The Amel 54 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Amel 54, a staysail ketch, was designed and built in France by Amel.

An Amel 54

Published Specification for the Amel 54

Underwater Profile: Fin keel & skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 56'5" (17.2m)

Waterline Length: 50'4" (15.4m)

Beam: 15'9" (4.8m)

Draft: 6'10" (2.1m)

Rig Type: Staysail Ketch

Displacement: 38,580lb (17,500kg)

Designer: Amel

Builder: Amel (France)

Year First Built: 2005

Published Design Ratios for the Amel 54

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 21.2

Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 29.1

Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 191

Under 100: Ultralight
100 to 200: Light
200 to 275: Moderate
275 to 350: Heavy
Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 29.1

Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 1.9

Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Amel 54

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 21.2 suggests that, in the right hands, the Amel 54 will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 29.1 would usually mean that the Amel would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast located at the foot of her keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 191, tells us the Amel 54 is a light-to-moderate displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 29.1 suggests that crew comfort of a Amel 54 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.9 tells us that a Amel 54 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.