You have owned a NEEL 43 for a few weeks now. Why did you choose a NEEL trimaran and more precisely the NEEL 43 ?
At the beginning of our project to sail around the world with our four children, we wanted to buy a second-hand catamaran. But we found it really expensive. So we fell back on large monohulls, but the heel was bothering us, especially for such a project. We then met the NEEL Dealer who presented us the NEEL-TRIMARANS concept. We liked the fact that NEEL trimarans are built in France and that they combine habitability and performance. We went to visit the shipyard and immediately fell in love. One month later we signed our NEEL 43.
We chose this model because we were really seduced by the idea of living all together on the same level and in a common space, with a permanent view on our children; it’s a real guarantee of safety. We also liked the “minimalist” aspect of the NEEL 43 because it is synonymous with simplicity and less maintenance, without losing any comfort.
We were really well supported throughout our purchasing process by NEEL-TRIMARANS. It was important for us because we had never sailed before.
The NEEL 43 SAIL AND SURF can be spotted from afar with its decorated hulls and, when the wind is right, its pink spinnaker
What are your first impressions after several weeks of sailing and what are the strong points of the NEEL 43 that you have appreciated the most so far ?
Our first impressions are really good. The real strong point that jumped out at us was the speed and performance of the boat. We’re overtaking all the other boats when we don’t even know how to trim the sails yet; I can’t imagine what it will be like when we fully master our NEEL 43 [laughs]. This is really the big difference with catamarans: we have the comfort of a catamaran but at the same time real performances; we really don’t regret our choice!
And I must say that the NEEL 43 is very functional; life on a single-story boat is really pleasant and we made some modifications to make the boat completely fit our needs… the result exceeds our expectations.
What is your project and your sailing program?
Like Romy, everyone has taken their bearings on board the NEEL 43 and the distribution of spaces on board allows everyone to keep some privacy to read, work… or draw.
We have a project to sail around the world in several stages. We know that in sailing you don’t need to have too precise plans. But the objective is to leave for Spain and Portugal at first. Then we’ll head for the Mediterranean with a passage through Morocco if the conditions allow it. And then, towards the Canaries and Cape Verde before the big crossing to the West Indies for at least a year there. And then, in the broad lines, transpacific and New Zealand.
Through this project, we would like above all to make our children discover the different ways of life around the world. We also wanted to spend time with them because they grow up fast, to get closer to nature and to learn to live better with less. It is also an ecological project because we will make surveys at sea, in partnership with associations.
What improvements have you made on your boat and what would you like to do in the future?
For the children, we had higher nets installed. We also removed the front cabin door and replaced it with a curtain to save more space in the kitchen. We are very happy with that. We also put fargues everywhere, a washing machine, nets for fruits and vegetables and of course we took the options AIS, radar and Iridium.
Aside from the nets, there is no specific equipment for children. It’s just that the NEEL 43 is well made and allows you to keep an eye on the children wherever you are on board. The NEEL 43 has been designed with this loft spirit in mind, and this has been complemented by the installation of a cockpit tent. A few chainplates have also been added for the lifelines.
Audrey adds:
It’s true that this cockpit tent enlarges the space, allowing – if we wish – to keep the children in a delimited area while having two distinct living spaces.