sail.

Now, of course, every boat is a compromise, and the challenge with cruising tris, when compared with cruising cats, comes with the interior layout and accommodations. Cats are big platforms, and it’s actually quite easy to spec one out with a huge owner’s cabin in one hull, and a pair of comfortable bedrooms in the other, not to mention a good-size living room and kitchen on the central deck between them. But what do you do with a trimaran, where the outer hulls need to remain light and ­relatively unencumbered for performance purposes, not packed with palatial cabins and heads?

Well, the answer to that on the Neel is to make the central hull as comfortable as possible for the couple who owns it—in other words, to maximize the space for two people. It makes the Neel 47 a unique creature in the current fleet of contemporary cruising boats, where multiple sleeping quarters often seem to dictate the design brief. But with that two-person premise firmly established, the results are interesting and largely successful.

The Neel marketing ­people like to call the open, single-­level layout in the main hull the “cockloon”: part ­cockpit, part saloon. Yes, it’s a little hokey, but it actually is an apt description. Most everything happens on this main floor: a nice back porch with seating and tables, double ­sliding doors to enter the ­interior space, another good dining ­area, a fine navigation station and adjacent galley, and a comfortable double cabin with wide windows offering ­sensational views. There’s also a huge technical locker beneath the floorboards. Note: no head. No, that’s forward, down a few steps in the bow, and includes a separate wash basin and shower. It’s innovative, a little strange…but it works.

There are a couple of basic guest cabins in the hulls, accessed separately (not through the cockloon). The message seems to be: You’re welcome to visit, but not forever!

In summation, the Neel 47 is a distinctive, inventive boat . It’s not for everyone, by any means. But it’s a yacht that will strike a chord for some cruisers, especially those drawn to the sea by the pure joy of sailing. Those folks? They’ll love it.

Herb McCormick is CW ’s executive editor.

• More: Boat Reviews , multihulls , Neel , print june july 2020 , trimaran
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Neel 47 Trimaran - major structural issues

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An in-depth study

To optimise the structure of NEEL-TRIMARANS,  we collaborated with TENSYL with whom we have previously worked on the structure of the racing trimaran TRILOGIC .

TENSYL has made a speciality of the structural design of multi hull racing and cruising composites. Sampling is determined from the most critical cases of offshore loading on the structure, for example catching a wave at high-speed or sailing with the wind on the beam .

The analysis programs transmit relevant information which are compared to nominal values in the specs. Colour displays are particularly instructive in sample determination. The overall research programme aims to define type and quantity of construction materials best suited to each zone in order to eliminate unnecessary weight and apply suitable safety margins to load bearing elements.

Optimized construction

NEEL trimarans are manufactured with materials and techniques best suited to their use, combining strength, rigidity and weight reduction.

• Hull, floats, bridges and roof are made in vacuum bonded PVC/foam and glass fibre/ isophthalic polyester resin sandwich structural material .
• The boards are fabricated from honeycomb PVC vacuum bonded with glass fibre/isophthalic polyester resin structural material.
• Resin is infused through Fibreglass according to a sampling plan determined by finite element structural analysis gained from our experience in the construction of racing craft and offshore cruising. Depending on their role in the structure of the trimaran, the type and number of glass fibers are either unidirectional, bidirectional, 0 ° / 90 ° or bi-directional 45 ° / 45 ° , Quadri-directional, TAFTA , roving or twill .
• Phonic and thermal insulation, along with floatation (unsinkability) are provided by the interior of PVC foam sandwich laminates. This closed-cell foam is perfect for the marine environment being virtually insensitive to moisture. 
• Rigging and sails are designed and produced by multi hull specialists in La Rochelle. 
• Interior coverings (linings, floor, upholstery) have all been tested rigorously in oceanic conditions before being selected for your NEEL-TRIMARANS.

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