With a light displacement of 24,802 pounds on a 14-foot-9-inch beam and a 44-foot-11-inch waterline, the E6 is lighter than competitors in her class. In the words of one launch report, she was intended to be the fastest 47-footer in that group.
Design and Construction
Elan’s composite expertise is central to the E6. The hull moulding, inner structure, stringers, and supports are all vacuum infused. The builder’s 3D VAIL process integrates these load-bearing elements into a single, one-piece laminated structure, rather than bonding them together later. Infused composite bulkheads further reduce weight.
Leading composite manufacturer Gurit was brought in to help maximise the boat’s mechanisms, and owners are given the reassurance of structural engineering by that firm.
Computer analysis shaped the hull to minimise wetted surface area while maximising form stability with powerful chines. Aft, the hull flares markedly above a relatively narrow waterline. A high chine aft of amidships digs in at seven to eight degrees of heel.
A dedicated hull carries a T-shaped keel that lowers the centre of gravity and enables enhanced sail-carrying power, increasing speed and stability.
Rig, Deck Layout, and Handling
Twin generous rudders give the E6 exceptional control and reduce the tendency to broach. When the boat is heeled, they provide fingertip directional control. The Jefa twin-wheel steering system allows the helm to work from either side without obstructing movement through the cockpit.
Each wheel has its own twin-wire system, so a failure on one side leaves the other operative. Accordingly, there is no requirement for an emergency tiller. The E6 also has a reduced pitching moment, so she doesn’t stall easily.
The deck layout is intended for sailing with a crew rather than short-handed cruising. A pit beside the companionway handles halyards and reefing lines, while the primary winches for the headsail sheets sit outboard of the cockpit benches. Three pairs of Harken winches serve the sail plan.
A recessed traveller on the cockpit floor serves the German mainsheet, which is controlled by winches just ahead of the wheels. Seldén’s single-line system simplifies reefing. A through-deck headsail furler is standard, but there is no self-tacking-jib option. Genoa tracks on the side decks create relatively wide sheeting angles, preventing very tight pointing.
In the standard configuration, a fixed carbon bowsprit carries an asymmetric and allows the E6 to sail deeper downwind.
Performance Under Sail
Predictions from the builder and results from test crews both point to a genuinely quick hull. Design figures cited at launch suggested 8 knots upwind in 12 knots of true wind and more than 10 knots off the wind.
During review sails, test crews recorded 6.7 to 6.8 knots close-hauled in 12–13 knots of true wind at 45–50 degrees. In lighter winds of 9–10 knots, the boat remained well powered and reached 6.5 knots at around 50 degrees true.
Bearing away onto a beam reach produced 7.8–8.0 knots under mainsail and jib alone. Even in 6.5–8 knots of true wind, the Code 0 delivered reaching speeds within a knot of the true wind speed. Design calculations indicate that a standard-specification E6 should lift onto the plane in roughly 17–22 knots of true wind.
One test boat carried a taller performance aluminium rig, an upgraded sail inventory, and a 2.8-metre torpedo keel. Other available configurations include a tall carbon spar with lighter furniture and a deeper 2.85-metre keel, or a shallower keel with 2.4 metres of draught. The taller rig needed reefing sooner than the standard version.
Accommodation
Below decks, the saloon is impressively large, with a substantial folding table and a roughly even balance of white surfaces and woodwork. Slender coachroof and hull windows, however, make it less bright than many modern interiors. Natural oak joinery and long grab rails help create a practical space for moving around underway.
A proper chart table is paired with Elan’s small fold-out table on the port settee, which can face either forward or aft. At the foot of the companionway, the L-shaped galley provides ample worktop space and a top-and-front-loading refrigerator. Testers found the galley fiddles disappointingly low for lively heel angles.
In the three-cabin layout, the forward owner’s cabin has a large floor area and a peninsula bed. Its very large en-suite uses folding screens to form a separate shower. The aft heads is also a good size but remains narrow enough to brace against, and it has its own separate shower stall.
The four-cabin option adds a Pullman-bunk cabin forward of the main bulkhead, together with a small shared heads and a smaller forward cabin. The aft cabins have large berths and useful stowage, though light and ventilation are restricted.
A technical tunnel between the aft cabins can house optional air-conditioning, a generator, and a watermaker. The saloon can also be configured to convert into a double berth.
Equipment and Ownership Notes
A bathing platform isn’t included in the standard inventory. Buyers can choose either a small fold-up platform or a larger version positioned about 18 inches above the cockpit sole.
Elan’s cockpit boxes add seating and stowage, and they can be upgraded to house a grill and refrigerator. Artificial teak is standard in the cockpit and, if a bathing platform is ordered, on the platform as well. Full real teak is an available upgrade.
A split, two-part bimini clears the mainsheet traveller and has an infill for use in harbour. The sprayhood stows neatly. The Simarine digital switching panel, originally developed as an Elan project, includes manual-override fuses.
Tankage comprises 370 litres of water and 240 litres of fuel. That is ample for normal use but may restrict extended cruising.
The standard engine is a 57-mhp Yanmar 4JH57, with an 80-mhp option. Electric alternatives from Oceanvolt comprise either a single 15 kW drive or twin 10 kW drives.
Verdict
The E6 is a thoroughly modern performance cruiser. Its vacuum-infused, one-piece structure, chined hull, and T-keel create a light, stiff, and quick platform, while the twin-rudder steering and crew-oriented deck layout make it a satisfying boat to drive hard.
Accommodation is generous and configurable, though the interior is a little dark and the galley fiddles are low. Tankage is suitable for coastal and moderate cruising rather than long, independent passages.
Pros
- One-piece 3D VAIL structure with Gurit engineering for lightness and stiffness
- Twin rudders and redundant twin-wire steering for control and safety
- Quick hull, with a planing design target and strong light-air and beam-reaching speeds
- Configurable three- or four-cabin interior, with a large saloon and practical galley
Cons
- Crew-oriented deck layout isn’t suited to short-handed sailing
- Low galley fiddles and slender windows limit comfort and brightness
- Standard tankage may restrict extended cruising
- Wide genoa sheeting angles prevent tight windward pointing
