About Us
Admiral Sandy is an ASA certified skipper, and an ACE certified fitness instructor. Captain Dan is a USCG licensed master captain and a US Sailing certified sailing instructor. Together, they’ve been sailing on the Great Lakes and Lake Geneva for over a decade and, in 2023, they moved their sailing home to New England. When on land, they live in Coppet, Switzerland and, starting March 2026, Falmouth, Maine, USA.
About Fregata
Fregata is a 2021 Amel 50, produced by Chantiers Amel in La Rochelle, France. Amel. The company was founded 50 years ago by Henri Amel. His story is fascinating. He fought in two wars, made several escape attempts from German prisoner-of-war camps, joined the French Résistance and designed some of his best-known blue-water yachts while mostly blind. When Henri retired, he gave the company to its employees who continue to manage it today.
Many know Amel of Amel’s Super Maramu ketch, made famous by the SV Delos video blog.
The Amel 50 and her bigger sister, Amel 60, are the latest in the Amel product line. They are cutter rigs, designed for safe bluewater cruising, while being easy to sail for a couple, and comfortable to live aboard for owners and guests.
What's in a Name?
“Fregata” is the genus name of the Frigatebird. These seabirds reach speeds of up to 95 mph (153 kph). They fly effortlessly, and by gliding on rising air masses, only need to flap their wings periodically. They can stay aloft for up to a month! They nap in flight, using only half of their brain at a time in 10 second bursts. Strangely, their feathers are not waterproof so they can’t get wet. They catch flying fish and squid in flight or, they steal food from other birds in flight. This is acheived by knocking into the other bird, causing it to regurgitate (yuck), and catching the slightly used meal in the air. This piracy is perhaps the origin of the Italian colloquial use of the word “fregata”, which is the feminine past participle of “fregare”, meaning to rip-off.