THE AMEL SPIRIT IS IN CONSTANT RENEWAL

Behind the modern lines of our yachts hide fifty years of know-how, born from Henri Amel’s passion for ocean-going sailing and ship-building. Our equipment and design are in constant development to guarantee optimum onboard comfort, regardless of the sailing conditions.

The AMEL spirit is behind every stage in the construction process, from the choice of materials to internal finish, along with the service provided to AMEL customers around the world. Fully designed and manufactured in La Rochelle, each unit is delivered by an AMEL technician, with one week to get to grips with the yacht. Owners can familiarise themselves with their new yacht and begin to appreciate the true pleasure of effortless, safe and comfortable sailing.

100% MADE IN FRANCE

Laminators, carpenters, varnishers, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, riggers, deck fitters, upholsterers… More than 30 tradesmen work together in the design and construction of sailing boats. In a permanent search for irreproachable finishes, the selection of materials is the subject of all attention with priority given to French know-how.

THE VOICE OF THE CLIENT

Buying a yacht is a purchase like no other; it is part of a dream, a lifestyle that we build. For AMEL’s employees the conception of each boat is treated as a unique project. Active listening which anticipates requests, leads to proposals and facilitates the process until the owner takes charge of the boat and is guided with its maintenance. For Amel, a client, like a yacht, is not just a number, but is unique and part of the family.

HENRI AMEL

Henri Amel, who was born on 16th April 1913 as Henri Tonet, was fascinated by sailing from a very young age. At the end of his teenage years, he began sailing on small yachts. He started to build boats in his bodywork business in Paris. After being called up for war, he continued his boat-building activities in Lyon. He was wounded in one eye during the war and lost his sight completely shortly afterwards for several years. But Henri Amel never gave up his dream to build yachts that would be robust, comfortable and easy to manoeuvre.

English

1964

The beginnings

Les chantiers AMEL is created in La Rochelle when Henri AMEL, who until then had been entrusting the construction of his yachts to external yards, takes over the company ARPIN (Ateliers Rochelais de Polyester Industriel et Naval), based in the Ville en Bois district. At the time he had over forty employees, including his designer Jacques Carteau, the future technical director then right hand man of Mr. Amel, then CEO of Chantiers AMEL. Since 1962 AMEL has also had a base in the Mediterranean, in the new port at Hyères.

The La Rochelle workshops produced the Copain, the Pampero, the Super Mistral Sport and the Euros 39.
As a pioneer in polyester construction, AMEL manufactures its boats using its own glass fibre, assembling via stratification internal bulkheads, deck and hull in a single piece, forming a perfectly waterproof and highly resistant structure.

1964

Copain

5.25m, produced from 1962 to 1968

1964

Alisio

9.40m, produced from 1962 to 1966

1964

Super Mistral Sport

7.06m, produced from 1961 to 1972

1968

Fire

On 5th February 1968, ARPIN’s workshops were completely destroyed in a fire. Henri Amel built new yards in Périgny, a new business park in La Rochelle. These new premise were inaugurated in January 1969 and would produce every one of AMEL’s yachts up to the current models.

1968

Euros 39

11.75m, AMEL’s first ketch, produced from 1966 to 1972

1972

The guadeloupe

Creation of the “Guadeloupe Yachting” rental company in Pointe-à-Pitre, replaced in 1981 by an AMEL after sales service base.

1972

Garbi

6m, produced from 1971 to 1972

1973

First Grand Pavois de La Rochelle

21st – 24th September 1973: first Grand Pavois in La Rochelle, on the initiative of Henri Amel, Michel Dufour, Fernand Hervé and Roger Mallard, four La Rochelle-based manufacturers.

1975

The Coconut Road

Oct 1975 to June 1976: La Route des Cocotiers: Mr. Amel crossed the Atlantic to the West Indies then passed through the Panama Canal to Polynesia on board the Meltem “Capitoune II”, which he had promised to deliver personally to his customer and friend in Tahiti. He was accompanied by 3 crew-mates. During this journey Mr. Amel designed the Maramu, working with Jacques Carteau at a distance.

1978

Chantiers AMEL S.A.

In 1978, the “Ateliers et Chantiers AMEL” became “Chantiers AMEL S.A.”

1978

Mango

15.82m, produced from 1979 to 1989

1978

Sharki

11.95m, produced from 1979 to 1989

1978

Maramu

13.80m, produced from 1978 to 1989

1983

C.E.O Michel BONNETEAU

1983

Fango

10m, produced from 1985 to 1991

1983

The AMEL sail furling systems

First yachts equipped with AMEL sail furling systems.

1988

C.E.O. Jacques Carteau

1988

Santorin

14m, produced from 1989 to 1997

1988

Super Maramu

16m, produced from 1988 to 1998

1997

Super Maramu 2000

16m, produced from 1998 to 2006

1997

C.E.O. Jean-Jacques Lemonnier

Jean-Jacques LEMONNIER, sales director, is elected CEO.

2000

Best Boat of the Year

The Super Maramu 2000 is voted Best Boat of the Year by the American review Cruising World.

2005

AMEL 54

17.20m, produced from 2005 to 2011

2005

Death of Henri AMEL

12th April 2005: death of Henri AMEL.
From 2005, the boats produced by the yard are no longer named after winds or islands, but bear the name “AMEL”.

2009

A new building

The La Rochelle-Périgny production site expands and a new 4000m² building is inaugurated, in particular with a view to producing larger units, such as the AMEL 64.

2010

AMEL 64

19.60m, produced from 2010 to 2019

2010

AMEL Caraïbes

Transfer of AMEL Caraïbes from Guadeloupe to Le Marin in Martinique.

2011

AMEL 55

17.30m, produced from 2011 to 2018

2014

C.E.O. Emmanuel Poujeade

January 2014: Jean-Jacques Lemonnier leaves his position as chief executive and is replaced by Emmanuel Poujeade, Chantiers AMEL’s administrative and financial director, who joined the company in March 2000. Mr. Lemonnier remains Chairman of the Board.

2015

AMEL 64 at the “Boot” Düsseldorf

January 2015 : AMEL 64 is presented for the first time in an indoor boat show at the Düsseldorf “Boot”. The exhibited model features new interiors now proposed by AMEL with light wood species and a refreshing design.

2016

Club AMEL

September 2016 : Creation of the AMEL Club with its blog dedicated to AMEL owners.

2017

AMEL 50

September 2017 : Launching at the Cannes Yachting Festival of the new model, the AMEL 50, a 15.50-meter sloop.

2018

European Yacht Of The Year

January 2018: The AMEL 50 is voted European Yacht Of The Year in the Luxury Cruiser category.

2019

AMEL 60

September 2019: Launch at the Cannes Yachting Festival of a new model, AMEL 60, sloop of 18m.

2019

Pampero

5.74m, produced from 1963 to 1968

Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (AGEC)

Under the above French law, since the 1st of January 2022, each producer (company that places a product in the market) has his unique producer identifier number (Article L.541-10-13). This unique identifier number, assigned by the ADEME (French agency for the environment and energy management), proves that the placer on the market is a member of the APER (French association for eco-friendly pleasure boating) and that it fulfills its regulatory obligations. The AMEL SHIPYARDS’ U-ID number is: FR028009_18AOCF.