Design and Construction
Neel Trimarans built the 47 with the central hull carrying the creature comforts while the outer hulls stay deliberately light and relatively unencumbered for performance. The layout promotes better cohabitation and privacy, with each float reached by its own independent access rather than through the main saloon. Marc Lombard's performance-oriented hand shows in a hull form that the builder describes as offering exceptional sailing qualities while keeping comfort and balance, and a Neel 47 named Minimole won the ARC+ 2019 overall, with another taking ARC+ 2021.
Rig and Handling
The boat carries a fractional sloop rig with a 753.5 sq ft full-battened mainsail, a 538 sq ft furling genoa, and a self-tracking furling staysail of 215 sq ft. Test sailors on the Chesapeake found her close-winded, tacking through 90 degrees with no hesitancy, and in 7.5 to 8 knots of breeze she matched true wind speed while flying an asymmetric cruising chute off an integrated sprit. The helm is elevated to starboard with panoramic sightlines, and testers noted it felt light and feathery and turned on a dime like a monohull. A reefed square-topped main handled a fitful 8-knot breeze without drama, and the centralized helm allows safe maneuvering with clear communication to the cockpit.
Accommodations
The central hull is laid out for the owning couple, with a cockloon — the open blend of cockpit and saloon — that runs to a back porch with seating and tables, double sliding doors, a second dining area, a navigation station beside the galley, and a double cabin with wide windows. There is no head in the cockloon; the head sits forward down a few steps in the bow with a separate wash basin and shower. Guest cabins are basic and placed in the outer hulls, reached on their own from outside. A huge technical locker beneath the cockloon floorboards centralizes machinery access without disturbing the living space.
The Verdict
The Neel 47 is a distinctive, inventive trimaran that sails with monohull-like responsiveness yet delivers the social breadth of a multihull. Her privacy-separated float cabins and elevated centralized helm suit an adventurous couple who want speed without surrendering comfort, and her race record confirms the bluewater brief is real rather than marketing.
Pros
- Tacks through 90 degrees with no hesitancy and matches true wind in light air
- Independent float access preserves owner privacy in the central hull
- Elevated starboard helm with panoramic visibility and light steering
- ARC+ wins confirm offshore performance credentials
Cons
- No head in the main cockloon; must go forward to the bow
- Guest cabins in the hulls are basic compared with the central suite
