Design Insight
Upscale evolution
Have you ever wondered what a sailing yacht designed by Studio F. A. Porsche might look like? The answer is revealed in the pictures on these pages. The famous design studio founded by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche – the man who drew the curves of the iconic Porsche 911 – has just designed its first-ever sailing yacht, working alongside Humphreys Yacht Design to give Elan’s new flagship model, the GT6, a unique combination of performance, comfort and style.
On deck
Commissioned by Elan to bring its signature design values to the world of offshore sailing, Studio F. A. Porsche has produced a strikingly modern yet also classic design for the deck, cockpit and interior of the Elan GT6 that is guaranteed to turn heads in any harbour. A true grand tourer in all respects, the 49ft (15m) GT6 is optimised for fast, medium- range short-handed cruising. A natural evolution from Elan’s widely acclaimed GT5, the new GT6 is a big step up in onboard luxury from Elan’s previous models but it preserves the brand’s sporty DNA.
‘The fundamental idea is to create a modern and unique sailing experience that unifies nature and technology while traveling the high seas,’ says Christian Schwamkrug, design director at Studio F. A. Porsche. ‘The yacht’s exterior focus is on combining minimalism with dynamics, while bringing watersports closer to nature. The result is a stunning cockpit composed of sculptured volumes inspired by aerodynamic elements used in sports
72 SEAHORSE
Elan’s new flagship is the first sailing yacht styled by Studio F. A. Porsche Above:
cars. The elaborately curved surfaces allow for beautiful flares of light as well as the reflections of sky and sea.’ One notable feature of this design that is rarely seen on a yacht of this size is the deck profile: completely flush forward of the mast with a subtly raised, elegantly streamlined deck saloon further aft. The cockpit layout is an interesting blend of Studio F. A. Porsche’s minimalist style and renowned ergonomics with Elan’s 60 years of craftsmanship and boatbuilding know-how.
‘The twin wheels are inspired by the shape and lightness of a Formula 1 car’s suspension,’ explains Schwamkrug. ‘The steering pillars and the floating stern of the yacht take their design approach from nature itself – resembling spread seagull wings and stingray fins. The design of the hull represents a well- balanced combination of sharp and distinctive lines and soft, almost sculptured surfaces.’
Design evolution
The partnership with Studio F. A. Porsche is an exciting new direction for Elan but the hull form of the GT6 is the latest chapter in a 25-year evolution of Elan yachts drawn by Humphreys Yacht Design – a lineage that includes some game-changing boats such as the quick, stiff and seaworthy 333, now a sought-after modern classic (and for many years Rob Humphreys’ own choice of family yacht) and more recently the seminal 350, one of the first production cruiser-racers with genuine planing performance, which has evolved into the current Elan E4. The GT line of crossover yachts – a concept that
Elanʼs elegant new flagship is a serious step up from previous models in terms of onboard luxury and quality of finish. Itʼs also the first ever sailing yacht to be styled by the iconic design firm Studio F. A. Porsche, whose design scheme draws its inspiration from both motorsport and nature. The twin wheels take some design cues from Formula One suspension but the
pedestals are inspired by seagull
wings. The twin cockpit tables can be lowered to convert the forward part of the cockpit (or just half of it) into a sun lounge
aims to deliver the features of a racing yacht with all the comforts and easy handling of a cruiser, rather than the middle-of-the-road compromise of a cruiser-racer – is effectively the fourth generation of Humphreys Elan designs.
‘Performance is about more than just speed,’ says Tom Humphreys. ’It’s also about good manners: being easy to operate for a shorthanded crew, family or couple. Our work on the GT6 has been inspired by some of the work we’ve been doing in parallel on short-handed offshore and ocean racing boats and we’ve always felt that there’s a lot of synergy between the two.’ Indeed, a key aspect of the Humphreys design philosophy that has remained constant from the firm’s early IOR and Whitbread winners through its more recent Imoca and Volvo Ocean Race yachts to its current Class 40 designs is balancing raw power and outright speed with control, good handling characteristics and the ability to easily sustain maximum performance for the duration of a long ocean passage in a wide range of wind and sea conditions without exhausting the crew. For a fast cruising yacht sailing under autopilot, the synergy is obvious. ‘Cruising efficiency is very much about performance,’ Rob Humphreys says. ‘Getting from A to B, avoiding bad weather… there are lots of benefits of having a fast yacht and I can’t think of any benefits of having a slow boat. People think performance is scary but that’s not the case. We look at the aspects of performance that make life easier and better.’ Elan was among the first major
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