monster MAKER Three legged luxury with performance make the Neel 65 an awesome trimaran to go Boss Eric Bruneel has put decades of racing and building experience into his first Neel 65. aboard, reports KEVIN GREEN. Photo Kevin Green 2 multihullworld multihullworld 3 ABOVE LEFT: Starboard and port lounges in ABOVE: The two deck level double cabins the saloon. Note the opening side windows for with island beds and panoramic windows are ventilation. Photo Neel outstanding. Photo Neel ABOVE RIGHT: Ama cabins are spacious with ABOVE RIGHT: The galley adjoins the aft bathrooms containing separate shower cubicles. cockpit so is a good serving spot and social LEFT: Six ensuite toilets so plenty of ablutions on meeting place with its tall bar-style benches. the Neel 65. Photo Neel Photo Neel RIGHT: From the navigation station you can look aft past the galley plus have commanding views forward. Note that access to the ama cabins and forepeak cabins is from here as well. Photo Neel smaller sibling, have the weight centralised unlike around the Neel 65, the most striking the Neel 45. a catamaran that has 50% on the thing is its sheer size – at nearly Walking around downwind side whereas tris have 40ft wide and with towering heavily the La Rochelle 80% centralised,” explains Eric as rockered hulls – yet it only weighs 22 yard chatting we walk around the 65. Built near tons semi-dry. The beam allows for to managing the grand old port of La Rochelle a huge bridgedeck and aft cockpit director Eric with its signature twin towers the with tall flybridge helm controls, while Bruneel we also area is one of the largest yachting inside there’s berths in each ama as looked over centres in western France and home well as the hull; totalling six double bulkhead space for extra electronics hull #15 of the to Nautitech, Dufour, Fountaine Pajot cabins with a bathroom for each in in addition to the B&G equipment Neel 45 that and other builders, so the region is a the owner’s version. For the charter fitted, so controlling the helm using is destined for great place for us yachting tragics to version there’s eight cabins and the autopilot can be done without an Australian visit. The yard is named after Bruneel bathrooms, so combined with the climbing to the flybridge. Also there’s owner and himself and also produces race huge 25m2 aft entertainment area, an unobscured view aft through the local distributor boats, so his team is very aware of it could be party-time on the Neel VISIBILITY IS galley so skippers can rest easy. Multihull weight efficiencies, as I found when 65. Stepping inside the single level ENHANCED BY OPENING Solutions are looking closely at the 65. Bruneel is a saloon brings me to the large open SIDE WINDOWS WHICH negotiating former general manager of Fountaine centralised kitchen with navigation DECK CABINS more sales. Pajot and OSTAR winner (on his station forward in front at the main Off the passageway are the two ALLOW YOU TO PEER 55ft Trilogic trimaran) so knows A major attraction of trimarans is windows with couches along each double ensuite cabins, with a third AFT AS WELL WHEN he Neel 65 is an amazing what it takes to build a fast and safe their performance, as I recalled side. Running nearly along the beam, down steps in the hull and another WORKING AROUND THE looking trimaran that I multihull. T enjoyed boarding but there’s racing through Sydney Harbour on the saloon windows give panoramic in the forepeak. The Franck Darnet NAV TABLE views from the Neel 65 and the designed interior is a stylish mix of a lot more than mere looks to this Sean Langman’s Orma 60 Team The Neel 65 is a performance cruiser Australia doing 34kts with one reef for big daily mileages so ideal for entrance to the ama cabins are at man-made materials with woven monster 65 footer that has three in, so there’s an obvious reason why the downwind ARC Rally (a Neel 45 each end. Visibility is enhanced by polyester flooring and suede levels and unusual interior space. ocean records are made by ‘tris’ as crossed the Atlantic averaging 10kts) opening side windows which allow lookalike wall cladding. Certainly Commissioned to be a fast cruiser they have both speed and stability; and its shallow draft is good for my you to peer aft as well when working a wee bit more luxurious than the and a commercial charter boat, the and to a lesser extent this applies favourite spots in the Caribbean around the nav table. The spacious Orma 60 which has a centre cabin new trimaran joins its successful to the cruising varieties. “Trimarans such as the Tobago Keys. Walking navigation station has plenty of so tiny even my medium frame had 4 multihullworld multihullworld 5 a job squeezing in! The bar-style with the aft cockpit and there’s a the amas. Hatches on the amas are by the tall saloon bulkhead, before high benches around the galley are separate single door as well. good places for your diving gear and reaching the foredeck where two a natural meeting place and they there’s enough space to house the sets of trampolines guide you to the don’t have fiddles but then again HUGE AFT DECK noisy compressor as well. Main swim artificial Teak clad pulpit. Anchoring is via a meaty vertical windlass/ this beast doesn’t tilt much at sea On the aft deck the large cockpit access is from the hull, where two capstan with the rode running out so your G&T should be safe. Dining (25m2) with its wetbar-kitchen is well rows of moulded steps guide you to the bowsprit anchor; with a chain is on two tables (one of which is sheltered under the flybridge and has into the briny. Lifting the locker top BELOW L-R: Outdoor kitchen, fridges, kayak storage and large dining space makes locker behind the collision bulkhead. the aft cockpit a comfortable space on the Neel 65. Photo Neel convertible into a cocktail table) so spacious L-shaped lounge seating here reveals a garage for the tender A surprisingly spacious ama layout on the Neel 65. Photo Neel the Neel 65 can host up to 12 diners. with lockers. Outboard of this are which can be easily pushed back on Climbing up the single ladder to the A new Neel 45 was launching during my visit to the La Rochelle yard. Also, opening the main sliding door elongated storage bins for kayaks rollers for launching. Moving forward flybridge brings me to yet another Photo Kevin Green creates a large indoor-outdoor area and these can be launched from on the 65, you are well supported huge lounging space (33m2) with 6 multihullworld multihullworld 7 the area behind the double helms devoted to dining for eight, with a double sunpad starboard. At the helms wide seats on each allow four people to enjoy the all round views, while between them is the centralised winch pod for crew BELOW L-R: Infusion process for the saloon roof of a Neel 45. Photo Kevin Green work. Hull #1 will operate with a Opening the aft cockpit hatch reveals a deep and specious engine room for the Volvo skipper, deckhand and a chef and 150hp shaft drive, with plenty of space for optional equipment including the Cummins Onan the layout is designed to allow generator that is at the front of this space.Photo Kevin Green The pronounced chine reduces the wetted area while giving accommodation space above; guests undisturbed relaxation in the and note the tunnel thruster. Photo Kevin Green flybridge while the boat is sailed. System controls include throttles BOTTOM: Moored at the old port of La Rochelle, the Neel 65 shows off its reverse bows that on both helms and remote control maximise the waterline. Photo Neel 8 multihullworld multihullworld 9 chart projects a brisk performance speCIfICAtIONs both upwind and down for the Neel 65 – 6kts upwind at 40° in 10kts of wind with 10kts off the breeze at 150° in 15kt winds using the gennaker. The standard alloy rig and wire shrouds can be upgraded and a lot of performance items added that reduces the weight by 1,100kg, should you opt for the Performance Pack. sail controls are separated from the lounging space in the flybridge and comprise three Antal winches at the mast foot plus outboard primary winches. Photo Neel INFUSED BUILD The Jubert-Nivelt designed hull’s big rocker promotes tacking, something of the engine along with tunnel bow flybridge there’s plenty of space that could be a challenge with all thruster, so the skipper can lean out around the primary XT 70 winches this wetted area. The deep and wide on the flybridge while docking the which have tracks in front that’s hull uses a chine to minimise the Neel 65. easily adjustable. Dacron Incidence drag, while above it the greater beam enhances the living space. Additional The pod design does place the three Sails have been used throughout the directional stability comes from a Antal winches – two XT66 and a Neel 65. Conventional slab reefing fixed centre keel, similar to the Neel single XT 62 – very near one another and lazy jacks are used on the big- 45, but obviously much deeper and when operating manually, rather topped mainsail while the genoa designed to protect the drive shaft than electrically. These control the runs on a self-tacking track and the 2 and the deep spade rudder.