The Neel 51 may have turned plenty of heads at La Grande-Motte boat show in April, but can three hulls really offer the style and accommodation expected these days of a luxury performance multihull?
Neel has found a clever niche offering the performance benefits of a trimaran with the type of accommodation offered in a cruising catamaran. This new trimaran, the Neel 51, was the most talked-about multihull at La Grand-Motte boat show in April, and of the year so far.
The La Rochelle company argues its trimarans are more stable than cruising catamarans. Cats, it says, reach their peak righting moment at 12º heel, beyond which sail needs to be reduced.
That peak for a tri, however, is not until 27º heel – an unusually steep angle for cruising. Neel also argues that trimarans are faster, particularly upwind, thanks to a more rigid forestay (attached to centre hull) and more central weight management.
The Joubert-Nivelt design incorporates the best assets of Neel’s previous 45 and 65 models – that of performance and comfort in a bluewater family yacht – and adds even more space for its size.
The Neel 51 is quite a beast in the flesh. Her 9m beam (26cm wider than a Lagoon 52) helps support Neel’s signature coachroof design above the hulls and contributes to sumptuous living space.
Fine reverse bows give confidence in her ability to perform. Neel argues the 181sq m upwind sail area on the 51 is larger than any other equivalent cruising cat – yet its 107sq m usable space (living and storage combined) is much larger than competitors too.
This design primarily targets living space however. A focal point of the 51 is its sliding doors that stow away completely to leave an open, single-level cockpit and interior saloon. It is a concept that Neel has dubbed ‘cockloon’ – a strange-sounding word that fails to significantly differentiate this from the likes of catamarans by Bali and Nautitech, which are also based on these open designs.
The word does, however, help draw attention to a wonderfully large inside/outside saloon area. Neel President Eric Bruneel pointed out how the stiffness of three hulls allows for such a wide open bulkhead.
“We really wanted to have the cockpit working with the saloon,” he told me. Unfortunately, the downside of his ‘cockloon’ solution is the small external cockpit space.
The main deck level includes a vast galley forward (with prime views), and, as per past Neel models, the owner’s cabin shares this amazing deck-level outlook. The other three double cabins are all large and each comes with its own heads. Two forward berths can also be specified.
I particularly appreciated the mechanical/engine room below the saloon. It is like a ship’s engine room, with 7ft headroom, plumbing on one side, electrics to the other and the single saildrive contained in its own area aft. Bruneel argues that one prop pushing one hull is more efficient than typical catamaran set-ups and says the 75hp saildrive propels her at a cruising speed of 9 knots.
Fitted-out on the water the Neel 51 weighs 15 tonnes – over 10 tonnes lighter than the Lagoon 52, but a similar weight to the new Catana 53. The first 51 to launch reportedly achieved 290 miles in 24 hours during the first delivery, with jib and three reefs – and will hit the mid-teens with relative ease.
Neel’s build quality has also seen much-needed improvement with this new model. The three hulls are infused in one shot. That requires ten days to prepare the 160sq m of moulds for a two-hour infusion. As Bruneel admits, it’s a big step-up in technology for them.
Neel has built 23 of its 45ft model and is now building one boat every two months in its new La Rochelle facility.
Neel 51 Specifications
LOA: 15.60m (51ft)
Beam: 8.9m (29ft 2in)
Draught: 1.50m (4ft 9in)
Displacement: 14 tonnes
Price: €700k ex VAT
Neel 51 Specifications
LOA: 15.60m (51ft)
Beam: 8.9m (29ft 2in)
Draught: 1.50m (4ft 9in)
Displacement: 14 tonnes
Price: €700k ex VAT