Neel

Neel Trimarans builds liveaboard cruising trimarans in La Rochelle — a yard founded in 2010 by Eric Bruneel, who spent twenty-six years at catamaran giant Fountaine Pajot, raced his own 50ft trimaran to class wins in the OSTAR and the Fastnet, and concluded that three hulls beat two: faster under sail, and just as habitable. The trademarked “cockloon” — cockpit and saloon merged into one single-level space, with the owner’s cabin on the main deck — remains the idea no catamaran has answered.

The yard entered court-supervised restructuring in December 2025 and was rescued in March 2026 by a La Rochelle consortium — dealer Maxime Védrenne, boatbuilder Martin Volt and industry veteran Martin Lepoutre — who kept 46 of 57 jobs and cut the build plan to around ten boats a year. Production continues with the 43, the 43 DUO and the 52; a Neel 48 is announced for 2027. The used market, meanwhile, has more Neels on it than the niche has ever seen.