AMEL

What AMEL does

Chantiers AMEL S.A., operating as AMEL, is a privately held French shipyard founded by Henri Amel in 1965 and headquartered at 8 Rue Joseph Cugnot, Périgny, France. The company designs, manufactures, and sells custom luxury bluewater cruising sailboats built for long-distance ocean passages, with a current model range comprising the AMEL 50.2 (a new-generation 50-footer succeeding the AMEL 50, of which approximately 140 units are sailing worldwide) and the AMEL 60 (a 60-foot luxury cruiser awarded European Yacht of the Year 2020). Production uses composite (GRP/polyester) hull and deck construction, in-house woodworking, electrical, and mechanical assembly across a multi-building shipyard that is currently being modernized under the PHARE transformation project, with new composite and carpentry facilities targeted for completion in February 2027.

The business operates three revenue streams. The primary stream is one-off new yacht sales priced on application through a high-touch dealer network and direct shipyard contact, supplemented by sea trials scheduled at major European and US boat shows (Cannes, Grand Pavois La Rochelle, Boot Düsseldorf, Salone Nautico di Genova, Paris Nautic, Newport). A secondary stream is after-sales service, parts, and warranty support delivered via dealers and the shipyard, reinforced by the owner community events AMEL Cup, AMEL Cup Med, and AMEL Cup Tropics. A tertiary stream is the AMEL Boutique (boutique.amel.fr), a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront selling branded apparel (polos €54–66, fleece jackets €132), lifestyle goods (bathrobes €102, cushions €78), and accessories (golf balls €12, backpacks €52.80) — a small but margin-accretive extension of brand equity.

AMEL serves a narrow customer base of affluent sailing enthusiasts undertaking ocean cruising and circumnavigation, with no enterprise or fleet customers in evidence. Distribution is sales-led and event-driven, supported by an international dealer portal, partnerships with naval architects (Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design) and sailing events (Rallye des Îles du Soleil), and an athlete sponsorship (Manon Pianazza). The company employs 51–100 people, is independently owned without disclosed external investors, and reports no public revenue figures.

Name

AMEL

Legal name

Chantiers AMEL S.A.

Website

https://amel.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AMEL is a privately held French shipyard founded in 1965 that designs, builds, and services custom luxury bluewater cruising sailboats (AMEL 50.2 and AMEL 60) for affluent individual sailors, distributed through an international dealer network and supported by after-sales service and a branded merchandise boutique.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Sailing Yacht Manufacturing

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Sailing Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sailing Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAA)

Keywords

• Luxury sailing yachts
• Bluewater cruising sailboats
• Yacht manufacturing
• Boat repair services
• Marine accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Périgny

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. New Sailboat Sales: Primary revenue stream from manufacturing and selling custom luxury cruising sailboats. Current models include AMEL 50.2 and AMEL 60, priced at the luxury end of the cruising yacht market.
2. After-sales Service and Support: Service and support for AMEL yacht owners, including maintenance, repairs, and spare parts through the dealer network and direct shipyard services.
3. AMEL Boutique: Online merchandise store selling branded clothing, accessories, and lifestyle products. Products include apparel (polo shirts €54-66, fleece jackets €132), lifestyle items (decorative cushions €78, bathrobes €102), and accessories (golf balls €12, backpacks €52.80, laptop cases €48).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AMEL designs, builds, and sells luxury bluewater cruising sailboats — currently the AMEL 50.2 (around 50 feet) and the AMEL 60 (around 60 feet) — at a shipyard in Périgny, France. The company also provides after-sales service and spare parts for owners via an international dealer network and ships an online AMEL Boutique of branded apparel, accessories, and lifestyle products.

Product overview

AMEL is a French shipyard (Chantiers AMEL S.A.) specializing in bluewater cruising sailboats. The core product portfolio consists of two yacht models: the AMEL 50.2 (50-foot successor to the AMEL 50, featuring nearly 140 units sold worldwide) and the AMEL 60 (60-foot luxury cruiser). Both vessels embody the brand's DNA of robust construction, comfort, and ease of handling for serene ocean cruising. The company also operates an e-commerce boutique selling AMEL-branded apparel, home goods, and accessories. AMEL maintains a network of dealers and provides customer support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMEL 50.2: New generation cruising sailboat, successor to the AMEL 50
• AMEL 60
• AMEL Boutique
• AMEL Cup

Products and services

• AMEL 50.2 Approximately 50-foot bluewater cruising sailboat representing a new generation of AMEL yachts, designed for serene, safe, easy-to-handle cruising with remarkable comfort, aimed at affluent individual sailors and couples.
• AMEL 60 Approximately 60-foot luxury cruising sailboat with sleek lines and exceptional equipment, appreciated as a luxury cruiser and for exhilarating sailing performance, targeted at affluent sailors seeking long-distance cruising capability.
• AMEL Boutique

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 140 AMEL 50 units sailing worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• European Nautical Industry Environmental Standards InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2024AMEL joined a European industry initiative to develop a historic norm on the environmental footprint of pleasure boats (Life Cycle Assessment - LCA). This partnership with other European nautical companies aims to establish environmental standards for the industry.
• Rallye des Îles du SoleilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2024AMEL has been a longstanding partner of the Rallye des Îles du Soleil sailing event, supporting sailors undertaking Atlantic crossings. The partnership has been renewed multiple times (2020, 2023, 2024), demonstrating a consistent strategic relationship with this sailing community event that showcases AMEL boats in real cruising conditions.
• Manon PianazzaminorOthers · 11 April 2023AMEL supports Manon Pianazza, a young sailing champion who competes in European championships. AMEL sponsored her sailing career starting 2021, aligning with the brand's connection to competitive and recreational sailing.
• Berret-Racoupeau Yacht DesigncoreTechnology or IntegrationBerret-Racoupeau Yacht Design credited for yacht plans and design work on AMEL vessels. This is a long-standing design partnership responsible for the naval architecture and exterior design of AMEL sailing yachts.
• Marine PoolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarine Pool is mentioned as a specialist in technical sailing clothing and maritime fashion. AMEL collaborated with Marine Pool to create the AMEL branded clothing line sold in the boutique.
• Mona LisonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMona Lison provides organic home linen products sold through the AMEL Boutique, including bedding and bathroom linens featuring AMEL branding.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Allures Yachts: French builder of bluewater cruising sailboats with aluminium construction, competing in the same shorthanded bluewater niche as AMEL and sharing the French cruising customer base.

Direct peers

• X-Yachts: Danish builder of performance and performance-cruising sailing yachts, comparable on premium build quality and European cruising customer base, though with a more performance-oriented positioning.
• Contest Yachts: Dutch semi-custom luxury sailing yacht builder in the 50–70 ft class, comparable to AMEL on build quality, bespoke semi-custom approach, and premium European cruising market.
• Hallberg-Rassy: Swedish family-owned builder of luxury bluewater cruising sailboats in the 40–60 ft range, the closest direct comparable to AMEL on product positioning, customer profile, and bespoke semi-custom build philosophy.
• Oyster Yachts: British builder of large semi-custom and custom bluewater sailing yachts, directly competing with AMEL in the premium long-distance cruiser segment for affluent owner-operators.
• Garcia Yachts: French shipyard building aluminium bluewater cruising sailboats and exploration yachts, overlapping with AMEL's bluewater DNA and serving a similar French and international cruising clientele.
• Hylas Yachts: Builder of ocean-cruising sailing yachts designed for shorthanded passage-making, with product positioning and customer profile closely mirroring AMEL's bluewater focus.

Broad incumbents

• Jeanneau: Major French sailboat brand under Groupe Beneteau, competing in the cruising segment with broader portfolio volume and dealer reach than AMEL's niche offering.
• Dufour Yachts: French sailboat builder offering cruising yachts in a similar length range to AMEL but at more accessible price points and higher unit volumes.
• Beneteau: Largest French sailboat group offering sailing yachts across mass and premium tiers (Oceanis, First) — provides broader market context but lacks AMEL's specialist bluewater positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYAbSsQcVxNKUHZyBOtCx2Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmelYachts
• Instagraminstagram.com/amelyachts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amel-yachts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AMEL