Design and Construction
Amel built the 60 as a solid fiberglass laminate below the waterline with a PVC foam sandwich above, and both hull and deck are resin infused, a method the builder introduced on the Amel 50 anchor. The deck carries the marque’s maintenance-free teak-effect surfaces rather than real wood overlay, and a solid rail runs the full perimeter, higher than conventional guardwires. Interior watertight bulkheads and insulated compartments are part of the structure, and the joinerwork is American walnut or, as a later interior specification notes, a choice of light oak or walnut finished by Isabelle Racoupeau’s hand. With a light displacement of about 57,320 pounds and 15,873 pounds of iron ballast, the 60 sits at a displacement-to-length ratio near 151—figures that place her firmly in the loaded-ocean-cruiser camp rather than the racer spectrum.
Rig and Handling
The boat’s rig is a cutter by mast position, carried on a deck-stepped carbon fiber mast fitted as standard with electric furling and in-mast furling behind a roachless main. A self-tacking cutter rig is available, as are a free-flying furling Code 0 and a furling gennaker; the standard bowsprit is fixed and sized for anchoring and light sails, with electric furling on the genoa and optional electric staysail. Sail-area-to-displacement works out to about 19.7 on the builder’s 100-percent foretriangle number, and a period tester logged 5.4 knots in 6–7 knots of true wind on flat water—impressive for a 26-tonne hull anchor. On the water, the lack of propwalk makes tight turns under power awkward without the optional stern thruster, and one reviewer voiced reservations about the long steering cable runs to the twin rudders, though the thought was cut short in the source.
Accommodations
Below, the 60 is arranged for three couples, with an owner’s cabin aft and a pair of mirror-image double cabins forward, each with its own head and shower for six berths total. The aft owner’s space gains headroom from a raised cabintrunk and includes a small U-shaped dinette to port; forward cabins carry hanging lockers and small seats, and the forepeak is larger than typical. The saloon is a large living space, and the starboard galley runs along the engine room and reaches into the main cabin, fitted as standard with microwave, induction hob, washer-drier, and dishwasher. A bigger-than-usual fo’c’sle and generous bilge storage round out the volume.
Deck, Cockpit, and Equipment
The deck plan puts a deep, largely enclosed center cockpit forward of the aft cabintrunk, more pilothouse than open cockpit, with a sliding solid sunroof and an offset helm from which the boat is managed; a single wheel and a mainsheet winch to starboard of the companionway sit within the helmsman’s reach. Centralized controls are molded into the sheltered cockpit, which opens onto a sundeck; photovoltaic panels ride the rigid shelter. A large hydraulic bathing platform with ladder, a retractable bow thruster as standard, and an optional retractable stern thruster complete the close-quarters kit. Big rectangular topside deadlights cut the visual mass of the high freeboard.
Engine and Systems Access
A 180-horsepower diesel (175 in one specification) drives through a direct connection to 900 liters of fuel and 700 of water. The engine room is spacious and insulated, accessed from the cockpit, and a tester called it the best engine access imaginable on a bluewater cruiser, cooling quickly with abundant light and air through the large opening. Aft storage beneath the cockpit houses the balanced twin rudders and gives access to the helm system.
The Verdict
The Amel 60 is a thoroughly modern flagship that translates the builder’s structural watertight-bulkhead approach into a light-filled, forward-cockpit world cruiser with genuinely exceptional service access and a three-couple layout that spares no cabin its own bath. Her sailing profile is reassuring rather than racy, and the optional thrusters address a real low-speed handling gap.
Pros
- Resin-infused solid-and-foam construction with watertight bulkheads and teak-effect low-maintenance decks
- Standard carbon mast with electric and in-mast furling; optional self-tacking cutter and Code 0
- Best-in-class cockpit-accessible engine room with light, air, and space
- Three private-head cabins and a large, well-equipped galley as standard
Cons
- No propwalk makes tight powered turns difficult without the optional stern thruster
- Long steering cable runs to twin rudders drew reviewer reserve about feel
- Forward, enclosed cockpit is an unusual arrangement that not all cruisers will prefer
