ELAN GT6 STYLED BY PORSCHE

The GT6 is designed by Humphreys Yacht Design but they make such a fuss about the boat being styled by Porsche that I chose to mention it in the title. I don't see any reason for such a big relevance about that. In fact, the Porsche design cabinet has nothing to do with the Porsche car brand except being founded by the same person, Ferdinand Porsche, who died 60 years ago. The design firm was continued by his son, with the same name (died 20 years ago) and for many decades it has had nothing to do with the car brand.

As a design cabinet, it is not specialized in yacht styling and interior design, as other design cabinets are, and it is not even one of the big ones in what regards generalist design, but I guess the name Porshe associated with a boat that wants to have a sportive image will help the sales.

Luxury and power, it is how they describe the GT6 and the Porsche link suggests just that, but the boat power and performance deny that association even if the looks are well sorted out with the big freeboard being very well disguised by a sculptured hull with integrated "windows". The yacht looks like a mini maxi yacht, and that's precisely what they want it to look like. Two powerful associations.

It is difficult to evaluate the boat performance through the design because while the boat displacement is given as 14,327kg by some magazines that tested the boat, it is given as 12,450kg on the boat site, a huge difference. I have already commented here about the cloudy information regarding boat displacements, being the numbers referred by the brands the estimated project displacement that was used to certify the yacht, not the real number (after the yacht being built and weighted) and in some cases in boats of this size I have heard about differences of way more than 1000kg.

This is something that RCD should address, weighting the boats after being built, not only because the information to the consumers is misleading, with some brands being much more optimistic than others, but also because the AVS and the final stability, if the weight is different and bigger, will not be the ones referred on the technical documents that served to certify the boat, but poorer ones because with more weight and the same ballast the AVS gets lower as well as the final stability.

Solaris 47

12,450kg is a very good displacement for a 47fter with this type of interior, similar to the Solaris 47 displacement (12,600kg), on a hull that is beamier (4.49m - 4.36), has a similar hull length (14.33m - 14.35) and a close LWL ( 13.50 - 13.40m). 

Both boats have the beam brought back to the transom but the design is different having the Elan a much more marked chine than the one on the Solaris, that is also higher on the hull allowing more heel before being active.

On the Elan that chine (and hull design), will limit heel but will also diminish its performance upwind and on lighter winds. Forward, the hull entries are finner on the Solaris and if we add all that to the Solaris 47 bigger B/D (34% - 31%), the torpedo keel bigger draft (2.80 - 2.45m) and the bigger Solaris sail area (129m2 - 114m2) we will have to conclude that even if the displacement is the lower one (12,450kg) the Solaris will be considerably faster in all points of sail, and much more in light winds.

It will also be considerably slower than the Grand Soleil 48 or the  44, slower than the X4-9 (that is only slighter bigger) and that makes the GT denomination misleading as well as the Porsche connotation in what regards speed.

That resulted clear on a sail-test by Floatmagazine, in Croatia with wind conditions that went from 8 to 17 knots of wind: with 8.3 knots TW (true wind) and at 85º TWA, speed was 6.3 kt. The same speed at 130º with 13kt of wind. With 14 knots TW and a 90º TWA (true wind angle) they made 7.7 knots. With 17 knots and 75 degrees TWA, they reached nine knots.

https://floatmagazin.de/boote/porsche-ohne-spoiler-test-elan-gt6/

They seemed very satisfied with the performance but that is not a good performance for a performance cruiser particularly with weak winds and they did not even test the close upwind performance with light wind, but if the boat was only making 6.3kt with 85ºTWA and 8.3TW, that performance can only be poor for a performance sailboat.

On the Yachting world magazine sail test Toby Hodges (in the movie at the end) did not seem so enthusiastic about the boat performance, pointing out that it is not a high-performance cruiser.

This doesn't mean that the Elan GT6is a bad sailing boat just that it is not a "Porsche" neither a Gran Turismo but just a good sailing boat on the frontier between main production cruisers and performance cruisers and I say good sailing boat because all testers reported the yacht's good manners at the wheel as well as the easiness in controlling the boat.

Now that I cleared that point it is only fair to say that Elan GT6 has some very well-designed features like the fixed cockpit tables that are not very intrusive when closed and offer handlebars and feet support for the ones that are seated on the cockpit when the boat is heeled. Handlebars are something that is very well treated not only on the cockpit but as well as in the boat interior.

Elan GT6

Also interesting the cockpit table possibility to go down offering a night berth with lateral support for sailing the boat into the night and have some rest. This set-up will work also for a siesta at anchor or for the ladies to get their tan.

The Bimini is huge and with the sprayhood cover all the cockpit at the cost of a less efficient main control system, that is over the cabin, without a traveler (that is optional) and with the two blocks fixation points not as separated as in some other boats, allowing only a mainsail limited trimming.

The running rigging is, unfortunately, the one that is more common today with only four winches that are well located, two of them electric. On the positive side, it comes with two small genoa tracks instead of the more common self-tacking traveler, allowing the use of a small genoa.

Solaris 47

The cabin height has an unexpected advantage in making it easier to store the sail on the sail bag and making it unnecessary to have two steps on the mast, probably one will be enough.

The space behind the wheels is not big. Enough, but not optimal and that's due to two big cabinets behind that serve as seats, one with a freezer inside, the other with a nice integrated grill. Certainly two nice touches for enjoying life while cruising.

The outside storage by today's standards is good with a sail locker near the bow, a central floor cockpit locker, another one aft and another under the starboard cockpit seat.

The interior that Elan says " delivers a luxurious experience" is of good quality if we take into account what test sailors said.

I had not the opportunity to see this one and with this Covid shit over Europe, I don't know when I will be able to do so, because boat saloons have been canceled everywhere, but I have seen other Elan and they have a good quality interior, not at the same level as the more expensive boats, but certainly better than mass production brands. I would say at the same level as Dehler.

In what regards interior design it seems better than the Dehler and even better than the smaller boat on the same line, the GT5, with some interesting details like an orientable big TV that enters the furniture and disappears, the same with a micro-wave that goes down and allows a bigger space to prepare food or the saloon table that has two positions, smaller or bigger using an ingenious rotating system.

For many, an interior with a big height is associated with luxury and that´s for those that this raised cabin is designed. It also provides lots of light but does not allow an outside view. It has also disadvantages like increasing windage and allowing sun and heat to enter when not desired and the shades to prevent that seem difficult to operate unless you are a giant. I confess that I am not a fan of big height on boat cabins, a bit over 2.00m is alright for me and over 2.20 unnecessary, but that's a question of taste.

What really seems wrong is a stove without an opening above or without a mechanical smoke (and fat) extractor. The same happens on the smaller GT5 but they can open a small "window" on the plexiglass surface, at the owner's request, except that here it would have to be much higher and I doubt that it would be practical to use due to that. A mechanical extraction system should have been thought of as standard on this yacht.

The Elan GT6 comes with three refrigerators and an incorporated small freezer and that is very nice, but it needs lots of energy to keep them running. And for that it would be necessary either a huge area of solar panels, that are not an option, or, most likely, a generator but the engine compartment is very limited without space for one, or other additional equipment.

In the Sailing Today test they refer that "there is space for a generator and watermaker aft of the engine under the cockpit sole" but that space seems to be occupied by a large and deep central cockpit locker and it is not shown in any of  the detailed "walk through" videos neither in any photos on the brand site or magazines. I also haven't seen on the photos and several videos any access to such a space. Quite a mystery that I would certainly be interested in unveiling, when I will have the opportunity to visit the boat.https://www.sailingtoday.co.uk/featured/boat-test-elan-gt6/

The layout has strong and week points. The galley seems good, the port side big seating area with the two-sized table looks very, nice but on the starboard side the very small chart table seems an add on and to be even worse the seating position is backward to the bow. Difficult to understand the utility of that space, even with the chart table converted into seating that looks uncomfortable and awkward. It would be better used for a big chart table and related storage space for a PC and a truly comfortable seating for the skipper.

The reason why that space is odd has to do with the space occupied by a big toilet that enters obtrusively in the saloon area and does not allow for a nice sized chart table/sofa with two seats, one on each side, a solution that is used on many boats and that allows a multi-functional space.

There is no space for that solution and I understand the utility of having two toilets with big separated showers but I don't understand why on the two cabin version that toilet is not brought a bit aft, into the storage "cabin" allowing for a two-seat decent chart table solution, given more space to the saloon and making it a lot nicer.

Sure, it makes production cheaper, but what one would gain in comfort, space, and beauty, more than makes for the difference in price. This has not to do with the designer but with a brand policy to have minimal changes between the two cabin and three cabin versions, that I believe is wrong and that takes away cruising potential to several boats on Elan line and none more than on the E5 that could have a good galley on the 2 cabin version, instead of an under-dimensioned one. I am quite sure that has a negative effect on sales, much bigger than what the small increase in price would have.

Elan followed brands that choose not to disclose on their site detailed information regarding how the boat is built. I asked several times for a brochure and standard specifications (that you have to demand on their site) but I didn't receive anything.

After I had published the post someone has sent me the information I asked. The hull and deck are built using vacuum infusion on a sandwich, using as core closed-cell foam and vynilester resins are employed. The hull structure is also infused and three bulkheads are made in a "glass plywood sandwich) and laminated to the hull and deck. The kell is a cast-iron one.

I saw once at Dusseldorf some cuts of the GT5 hull and I was not very impressed with the core small thickness but the presentation was bad and it was hard to understand from what part of the hull the samples had been taken. I saw on the same occasion cuts from Grand Soleil 46 hull and I was better impressed. 

Anyway, the materials and building methods are better than the ones used on mass production builders, except in what concerns the keel that is made the same way (cast iron). On the options list there is not an option for a better performance one, and that's odd because the standard one has only 1.99 m draft and on the specifications they talk about a better performance one with 2.45 m draft, which seems more indicated for a boat with this lenght. The same can be said regarding the spars where only the bowsprit can be in carbon. The mast and boom can be painted in black but that does not improve performance.

A nice boat with some very interesting solutions that could have been a lot nicer if some points were better addressed. It is worth mentioning that it comes standard with teak decks. 

Not a boat for someone that is looking for a true performance cruiser ( a Porsche) but an option for the ones that are looking for a main cruiser, the type that is usually produced by big brands, wants a better-built sailboat and also one with a better performance upwind in medium to heavy weather, at a higher price (369 000 euros without VAT) but not as higher as other options like for instance a Saare 46, but not far of the price of a Grand Soleil 46LC (379 000) even if the GS is a foot smaller.