A few months later, we returned to La Rochelle to see the 1st ’45’ produced and to sail her for a day.

Our first impression: At rest, her lines are beautiful – even sleeker and cleaner than the renderings we were first shown. At sea, she performs beyond expectation on every point of sail. The rig is simple, powerful and very efficient. She is easily driven under sail and power, very stable, fast, dry and comfortable – everything one could hope for. The boat’s interior is very spacious, beautifully proportioned, functional and aesthetically pleasing. Build quality is excellent as is the quality of fit-out. The boat feels strong and solid.We are convinced this is the right boat for us.

We feel that the boat embodies every element of design that we consider essential for extended cruising. NEEL Trimarans has worked closely with us throughout construction and fit-out to insure that our boat is tailored exactly to our requirements. We could not be more pleased with our interaction with Eric and his team and the final product, our boat

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We made the most of northerly winds from the coast of Corogne with a downwind sail, we took a little less than 48 hours to get there. We knew that the wind would be strong, we had gusts of 40 knots. We started under staysail, with a north westerly and a chaotic sea, swell of 5-6 metres, the boat was surfing down the waves, we had a top speed of 25 knots. We were very comfortable and well protected in the saloon. We were never worried.

The boat is easy in all conditions and is advantageous for a small crew. It’s a boat that weighs 7-8 tonnes, its speed is 20 to 25% more than that of a multihull of the same size.

In light winds, it performs really well and when we push the boat under motor it consumes very little. I have done 100 hours of motoring with 160 litres of fuel at an average of 5.5 knots (to escape a calm). Its surface below the waterline is very low which explains its velocity.

The trimaran sometimes behaves like a monohull, and sometimes like a catamaran. When sailing upwind, it feels as though we are on a monohull and when downwind or reaching, like we are on a catamaran. In a choppy anchorage it is comfortable like a multihull.

When compared to a catamaran, we no longer have a boring boat, with this boat you have fun on the water. We’ve tried many catamarans, there are not many boats on which we like to sail. The feedback from our clients in general: it’s a fast boat that makes you forget you are sailing on a choppy sea, like that which we often find in the Caribbean. If you have a fast boat, you gain 20% of time and your boat is exposed to 50% less shake than another.

When you arrive in an anchorage with the trimaran, you attract interest. One of our clients who rented the boat for 3 months this winter has reserved it again next year. He says that with this boat, he makes friends …

There are many people who say: ‘we’d have a hard time going back to a catamaran now that we’ve experienced this”

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Fortunately, the weather is pleasant in La Rochelle, which is great for completing the final preparations. 2 December 2015, 1815, after a nice Ti-punch with the Neel team, the bridge is raised and we depart for the crossing of the Bay of Biscay. Good wind, beautiful sea, Ti’foufou is making good progress After just 5 days of motoring against 3 meter waves, we arrive at La Corogne. Docking under motor for the novices that we are and in the strong winds goes well in the end thanks to ‘our second engine’ the bow thruster 5 December 2015, we’re leaving with a minimal crew, there are 2 of us on board!Passage from Cape Finisterre under motor in lovely weather Despite the headwind, we advance well but St Barts is still far away …

Very pleasant stopover at Douro marina in Porto Spectacular arrival surfing into the entrance of the port still on 3 meter waves 10 December 2015, depart towards Lanzarote, the Canary Islands. Arrival at the beautiful Rubicon marina, where Ti-foufou was a big hit The mooring manoeuvres are improving. We take advantage of this stop to refill the tanks. The economy of the Volvo diesel engine is quite incredible; it consumes virtually nothing.

16 December 2015, depart for the Atlantic in 25 knots We are doing 8 knots upwind. We continue towards Cape Verde to find the trade winds We will have about 20 knots from the east all the way across, with rough seas on the beam caused by swell rolling in from the North Atlantic. Ti-foufou does an average of 8 knots in choppy seas whilst always maintaining a smooth ride We arrive in St. Barts on a sunny New Year’s day after a passage of long surf and many gybes.

We then spent all winter in the Caribbean with friends aboard who really enjoyed the boats comfort, both when moored and underway. I’m starting to have Ti’foufou well in hand, it is very easy both under sail and for mooring manoeuvres It’s a real pleasure to sail on a boat that’s beautiful, fast and light!

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The departure from Las Palmas went well, with 30 knots of wind on the quarter, and we quite quickly found ourselves among the leaders. The atmosphere aboard was perfect, everyone had their role, and Roger treated us to some tasty little dishes, with of course a little aperitif every evening to keep our spirits up… We even took the time to land a dolphin fish, which was a real treat for us, lasting several days.

As for the race, it was a great pleasure for us to see on the AIS the bigger boats with crews of 8 to 12 people all around us. The atmosphere between the competitors in this event was great, and we exchanged e-mails with some of the crews we had met before the start in Las Palmas.The sunsets, rainbows and starry nights amazed us, and we were very relaxed while hanging on to this pole position in the multihulls class which finally suited us perfectly well… We arrived at St Lucia during the night, after 13 days and 11 hours sailing, during which we covered 2,957 miles.

The second boat, the Outremer 51 ‘Wanderer’ arrived 6 hours after us, and helped by a very long ‘aperitif’, we told each other about our crossings. Our average speed on this crossing was close to 10 knots, and we set a speed record of 19.7 knots. Only the automatic pilot was able to do better, with a top speed of 20.5 knots… The ARC is a good event for sailors like us, conviviality is ever-present and many crews join to enjoy the supervision and follow-up by an organization with Anglo-Saxon rigor.

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The NEEL 45 offers, without doubt, simple and multiple advantages. But how could this work with my wife, Anne, who doesn’t like sailing, let alone manoeuvring. Who detests heeling and who swears by comfort, space and relaxation. She was looking for an apartment and she found a loft. Easy to maintain with resistant materials that keep their colour, she was looking for the feminine side and she found that in the NEEL 45. It became HER boat.

Since then we have increased the amount of trips we do, much to our delight, in complete safety, I enjoy easily overtaking those in front, without risk, with family, me who had thought that a boat was always a compromise. The NEEL 45 at anchor? I would say that there are even more benefits; it doesn’t swing, it’s stable, with a coherent flow to the layout and the utilisation of the different volumes promotes relaxation, rest, sunbathing, boarding the dinghy or taking a mooring, the boat is silent when moored, we sleep well.

Finally, my technical eye respects those who imagined and designed the NEEL 45 because aside from all of its qualities mentioned above, the maintenance guy will be happy. How wonderful, all is visible and easily accessible, logical. Whether it be the rudder apparatus, steering lines, engine access that stays protected or all the components rendering the on-board electrics totally accessible in the vast central hull, well done!

We could not be happier. In addition, the NEEL team are great!”

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In 2014 we looked at mono-hulls, catamarans and even classic gentleman’s sailing yachts, but when we saw the Neel 45 we knew we had found the right boat for us. Antony wanted performance and agility without compromising on comfort (well maybe that was more me) – and I wanted to enjoy sailing at less than 45 degrees of heel!

We took delivery of Trietto in May 2015, and in July 2015, Antony, our son Adam, and three other friends sailed Trietto across the Bay of Biscay, down the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal to Cadiz where I joined them. The Bay of Biscay crossing took 2 days and 2 nights and despite a strong swell, the first night was a great sail on one tack rewarded by sight of dolphins and a whale pod.

The sail down the west coast of Portugal was more exciting but Trietto coped very well. By Cadiz, our son and his friends had returned to the UK, and 4 of us sailed through the Gibraltar Straights in the fog (both day and night). We had chosen a B & G Zeus Touch Navigation system and the radar, combined with AIS, was indispensable in the foggy conditions. We could hear the fog-horns of the commercial cargo ships in the Traffic Separation Scheme but thankfully we were some distance away!

By Tarragona, our friends had also returned home, leaving Antony and I to sail Trietto to Cogolin where we had a permanent mooring. This was the first time Antony and I had sailed a yacht without family as crew and we were thrilled that we could enjoy sailing Trietto à deux – which was always the intention. For my benefit, we had specified an electric starboard winch which meant that we could raise the mainsail and set the sails with ease. En route we berthed at Arenys de Mar and Port Vendres (both delightful) before crossing the Golfe du Lion to head to the Camargue. We were fortunate in crossing with a calm sea and spent a night in a wonderful bay.

The next day we sailed via the island of Porquerolles before finally arriving at Cogolin – Antony had sailed Trietto 1970 nautical miles since leaving La Rochelle 3 weeks previously. Trietto has lived up to all our expectations; she is easy to sail short-handed, the all-round open aspect from the chart table and the salon is wonderful and also means sailing in poorer weather is very manageable. She is really comfortable and we love waking up to a real sea view when at anchor. Mooring does require some practice (the bow thruster comes in very handy) and a little more advance planning is needed to get a berth in port in busy times. However, once moored, we get many admiring glances from both catamaran and mono-hull owners!

When time allows, we’d love to do longer journeys and explore more of the Med, and we can’t think of a better boat in which to do it.

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• She points in the wind,
• She’s more comfortable in heavy seas,
• And she is fast !

I looked at your design and others. I liked your design as it was a real trimaran and a good combination of what I had before (speed) with a loft apartment on top, so the design was fantastic ! I like the idea of having the living quarters up and keeping the real sailing of a trimaran. You know, what is also cool is that she is very simple to sail. Not complicated to get speed. I had non-sailors friends on board, they have been fascinated by the way she sails as they don’t like the heeling of a monohull. They liked the speed, the stability and the way she handles waves.

I also had good sailors on board like 25 years monohull sailors, riggers or people from the industry. Generally, people think that a multihull does not point in the wind. On the NEEL 45, we sail up to 30° from apparent wind and they realized that it is because the sail plan gets a lots of stability as it is on the main hull rather than between hulls like on a catamaran.

I also had very good feedback from women sailing with us. Our woman friends do not like the heeling of a monohull. They are scared of that. They find the NEEL 45 fantastic as she is stable and comfortable. I did 5 000 miles with the boat and with big waves she just goes over the waves and keep the stability”

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We planned 3 years for the trip. A couple and 2 children, aged 2 and 11 years old. The sale of the house, the preparations for the children’s on-board education, the travel arrangements and above all… finding our ideal boat.

A boat as a friend

Three years later. Moored in the intense blue of Fakarava lagoon, it’s the conclusion of the adventure. It’s 5.30 am, Aude, Fanny and Lancelot are still sleeping. I doze on the nets of my trimaran and scroll through the memories of our journey, all the scenery and the sunsets, the friends met, the beauty of the underwater flora and fauna. The joy, the pain, the fatigue, the fear but every morning a brand new start. The fast sails between the islands and the lazy boat life. After three years of sailing, the sea is part of who we are. This big ‘unknown’ is now familiar to us. But thinking about it, the main character, the real hero of this story, is our boat! Over the miles, the boat became an integral member of the expedition and our family. Emotionally, there’s no denying it, the boat now has an important place in our hearts. Materially it’s certain, we have enjoyed its comfort. It’s a cocoon! Technically, the captain can only bow in admiration. This boat handles like a motorbike. Everything is simple and clear. The mainsail can be hoisted without a winch. The load on the rigging and lines is minor in comparison to a catamaran of the same size. This trimaran satisfies all demands. As simple as the press of a button, you go from an easy cruise under autopilot, fishing, watching the sun set to a sporty sail, lively, precise and fun at the helm. At 12 years old, Lancelot does his night watches well set up at the chart table. Wind, speed, angle, AIS, radar. I can sleep soundly.

Even Fanny at just 5 years old is able to observe the wind and the AIS during 15 or 20 minutes, the time for the captain to have a little siesta. The choice of the NEEL 45 has been the right one. Certainly

En route towards paradise

With my partner Aude and our children, we had, to our credit, done a round the world trip by land and decided to do the next by sea. A training course at Glénans, 2 years of deliveries in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, 7000 nautical miles sailing later, I am no longer a novice but … I still have much to learn. And above all, the boat is still to be found. A blue water cruising boat for a family, a sailing boat, reliable, simple and functional, fast and responsive … the boat that has it all. It is at La Grande Motte boat show that we see it for the first time, on the NEEL Trimarans’ stand. The NEEL 45 that corresponds to our budget is off plan. But the deal is done. What impatience during the construction and how wonderful this first trip to deliver our NEEL from La Rochelle to La Grande Motte! A little work on the interior at La Grande Motte: removal of the sink in the head to become a large shower, a modular cabin for Lancelot (single or double bed), the bow cabin on one level for Fanny, single beds in one of the floats. A few on board jobs and taking the boat out on Sundays with friends to learn how to handle the beast. Departure announced for the start of winter 2013. No weather window for the Balearics. Too bad! After three weeks of waiting, we’ve got to go. For this first crossing, we are battered more than we will experience again in the next three years of sailing. Next, everything goes very well even through the tough conditions of the Mediterranean. Then upon arrival in the Canaries, the verdict is in : I’ll be alone aboard to cross the Atlantic.

It is my first transat and my first solo sail. Of course, I’m apprehensive. A shore based router guides me thanks to my Iridium. The crossing is long and challenging with constantly changing conditions. And even a 24-hour storm: 50 knots of wind in the wrong direction and waves more than 4 m high. The waves break all around with deafening sound. I run downwind until it dies down. The boat rolls down the waves peacefully at 7 knots without any sails up. After an uneventful first few hours, I leave the autopilot to work for me and fall asleep in a raincoat and harness on the floor. A great experience and a triumphant arrival in St Martin to see my family again and visit the Canary Islands.

When Noé, one of the two big brothers in the family, comes to join us, Fanny and Lancelot share a cabin. We are comfortable, even with 5 on board. When the conditions are perfect, everyone wants to be at the helm. A memorable moment off of Colombia. What a pleasure, what emotions. 2 reefs with the staysail, beam reach, wind and waves … The dyneema steering lines are wonderful and we do more than 17 knots on every other wave. We sometimes glide for 20 seconds on the same wave. Noé achieved the boat record pushing 25 knots in epic waves. What a pleasure to see the fine bows seamlessly cut through the waves unencumbered. Of course the ‘carving’ of the downwind float at high speed is very powerful and generates rather strong lateral acceleration. But when we reduce the sail, everything is back to calm in a couple of seconds. Crossing the Pacific from Panama to the Marquesas, passing the Galapagos is a real treat. With constant wind between 12 and 20 knots in the right direction, the sails need only be touched three times. After 15 days sailing at an average of 9 knots, we are proud of our boat. We sailed a lot and quickly to arrive in Polynesia,

20,000 nm and one year to the day since our departure. And here we keep our 3 hulls in paradise for 2 years. The Marquesas, the Tuamotu islands, the Society Islands… We really made the most of it and it will be really hard to leave. Because yes, definitely, it’s the ideal place to sail and live fully without limits. A vast area of water the size of Europe that makes you forget the rest of the world. The journey comes to an end. The boat is for sale, as planned. The final leg will be short and fast. New Caledonia then New Zealand where the boat will wait for its new and lucky buyers. Buyers to who I strongly advise to return to Polynesia where the three bows of the NEEL 45 know by heart the turquoise blue waters of the lagoons of paradise.

The thoughts of the captain

The NEEL has a big default: it pleases everyone. In the Caribbean, it was rare to find an anchorage where we would not be surrounded by dinghies upon our arrival. I showed our boat off countless times. One often has a false idea of this boat. Certainly the NEEL is fast, but above all it really is a comfortable cruiser. Yes it’s a trimaran, from conception through to sailing, but there is no need to be a professional mariner to sail it. I would even say that it is more simple to use that many catamarans. There are no violent movements and it is almost never slapped under the wings. My review of the boat is more than positive: safe, fast, simple, comfortable at sea… If I were to do my journey again, I would do it on the same boat. A small improvement would be welcome, however. A better anti-centreboard plan. Despite the very good central weight distribution, I’d make it bigger for a better ride. For the rest, I’d keep it as it is.”

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To us the most striking feature is the ease with which you can sail a NEEL. You can do all maneuvers single handed, outside on the portside without a problem. The helming is so light and responsive that is just a wonderful experience to sail a NEEL. We have never seen another sailing boat in this size that is so easy and so fun to sail single handed.

On our journey so far, we have experienced all kind of sea states and have always felt very safe aboard. She manages waves with ease, surfing beautifully when the waves come from the aft and cutting through them when they are coming from the front. Because of the wide beam, centered weight and low center of gravity she also copes cross waves safely without any problems.

The NEEL are very fast sailing boats, it’s known. Even as a family we manage to cover a lot of miles in little time with ease. To us however it is not so important whether we do 150nm or 200nm a day. What we appreciate most about our NEEL is that she even sails with very little wind. When most other boats are already under engine, we are still sailing. As we live with two kids aboard, we also enormously appreciate the high quality material that is used inside, which proved to be very resistant.

As we are living full time aboard, it was very important to us that we have a well equilibrated energy concept, and this was installed with a great success. Even during long passages, we are completely energy independent. The boat is very nicely ventilated, with its big sliding door and well situated windows, you always manage to get a breeze through the boat.

Also because you live above the sea, you have a very easy and well accessible plumbing situation.

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As modest ambassadors of French navigational knowledge abroad, we cannot then shirk our responsibilities. We are forced to provide modest and factual answers to calm the game. But here again, these exchanges give rise to admiring whistles, “amazing” love and hearty applause … which prevent us from travelling incognito and overload us somewhat with boat visits and aperitifs.

So of course, beyond this major disadvantage, our NEEL 45 still has some qualities. These are those well known to trimarans, to which we can add the originality of the concept, which still seduces us for its comfort, and the NEEL-TRIMARANS shipyard’s mastery of the essential elements, which in our eyes are the rigidity of the structure and the respect of the weight specifications.

We check this every day:

• A very gentle passage through the sea which makes sailing comfortable and easy and encourages us to spend time at sea (7000 MN in 7 months the first season).
• Average speeds that are always very flattering, allowing great mobility over extended ranges, and the choice of the best weather options for long legs.
• A reduced draught (very appreciable these last few months in the Bahamas) and excellent behaviour at anchor which makes us appreciate the slightest wild anchorage whatever the weather (the months pass without access to any marina thanks to the watermaker and the solar panels which are very well developed today).
• A great ease of management of the boat when sailing, as a couple or with an even smaller crew, thanks to a well studied sail/deck plan and a well dimensioned deck equipment (for example more than 1200 MN between Havana/Cuba and Annapolis/USA done alone in complete safety in 2017) which makes us appreciate even the close-hauled paces.
• A comfort to live in that separates the living and technical areas and a very easy maintenance, very appreciable when travelling.
• And the incomparable pleasure – after having compared many things in our sailing life – of a real sailing experience full of sensations and liveliness … and of the pleasure, barely avowable, of overtaking everyone on the water!

Ah, we’ll leave you to it. Two catamarans, Canadian and American, which we have just “pulverized” at sea two hours ago, are now entering the bay of the Exumas archipelago in which we are anchored. Already the applause is resounding, we still have to go and do the beautiful thing. It’s really painful !!!

PS: You can follow us online on Facebook: “Le voyage de Kezeo“.

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