Design and Construction
Neel Trimarans built the 45 with a vacuum-bonded PVC foam core and fiberglass sandwich, a method applied across hulls, floats, bridge deck, and superstructure. The numbers tell the story of a light, beamy cruiser: 44 feet overall with a striking 28-foot beam, roughly 18,700 pounds displacement, and a capsize screening ratio of 4.22 that speaks to multihull stability logic rather than monohull convention. A daggerboard keel and spade rudder complete the underbody, while the deck shows thoughtful geometry — testers noted a curved coaming and aft decks that curved up and around, shaping sheltered companionways without bulwarks that box the crew in.
Rig and Handling
The boat carries a big, square-topped mainsail on a fractional sloop rig, paired with a self-tacking jib and a code zero-type gennaker for reaching. A mainsheet that can be quickly anchored in different locations thanks to multiple padeyes lets the crew tune helm balance without complex tweaking anchor. Bruneel calls it a 10-knot boat, and the transatlantic delivery from France reportedly averaged 230 nautical miles a day anchor. In a test sail under a 16- to 18-knot northerly, the Neel 45 made 11.2 knots upwind and better than 12 knots reaching — pace that reframes what a 45-foot cruiser can do under sail.
Accommodations
Below, the Neel 45 abandons the central saloon of a catamaran for a long corridor that includes a straight-line galley, keeping the cook clear of traffic. Ample 6-foot-8-inch headroom runs through the accommodation. A pair of staterooms, one each to port and starboard, holds outward-facing double berths, while a third double cabin with a big V-berth sits in the bow. A nav station opposing the central dining space with a wraparound settee gives the boat a proper voyage-planning post rather than a token chart table.
Machinery and Access
A deep and commodious engine room in the middle of the boat is accessed by a long ladder through a wide hatch, an arrangement that favors real maintenance work over contortion. Despite the twin-engine assumption many buyers bring to trimarans, the Neel 45 has only a single engine, with a bow thruster addressing the lost maneuverability a single centerline screw might suggest anchor.
The Verdict
The Neel 45 is a genuinely distinctive cruising trimaran: fast enough to redefine passage expectations, roomy in a corridor-style layout that suits liveaboard life, and built with serviceable access to its machinery. Its innovations are real rather than cosmetic, and the speed figures are not marketing vapor. The single engine and daggerboard demand a little more docking intent, but the bow thruster and the boat's own predictability soften that edge.
Pros
- Named Most Innovative vessel in the 2013 Boat of the Year fleet
- Documented 11+ knot sailing speeds upwind and reaching in moderate breeze
- Corridor layout with straight-line galley and 6-foot-8 headroom
- Central engine room with ladder access through a wide hatch
Cons
- Single engine requires bow thruster for close-quarters confidence
- Daggerboard and spade rudder need inspection for play
