Slovenian sports goods manufacturer Elan has unveiled a new series of high-speed carbon ocean-going cruising yachts, entering what the company says is the growing segment of premium vessels with exceptional sailing characteristics.
The Elan SixtyFive project was presented to industry professionals in Barcelona in late October. It marks the company’s return to the nautical market after it temporarily suspended boat production due to a slump in the market at the beginning of this year.
Elan CEO Jeffrey Tirman described the Elan SixtyFive as the beginning of a new era. He says the yacht combines industrial precision, advanced materials, and design integrity, setting the standard for blue sea sailing performance. It can be managed by the skipper alone, without additional crew.
Drawing on its long-term expertise in building technologically-advanced composite products, Elan developed the 65-foot yacht in collaboration with the Ljubljana-based naval design company J&J Design and Guillaume Verdier, a French naval architect known for designing boats with exceptional sailing characteristics.
Speaking for J&J Design, Jernej Jakopin described the Elan SixtyFive as a high-performance sailboat born out of a passion for innovation and visionary design, combined with refined hydrodynamic excellence. Developed with modern simulation tools and experience, it embodies precision, easy handling, and complete control with customized software supported by an intelligent autopilot, Jakopin was quoted as saying.
Elan says its latest sailboat enables exceptionally fast and safe individual sailing or sailing with a smaller crew, combining regatta-proven boat architecture, modern navigation solutions, exceptional sailing capabilities, and masterful craftsmanship. After the Elan SixtyFive, Elan will expand its new carbon line of boats to 73- and 80-foot models.
Elan, which is best known for making skis, has been making boats since the late 1940s. Initially making kayaks and canoes it focused on building high-performance cruising sailboats in 1980.
