Design and Construction
The three hulls are vacuum-infused in a single mold using vinylester and polyester resin and PVC foam, and the center hull carries laminate ring frames for stiffness while its floors and bulkheads are foam-cored and vacuum-molded anchor. Engineering stiffness is provided by that center hull, which lets the cabin house span the majority of the 29-foot beam without intermediate supports. The boat’s displacement is about 30,864 pounds against 29 feet 2 inches of beam, and the hull is a trimaran with a spade rudder and fractional sloop rig.
Rig and Handling
The solent rig carries a self-tacking jib on the inner furler and an overlapping genoa on the outer, with a sprit for downwind sails and three winches—two of them electric—on the cabin top anchor. The boat we sailed had an optional carbon-fiber mast, and standing rigging and lifelines were Dyneema and Spectra. On the water, the speedo will climb easily into the high teens if the solent rig’s big genoa is rolled out in a breeze, and the wheel was smooth as silk. In low-teen breezes with two reefs in the main and the self-tending jib set, the boat tacked upwind with just a turn of the wheel, and in puffs it heels gently toward the leeward amas, then locks in and rides steady. The builder claimed a 200-plus-miles-a-day vessel, and a 290-mile, 24-hour run under a triple-reefed main and self-tending staysail on delivery supports that intent; the boat is designed to cruise at 10 knots.
Accommodations
A cabin spans most of the beam, and large glass windows wrap the entire cabin. Sliding glass doors open up nearly the entire width of the cabin house aft, merging saloon and cockpit. Outside, a hard bimini covers the cockpit with a pair of couches across the stern, a teak table to port that seats eight, and an outside galley to starboard with fridge, grill, and sink. Inside, a second similarly sized table can be raised or lowered, and the enormous galley forward to port has loads of counter space, a built-in stainless-steel oven and grill, two fridges, and an optional freezer. A large chart table to starboard doubles as workspace and indoor helm station. The bridgedeck holds the owner’s stateroom with athwartship bed footed against glass and an en-suite head and shower; forward in the center hull a guest cabin with V-berth and day-head sits below a few steps, while both amas have guest cabins with aft double bunks and head and shower compartments in each bow.
Engine and Systems
A 75 hp Volvo engine with saildrive sits aft behind a watertight door, and a door in the saloon floor opens to a full engine room with 7-foot headroom anchor. Underway with the engine running, sound levels inside were whisper-quiet. A single davit mounted just off the centerline with stainless-steel mounts on both sides of the molded swim platform serves the RIB. Tankage is 160 gallons each for water and fuel.
The Verdict
The Neel 51 is a serious offshore-capable trimaran that pairs a stiff, vacuum-infused three-hull platform with a solent rig and a genuinely spacious interior. It is quick, quiet, and easy to handle short-handed, though its beam and draft demand careful marina planning.
Pros
- Wide, glass-wrapped cabin with sliding doors across the full beam aft
- Solent rig with self-tacking jib and electric winches for easy upwind work
- Whisper-quiet 75 hp Volvo saildrive behind a watertight door
- Full standing-headroom engine room accessed through the saloon floor
Cons
- 29-foot beam limits slip and haulout options
- Ama configuration needs careful docking judgment
