The Neel 50 trimaran is designed to quickly gobble up the offshore miles.
This new 50-foot trimaran represents an interesting shift in the world of cruising multihulls. Large cruising cats with high freeboard and large interior spaces (and not always blistering speed potential when loaded up with all the cruising comforts) have been the norm (with a few carbon fiber exceptions) for a while. The cool thing about Neel 50 is that it’s designed to combine the speed potential of a lightweight trimaran with ultra spacious living spaces. Early reports say it should be capable of sailing at more than 10 knots on average, and easily reeling off 300-mile days offshore. It’s also reported to be able to reach speeds in the 15- to 20-knot range when the wind picks up. It’s set up like the big french racing trimarans, but with legit living space spanning the copious beam between the outer hulls. It has as a huge square top main, Vectran shrouds and forestay, a big reacher, a carbon rudder, and weight distribution is centered to limiting pitching. It’s certainly different, and very French, and who wouldn’t want to cruise easily at 10 knots. The boat’s website is pretty cool too. www.neel-trimarans.com
