A whole lot of opinions posted here, many based more on fantasy than fact.
One thing to note is that the OP isn't talking about a 55 foot Amel, but rather a 42 foot Amel. Another thing is that the Amels as a group are specifically designed to be operated by a small crew, and have nearly all functions designed to be done from the cockpit. Reefing and flaking the main isn't an issue since it is in-mast furling/reefing, and electrically powered to boot (with manual back up, of course). Headsails are
electric furling as well. I'm not an experienced
ketch driver, but I am assured by those who are that the
ketch rig is superb for short handed sailing, offering great choice of sail plans with little effort, so that too is a plus for the OP's plans. I've been aboard a number of HCs over the years, and have never been impressed by the sail handling
gear or layout. Some owners have changed things around to improve this with varying success, but none will have the ease and convenience of the Amel.
Now, as to performance under sail... the numbers are pretty conclusive! The HC is a poor light air performer - lots of wetted area, very small SA to D ratio, fairly high L to D ratio. They will be motoring far more than the Amel, which has less wetted area (for her length), a pretty good SA to D and L to D number. The difference in
hull speeds (8.6 vs 7.3) is significant if not huge. The ease of attaining their
hull speed or near to it will be quite different due to the ratios noted above and this will affect
passage time more than the simple differences in
hull speed. The longer WL adds comfort at sea as well as speed. Pitching is reduced rather substantially as the WL lengthens... something I was rather surprised to discover in moving from 29 to 44 feet in our two
long term cruising boats.
I'm not a
center cockpit fan myself, but the HC's cockpit is small an.d exposed compared to the Amel's well protected
center cockpit. In terms of comfort at sea, there is no comparison IMO
And finally, as the OP mentioned just upthread, the Amel's attention to things like crash bulkheads, sealed engine rooms and such is a huge plus for those designs.
To be honest, neither of these boats appeal to me, but I think that an honest evaluation of their qualities rather than subjective glossing is what the OP needs... but I do agree that a lot more time at sea would be of even more help!
Jim