Amel 55

BoatsAmel 55

See her sail

The Amel 55, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing SV Delos

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 35 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 35

CoastalBluewater

1.81 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.81

LightHeavy

183 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 183

EasygoingPowered-up

16.8 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.8

TenderStiff

27% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 27%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

Heavier than ~85% of boats her size on file
Beamier than ~89% of boats her size on file

Compared with 973 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Amel 55, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Amel 55 is a 17.3-meter staysail ketch designed by Amel and Berret-Racoupeau, built from 2010 to the present. It features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, a 5.0-meter beam, and a 2.2-meter draft, displacing 21,499 kg. Naval architect Olivier Racampoux notes that modern yacht designs like the Amel 55 prioritize crew comfort and interior volume, using 3D modeling for integrated structural and hydraulic components.5:10 Performance improvements in newer designs come from hull and keel refinements, including moving water tanks from the keel to the hull to reduce drag and lowering the center of gravity for better stability.11:55 The Amel 55 has a mainsail of 47 m2, a genoa of 75 m2, a mizzen sail of 29 m2, and a staysail of 22 m2.12:37

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

27.4%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Staysail Ketch

Ratios

SA / displacement

16.8

Displacement / length

183.0

Comfort ratio

34.6

Capsize screening

1.81

Hull speed

9.3 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

2850

Hull

Hull type

Fin with rudder on skeg

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 2010

Designer

Amel, Berret-Racoupeau

Builder

Amel

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Hanse Yachts 58817.20 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 17.2-meter cruiser with a 2.65-meter bulb keel, engineered for stability and speed in a high-volume modern hull

Dodging and Chasing Storms in Icy Europe |SMLS S7E012:45 from Sailing Miss Lone Star

Beneteau Sense 5517.20 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 17.2-metre cruiser with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 22.21, built for spirited performance and volume

First Impressions of Trinidad and Tobago2:01 from Huub Vlogs

Wauquiez Boats Pilot Saloon 5817.70 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 17.7-metre performance cruiser with a 2.3-metre bulb keel and a high comfort ratio for long-distance blue water sailing

Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 580:59 from SVN solovelanet

Taswell 5617.02 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Bill Dixon-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder and high comfort ratio, built for stable, long-range passage making

Taswell: The Secret Bluewater Yacht Built Like an Oyster0:52 from Lady K Sailing

X-Yachts X-56217.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Niels Jeppesen-designed performance cruiser balancing a powerful masthead rig with a stiff, deep-draft hull

Jostein Hellerud with a website that compares the properties of sailboats1:18 from SEILmagasinet

Swan 5617.53 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for performance, with a dedicated racing variant available.

[OFF MARKET] Nautor Swan 56 (AKARANA) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon International Yacht Brokers5:50 from Berthon International

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Amel 54A robust staysail ketch designed for serious blue-water cruising with a high comfort ratio and stable skeg-hung rudder Amel 60A modern cutter-rigged bluewater cruiser from Berret-Racoupeau, designed for high-latitude comfort and long-range stability Amel 50Amel's first sloop since 1997, this 16.5-metre masthead design features a fin keel with bulb and dual rudders Amel Mango 52A robust masthead ketch designed for blue-water cruising, featuring a protected skeg-hung rudder and a stable hull form Amel Super MaramuA 16-metre masthead ketch replacing the Mango 52, featuring a wing keel and a versatile engine range for blue-water travel Chantiers Amel Sharki 39A masthead ketch designed for blue water, featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a comfortable, stable motion for long passages

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