The French yard has built 50+ years of knowledge into its new world cruising flagship the Amel 60, reports Matthew Sheahan
Comprehensive fit-out
When Isabelle Racoupeau set about creating the interior design for the Amel 60 she put a particular focus on lights and lighting that create, ‘warmth and refinement’ as well as a ‘chic, open and bright’ atmosphere. And from the minute you descend the companionway steps to enter the saloon you can’t miss what she’d set out to achieve.
Light streams into the accommodation and, aside from being very much on trend, the effect is a welcome one that is enhanced by the modern styling throughout the accommodation.
When it comes to the overall layout there’s nothing particularly surprising. The main saloon is amidships with the navigation station tucked away to port while the longitudinal galley is to starboard and the owner’s cabin set aft. Forward a pair of doubles is mirrored each side of the centreline, each with its own shower and heads.
Engine access is the envy of the bluewater cruising world.
Photo: Rick Tomlinson
All are finished beautifully in a choice of either light oak or walnut. Mahogany is no longer an option aboard Amel yachts. Style and layout are, as always, subjective, but what is not up for debate is the level of detail and the comprehensive fit-out.
The galley is the best example. Here, from the microwave to the induction hob, the washer-drier to the dishwasher and plenty more, all are fitted as standard. And when the layout has been so expertly installed it would seem rude not to tick the boxes for an icemaker, a wine cooler and a second deep freeze.
Among the most expensive extras on a short list of options is the air-conditioning at €26,000, the heating system at €18,000 and the watermaker at €18,500. Given the variety of uses that owners may wish for their 60, it is easy to see why Amel has left these as options rather than adding them to the list of standard equipment.
Under way
Our light weather sea trials demonstrated how well the Amel 60 would slip along in light airs. In 6-7 knots true wind and flat water, we sat at 5.4 knots – impressive stuff for a 26 tonne boat. With its cutter configuration, the Amel sails well and is easy to manage while its electrically furled Code 0 is a doddle to operate.
Sadly we didn’t get to sail in a stronger breeze and bigger seas. Here, the key for me would be in whether it has the feel to make it a boat you would want to helm for the pleasure of it or whether the autopilot would go on.
I say this because I have reservations about the long steering cable runs to her twin rudders and, based on colleagues’ comments about the Amel 50, I would take a guess that finger light feel is not her strongest card.
While twin rudders provide some real benefits when the breeze is up and the pace is on aboard any yacht, another drawback comes when it’s time to manoeuvre at close quarters under power. The Amel 60 is no different, and the lack of propwalk makes it difficult to turn tightly in a small space.
Fortunately, the option to fit a retractable stern thruster in addition to the standard bow thruster changes this and makes her a nimble and manageable boat under engine. In many ways the yacht’s construction is the easiest part to describe and assess. Built as a solid laminate below the waterline and a PVC foam sandwich above it, the hull and deck are resin infused, a technique introduced with the Amel 50.
Where it remains the same as its predecessors is that this is a solidly built boat throughout, has Amel’s well known maintenance-free, teak effect decks and adheres to the best practices of bluewater boat building. The conclusion is clear: this is a genuine go-anywhere cruiser for two from a company with a pedigree and popularity to back up such claims and a price tag to make others draw breath.
Verdict
For those familiar with Amel it will come as no surprise at all that the 60 is a comprehensively fitted out boat, well built and reassuringly easy to handle short-handed. For those who are not, and who are looking to buy a boat of this size and type, you really should put this on your list in order to check out where the true benchmark for value for money versus practical and solid engineering lies. And, if you can, go to the yard in La Rochelle and see the operation for yourself. There are few others like it in the world.