Since July 2023, our production site has been in the process of being completely restructured through the PHARE project
(Preserving the AMEL Heritage by Reinventing it Together)…
but let’s look back at the origins of AMEL’s Yard!
Chapter 1 : Once upon a time, Henri Amel, a visionary.
The AMEL Yard was named after its founder and creator, Henri Amel, whose real name was Henri Tonnet. Henri Tonnet was born in 1913 and developed a passion for boats from an early age. He was conscripted during the war, seriously wounded in one eye, and lost his vision for several years. This disability gave him strength of character and inspired him to build robust, safe and easy-to-handle sailboats. He named his brand “AMEL”, in reference to his resistance’s nickname.
In 1964, Henri Amel took over the company ARPIN (Ateliers Rochelais de Polyester Industriel et Naval), located in the Ville en Bois neighborhood on the edge of the port of La Rochelle.
Back then, he had already more than forty employees, including designer Jacques Carteau, who was to be his right-hand man for his entire career, especially in his functions as a technical director and then CEO of AMEL’s Yard.
AMEL boats were built using their own glass fabric, assembling the interior walls to the deck and to the hull by layering, forming a single piece and an extremely resistant structure. Models such as the Copain, Pampero, Super Mistral Sport and Euros 39 were built in these first workshops in La Rochelle.
But an unexpected event took place several years later, forcing Henri Amel and his team to face a major challenge.
To be continued …