Yachting Monthly – March 2018

FACTS AND

FIGURES

PRICE AS TESTED

€1,128,000 Inc VAT

(Approx £995,180)

LOA 16.4 7 m (54ft)

HULL LENGTH

15.51m (50ft 10in)

LWL 14.51m ( 47 ft 7 in)

BEAM 4. 7 9m (15ft 9in)

DRAUGHT

2.15m (7ft 1in)

DISPLACEMENT

18, 7 50kg (41, 337 lb)

BALLAST

5, 3 60kg (11,81 7 lb)

BALLAST RATIO

28.6%

DISPLACEMENT /

Length 17 0. 7

SAIL AREA 126m2

(1, 3 56sq ft)

SA/D RATIO 18.2

DIESEL

675 litres ( 148 gal)

WATER

600 litres ( 132 gal)

ENGINE 110hp

TRANSMISSION

Shaft Drive

RCD CATEGORY A

DESIGNER

Berret-Racoupeau

Yacht Design

BUILDER Amel

TEL + 33 546 55 1 7 3 1

WEBSITE

Amel50.com

in the Pullman this was limited to under the bed and behind
the headboards. In most areas, raised cabin soles also gave
large bilge areas, which provide a lot of extra space. There
are useful size head-height lockers wherever space allows
around the boat.

CHART TABLE
The chart table is a comfy forward-facing area just at the
base of the companionway steps. The table itself is big
enough to work on and the seat shaped well for bracing on
either tack. The table is fl anked by well laid out control
panels for 220V and 24V as well as a plotter screen,
instrument repeaters and a second VHF. Access to wiring is
from behind the panels and under the seat. This is cramped
but neat, well labelled and has spare fuses where required.

GALLEY
The corridor galley has a decent length of work surface and
is narrow enough to offer security at sea. There is a huge
butler style sink and pull-out fridge/freezer drawers.
Head-height cupboards in the galley have a two-stage
opening system with doors that hinge up and draws that
slide out. This clever detail retains the cupboards’ contents
when the boat is heeled but will still allow access to contents
at the back.
The heavy crockery drawer, which is on a traditional
push-button closure, has a rod that will slip in through the
worktop locking the draw in position at sea.

MAINTENANCE
Access to the watertight engine room is under the cockpit
sole, down a small ladder. The space is big enough to house
the 110HP Volvo engine, a generator, inverters, water maker,
a salt water inlet manifold and still room to swing a cat.
There would be plenty of room to work comfortably in this
engine room and because of the top opening system,
unusually there is natural light and good ventilation.
Through-hull openings are reduced to a minimum using
a seawater manifold which services all areas of the boat via
one single inlet and strainer. All grey water drains to a
separate sump tank in the bilge, which automatically
empties; keeping the rest of the bilge dry and clean.
The mainsail furler and outhaul feature current-sensitive
automatic cut-outs. The motors will stop if too much
current is drawn – minimising potential damage to sails
and furlers should a snag occur. Amel extrude its own mast
sections which are made with separate compartments to
allow the housing of mainsail furler, halyards and the wiring
loom entirely separately so they cannot get tangled, cause
chafe and would be easy to remove or replace.

AMEL 50

THE TEST VERDICT

The Amel 50 is a luxurious, well-engineered yacht which

genuinely exceeded my expectations on sailing

performance – for a boat designed to cross oceans in

luxury. The Amel philosophy of a maintenance free boat

results in features that are clever but at times chunky.

Thanks to this approach I believe this is a vessel that

could sail tens of thousands of miles and show little sign

of wear and tear.

At € 7 90,000 ex VAT the Amel 50 would clearly suit

couples seeking adventures in their retirement and I

believe she caters well to this market, offering a sailing

experience with minimal physical effort and a high

standard of living accommodation. There are some

aspects of sailing the Amel 50 that smaller people,

women in particular, may struggle with, such as the

seated steering position and handling the jib pole.

However, the electric furling and winches make sailing

this boat a generally inclusive experience.

WOULD SHE SUIT YOU AND YOUR CREW?

This boat is clearly aimed at couples with occasional

guests who are looking for maximum comfort and

space. It is designed to sail well but with minimum

effort. This type of low engagement sailing offers a

compromise; it allows those with a thirst to see the raw

beauty of remote places to do so without having to

endure physical hardship along the way. This boat will

not suit those seeking more interactive quality of sailing

but it will be great for effortless offshore passage

making; and when you eventually decide to drop the

hook, the Amel 50 will provide a sumptuous standard of

living on-board regardless of conditions on deck.

For those looking to explore the world by boat, and

who have the funds to do so, the Amel 50 offers the

opportunity to take on the challenge with a mix of luxury,

style and practicality few other boats this size offer.

PROS

Solid build with

four watertight

compartments

Sail plan easy to

control from helm

Impressive

attention to detail

CONS

Lack of handholds

across saloon

Heavy jib pole

Helmsman’s chair

too far from the

wheel