Test drive trimaran Neel 51

In a multihull market flooded with cruising catamarans with inflated hulls to create ever more comfortable living space, carrying capacity and buoyancy, the Neel 51 trimaran clearly stands out as something completely different ...

Test drive trimaran Neel 51

With its dimensions, and outriggers that minimize roll, Neel 51 will absolutely provide you with a walk that goes beyond anything you saw and felt before meeting him. The three nose profiles of the new 51-foot fast cruiser from the French manufacturer are three knife blades, balanced to cut the waves neatly, guaranteeing the speed and efficiency of this huge machine, which is capable of over 200 miles a day.

As you watch the trimaran in the marina, you will notice that its center hull is slightly submerged in the water, while the floats on each side hover just above the surface, ready to go to fight the winds. When you board the Neel 51 trimaran, you will be amazed at the size of this vessel, especially if you use mainly monohulls, although, even after the catamaran, it will seem like a “football field” if you are used to the space created by the bridge deck, which spans the width of two buildings. With a width of 29 feet / 9 meters, and a cabin that covers most of that space, Neel 51 no doubt a very large boat.

Thanks to the engineering rigidity provided by the central body, the designers Joubert-Nivelt-Muratet and the team Neel were able to open almost the entire width of the aft saloon with sliding glass doors that, when open, allow the cockpit to be seamlessly part of the interior. This is an unusual fusion of salon and cockpit Neel Trimarans named Cockloon.

In the cockpit outdoors protected by a rigid bimini, there are some sofas, aft, just in front of the bathing platform, which is molded into a central body with two steps down. By the way, it is wide enough to carry the dinghy. One davit, installed near the center line, is used to lift the dinghy to the stainless steel mounts on both sides of the platform while driving.

NEEL 51 Cockloon

On the starboard side, in the cockpit there is external galley with fridge, grill and sinkand on the port side, a teak table for eight guests. Inside the salon there is a second, similarly sized table that can be raised or lowered, depending on whether meals or cocktails are served. Large glass panoramic windows are installed around the entire perimeter of the cabin, which provides incredible natural light and excellent visibility.

Ahead, port side, huge, well-stocked galleythat matches the best chefs in the world. There is plenty of storage space, a built-in stainless steel oven with grill, two refrigerators and an additional freezer, and a dishwasher. On the starboard side is located navigation post with a large table, exclusively for the work process, as part of the internal steering station.

The rest of the bridge deck is occupied by owner's cabin with bathroom and shower... Inside the cabin, the transverse bed is slightly raised directly against the glass wall, which can no longer even be called a porthole. This is a great place to relax and watch the waves. Ahead, in the central hull, just a couple of steps down, there is a guest cabin with a V-shaped bed and a bathroom, and in both floats, the guest cabins include double aft cabins, with bathrooms and showers.

In the cabin floor, there is a door that leads into a fully functional engine room with 2m headroom, tons of storage, and access to every pump, pipe, wire and engine, in general, all of those many systems. All tanks are installed in front, right in the middle of the boat, and along the centerline. The batteries are deeply installed; at the stern, behind a watertight door, there is access to the steering gear and the engine Volvo with a capacity of 75 h.p. with a saildrive. In other words, this is a real dream for mechanics!

Navigation is carried out from the upper deck, located on the same level as the so-called flybridge. This outer helm station is located to starboard on a raised platform. Directly ahead, on the roof of the saloon, there are three winches, two of which are electric, and all the systems for controlling the sails.

So how does this majestic trimaran behave on the water? The first thing that can be said with certainty is that he is very smart. Neel 51 Designed for 10 knots sailing and the speedometer will fly up easily if the genoa is deployed. But all this does not mean that you need to be an experienced skipper to operate it, Neel 51 even a married couple can tame. The steering wheel is very responsive, even with sharp jumps in speed, it behaves as smoothly as silk.

Tet Drive NEEL 51 Sailing Performance - Interparus Yachting

To the lineup Neel Trimarans also includes three more models: Neel 45 Evolution, Neel 47 and the flagship of the line Neel 65 Evolution... Models up to 50-feet are more performance-oriented, while the 65-foot trimaran is built for luxury cruising. We can say that Neel 51 it is a symbiosis of all models, a fusion of performance and luxury for endless yachting pleasure. On the move, with the engine running, the sound level inside is very quiet. Inside and outside, interiors and finishes Neel 51 modern and sleek.

During the construction of the trimaran, three hulls of the ship are vacuum infused in one mold using vinyl ester and polyester resin and expanded polystyrene. The center hull has laminated annular frames for rigidity, and the floors and bulkheads are also foamed and vacuum formed. There is the option of installing a carbon mast that holds the weight up and dampens any pitching motion. Standing rigging and rescue lines Dyneema and Spectra.