Elan GT6 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Elan built the GT6 in Slovenia using vacuum-assisted infusion for the hull to keep laminate uniform and resist osmosis, with the hull and deck cored in closed-cell foam inside a polyester laminate and a vinylester outer skin. Bulkheads and the keel grid are fully glassed to the hull, and the composite bulkheads themselves use vacuum-cured resin-impregnated biaxial fabric to build a stiff unitary structure. The ballast is lead, quoted at 8,598 lb on the standard keel, and the review record notes the quality of fixtures and fittings as a step up from standard production yachts, with painted laminate in locker and bilge nooks rather than exposed fibre. The hull shape itself is all Humphreys: powerful forward sections, a low centre of gravity and great stability attributed to CFD modelling, and a raised coachroof deck saloon that gives a brighter and more spacious interior than an ordinary yacht.

Rig and Handling

The GT6 is a fractional sloop with a relatively conservative rig on a Selden aluminium mast positioned forward of the coachroof to leave a completely flush foredeck. The mainsheet runs on a bridle rather than a traveler—there is no traveler option—attached midway along the boom and led well out of the cockpit to each side, while running rigging is tunnelled neatly under the deck. A standard slightly overlapping 100 percent blade jib flies from a Furlex belowdeck roller-furler, and Harken Performa 60 winches sit in pairs within reach of each helm. Under test, the boat pointed to 38 degrees apparent in 8 knots and made 5.5 knots, added 2 knots when wind reached 13, and held 5.5 knots on a broad reach in 10 knots of true wind; testers found the helm neutral and very grippy, and with twin rudders the boat turned full about in its own length and backed down smoothly once moving. The twin rudders reduce the tendency to broach and the Jefa twin-wheel steering lets the crew manoeuvre from either side without blocking cockpit movement.

Accommodations

The standard layout is two cabins and two heads, with a lavish owner’s suite in the forepeak built around a king-size island double and large through-hull windows, while the test boat carried twin aft staterooms; a three-cabin, two-head option and a single aft stateroom with a workshop opposite are also available. The galley is forward and amidships atop the keel where motion is easiest, arranged athwartships with cooking and refrigeration in a port U-section and extra stowage around a starboard double sink. A continuous head-height bank of lockers opens top-down, tall companionway lockers can house chairs or wet gear, and there is no dedicated navstation—instead a convertible seat hinges over to reveal the chart table, with a SiMarine touchscreen above in a brushed aluminium board. Aft cabins have narrow doorways but beamy berths with seated headroom by the hull windows; both heads have separate showers, though the aft head is narrow and the egg-shaped sinks are small. Split cockpit tables brace and can join for dining or lower to sunbeds, and a fold-down transom abaft the wheels gives water access.

Equipment and Options

Beyond the standard synthetic teak deck and fixed carbon bowsprit, the GT6 offers a closed and covered cockpit to shelter the crew, an L-shaped shoal keel for easier marina work and kelp clearance at 6ft 6in draft, or a T-shaped keel that lowers the centre of gravity for more sail-carrying and speed. Engine choices run from the standard Volvo Penta 60 hp saildrive through a 57 hp Yanmar, 75 hp Volvo, and 80 hp Yanmar, plus a 15 kW twin Oceanvolt electric option. The galley can take a Techimplex three-burner stove and Isotherm fridge-freezer, with an optional grill and fridge in the aft benches or a microwave and coffee machine popping from the worksurface. A large liferaft locker sits below the central cockpit sole and a sail locker in the bows, with aft-deck space for a deflated inflatable.

The Verdict

The GT6 is a distinctive flagship that fuses Porsche styling with Humphreys’ performance-cruiser hull, delivering genuine light-air pace, tight-quarter agility on twin rudders, and a deck-saloon interior that feels brighter and better finished than the production norm. The flush deck, bridle mainsheet, and convertible navstation show real design thought, though small heads sinks and compact aft-doorways are minor compromises, and the absence of a watertight bulkhead between steering gear and accommodation is worth noting.

Pros

Stiff, uniform vacuum-infused hull with lead ballast and fully glassed structure
Twin rudders give neutral, grippy helm and turn-in-own-length control
Bright deck-saloon interior with versatile two- or three-cabin layouts
Strong light-air performance with conservative, easy-to-handle rig

Cons