With the reorganisation at Elan, the purely cruising-oriented shipyard line was recently reinstalled as a separate brand under the name Impression Yachts. The reorganisation has created space at Elan Yachts for a further programme, which is now being launched with the GT5. GT stands for Grand Turismo, a combination of sporty performance potential, luxurious living comfort and blue water suitability.
Elan has defined the existing and proven fast hull of the Elan performance cruisers E4 and S4 (formerly Elan 400; test in YACHT 10/2013; test video see below) as the basis, a design by Elan's longstanding in-house designer Rob Humphreys. As the GT5, however, the boat now has a completely redesigned deck with a higher cabin superstructure with windows all round, similar to a yacht with a deck saloon. This is intended to create more volume and more light below deck. And the deck layout is no longer designed for sporty sailing, but rather for long trips with a small crew. This means that all sheets, trim lines and halyards are redirected below deck to the helmsman's direct reach in front of the two steering columns. In addition, the new boat now also has a folding bathing platform.
The sail areas have not yet been calculated. The renderings now exclusively made available to YACHT reveal only this much: the short genoa with 106 per cent overlap and line-adjustable hove-to points on the deck will probably be retained. In addition, the mainsheet will be run in front of the companionway via a cockspot guide and deflected back into the cockpit on both sides (German Cupper). A fixed bow nose is attached to the boat, on which a gennaker or a code zero can be run and which also serves as an anchor holder.
Versions with two or three cabins, optionally with one or two wet cells, are planned for the extension below deck. Interesting: The galley on the GT5 is built in front of the main bulkhead, across the entire width of the ship. This arrangement seems to be becoming more and more fashionable for cruising yachts, especially in the blue water segment.
Elan expects to complete the prototype by the autumn and then present it at trade fairs in the winter half-year 2016/17. Whether the boat will then also be on show at the German trade fairs in Friedrichshafen, Hamburg or Düsseldorf remains to be seen.
The price lists are still being finalised by the Slovenian company. Nevertheless, Elan-Yachts has already given an initial price indication: 226,100 euros, gross including 19 per cent VAT.
