(published September 2016-boat show preview)
The Amel 55 is not exactly a new boat but in the Amel way, the 55 you see on display this fall will be a new and improved version of the 55 you might have seen last year. If you are a cruiser and have never been aboard an Amel—55 or 64—then you should take the opportunity to do so. The boats are pure world cruising boats that have been designed specifically for mature couples who like to be self sufficient and cruise with another couple from time to time. The boats used to be utilitarian and oddly French—Bob Perry once called them the Citroëns of cruising boats. But the modern boats are much more elegant and yacht-like in style. The boats come fully outfitted with Amel-tested and approved gear—everything from sails, to genset, to watermaker to cutlery and sheets. BWS has sailed the 55 and found it to be a solid and fast ketch with true blue water capabilities. www.amel.fr