Amel Yachts

Chantiers AMEL has been building blue-water cruising sailing yachts for close to sixty years. Founded by Henri Amel, the company started out in La Rochelle with the 1964 takeover of the ARPIN company, then moved to Périgny, where every AMEL yacht has been produced since 1969. The yard employs around one hundred and fifty people and brings together more than thirty different trades.

Construction is largely carried out in the Périgny workshops: lamination and vacuum infusion of polyester, joinery, interior fit-out, upholstery, deck hardware, electrical and plumbing systems, preparation and fitting of mechanical and engine components, finishing, then tuning of the boats before delivery. The yard favours French know-how and established equipment makers, and organises the transmission of its trades through Lean management, in place since 2017, and through mentor roles that guide newcomers.

The current range comprises the AMEL 50.2 and the AMEL 60, drawn by the Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design studio. They carry the brand's hallmarks: a deep, protected central cockpit gathering the controls, a stainless steel guardrail running round the deck, an electric furling genoa, a retractable bow thruster, an engine room accessible from the cockpit, very comprehensive standard equipment, solar panels with onboard energy management, and a carbon mast as standard on the AMEL 60.

Owner support is organised into several services. The sales team welcomes visitors in La Rochelle and Hyères for sea trials and a tour of the production site. The MyAMEL service follows the definition of the boat, its finishes and its options with a dedicated customer project manager. Delivery involves a full handover week at the Minimes marina, with the participation of electronics partner Pochon. The customer service department handles spare parts and technical work from three bases: La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast, Hyères in the Mediterranean and Le Marin in Martinique, where versatile technicians carry out marine repair and maintenance.

The founder's pioneering spirit is still claimed: early adoption of polyester, electric furling masts from the 1980s, and the retractable bow thruster. The yard is now running the PHARE project, a transformation of its historic site to modernise its facilities and address environmental challenges, and brings its owners together through the AMEL Cup and the major boat shows.