BoatsAmel 50

Amel 50

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Dual Rudders · First built 2017

Amel's first sloop since 1997, this 16.5-metre masthead design features a fin keel with bulb and dual rudders

Designed by Berret-Racoupeau.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Dual Rudders

See her sail

The Amel 50, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Mirage

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 33 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 33
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.82
LightHeavy

171 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 171
EasygoingPowered-up

18.2 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.2
TenderStiff

29% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 29%

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

  • Heavier than ~85% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~84% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1228 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Amel 50, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Amel 50 is a 16.5-meter masthead sloop designed by Berret-Racoupeau, built by Amel since 2017, and notable as Amel's first sloop since 1997. It features a fin keel with a bulb and dual rudders, and has an optional cutter rig with a 24 m2 staysail. Aboard *Sailing Mirage*, the Amel 50 *Mirage* completed a 2,200-nautical-mile Atlantic crossing from Mindelo, Cape Verde, to Bridgetown, Barbados, in 15 days, averaging 7 to 9 knots with consistent 19-to-20-knot winds and 2.5-meter seas.2:49 The crew used a wing-on-wing setup with a preventer on the mainsail for downwind sailing, and repaired a broken boom vang with a fabricated soft shackle. *Mirage* also sailed a 150-mile passage from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic, encountering unexpected squalls, 4-meter waves, and 35-knot gusts in the Mona Passage, requiring a double-reefed mainsail and rolled-in genoa.12:06 The boat navigated shallow banks and strong currents in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, and sailed downwind at 9–10 knots in 25–30 knot winds from Acklins Island to Long Island, Bahamas, diverting to Clarence Town for shelter when the original destination was unapproachable.19:14

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.

Seen 108 times across 6 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Amel 50 on video

Solo Sailing to Three Incredible East Coast Islands | Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard & Block IslandThe Mirage navigates coastal currents and wind shifts while visiting Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Block Island.Sailing MirageSolo Sailing - Nova Scotia to Portland, Maine | Fog, 35-Knot Squalls & 190 NM of Fast SailingA solo sailor completes a 190-nautical-mile passage from Yarmouth to Portland, Maine, despite fog and 35-knot squalls.Sailing MirageI Sailed Solo from Cape Cod, MA to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada - 240 NM Into Fog & Giant TidesA solo sailor navigates 240 nautical miles from Cape Cod to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, through dense fog.Sailing MirageFrom New York, NY to Cape Cod, MA | Flying 200 NM downwind at 9–10 Knots.Amel 50 Mirage runs 190 miles from New York to Cape Cod in 24 hours at 9–10 knots.Sailing MirageSailing Through New York City | Manhattan, East River & Hell GateMirage times the flood tide at 08:30 to run Hell Gate and the East River without incident.Sailing MirageSolo Sailing from Annapolis, Maryland to New York City | Chesapeake to ManhattanA solo sailor navigates the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the Atlantic coast toward New York City.Sailing MiragePreparing Mirage: Boat Repairs, Upgrades & a Chesapeake Bay Test Sail to Hooper IslandThe owner of Mirage performs extensive system upgrades, including a watermaker control board replacement and windlass repair.Sailing Mirage"Tales from the Sea" – Volume 3 (Tales of the Present) | My Third Album by SY Mirage.Vlad's Amel 50 Mirage sails Puerto Rico to Annapolis across three original song albums.Sailing MirageThe Final 80 Miles: An Overnight Sail Home to the Chesapeake Bay. From Norfolk to Solomons, MD.Vlad completes a transatlantic voyage from La Rochelle to Solomons, Maryland, aboard his boat, Mirage.Sailing MirageRounding Cape Hatteras at Night - Fast Sailing Through the Graveyard of the Atlantic in 25+ knot windsVlad sails the Mirage around Cape Hatteras, navigating the Graveyard of the Atlantic to reach Norfolk, Virginia.Sailing MirageWhen things go wrong. Broken Rigging in the Gulf Stream - 450 NM from Florida to MoreHead City, NCA broken mainsail clew attachment was repaired at sea using soft shackles and secondary safety lines.Sailing MirageFull Moon Overnight Sail from Fort Pierce to Ponce de Leon Inlet | Downwind Sailing Florida Coast.An Amel 50 completes an overnight coastal passage from Fort Pierce to Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida.Sailing Mirage

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

  • FailedWindy

    The speaker found the weather forecast from this service to be inaccurate for the current conditions.

    aboard Sailing Mirageseen March 20256:16

  • ComparedHarkenweighed against original part

    The speaker replaced a shackle with a Harken brand shackle, noting it was the closest match in strength rating to the original.

    aboard Sailing Mirageseen July 20260:52

  • ComparedSimradweighed against Unix

    The speaker compared chart data from a Simrad system with a Unix-based system due to discrepancies.

    aboard Sailing Mirageseen February 2026watch

  • ComparedNavionicsweighed against physical charts

    The speaker compared Navionics to physical charts, preferring the latter for advance study.

    aboard Sailing Mirageseen March 20242:03

  • InstalledStarlink

    A smaller Starlink unit was installed, expected to reduce power consumption.

    aboard Sailing Mirageseen November 20251:51

  • WorkingHighfield

    The electric davits carry a Highfield CL310 Hyperlon tender.

    aboard Berthon Internationalseen November 2025watch

  • WorkingProfurl

    The front sails are electrically furled by ProFurl.

    aboard Berthon Internationalseen November 20251:29

  • WorkingB&G

    The navigation system is a B&G Hydra with twin autopilots.

    aboard Berthon Internationalseen November 20255:00

  • WorkingPredictWind

    The crew used the app to analyze current and wind models for their passage.

    aboard Distant Shores TVseen March 20256:43

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Amel 50 may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale
1channel weighed buying one

For sale

Weighed buying

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
28.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.2
Displacement / length
171.4
Comfort ratio
32.9
Capsize screening
1.82
Hull speed
9.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2672
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & dual rudders
Construction
Resin infused GRP
Production
Years built
First built 2017
Designer
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.

Euphoria Yachts 5416.46 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed fractional sloop built for performance with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio
Baltic Yachts 55 DP16.76 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop built by Baltic, balancing high-performance sail area with a stiff, stable hull
Hallberg-Rassy 5016.34 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a modern fractional rig, dual rudders, and a high-stability hull
Dufour Yachts 53016.35 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered in Easy, Ocean, and Performance configurations, this 16.35-metre cruiser adapts from simple handling to race-ready trim
Moody 5416.43 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA cutter-rigged 16.43-metre cruiser featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a 34% ballast ratio for offshore stability
Discovery Yachts 5516.70 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Ron Holland-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a skeg-hung rudder and flexible interior layouts for long-range comfort

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Amel 50, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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