Slovenian builder Elan Yacht recently introduced an all-new, high-tech J & J Elan 65 which is the first design in their new luxury line of performance cruising sloops. The move took the sailing industry by surprise since Elan, known for it family-style mid-range cruisers, had ceased building early last year.
“Earlier this year, we made the very tough call to pull the emergency brake on Elan Marine,” CEO Jeffrey Tirman explained at a special press presentation during European Yacht of the Year trials in October. “We’re not planning on building family cruisers any more – we can’t compete on price, labor is too expensive.”
So, they spent months looking into the market for larger luxury, performance sloops and decided that they would create designs at 65, 73 and 80 feet. Elan turned to their long-time design firm, J & J, which has been creating designs for the company for 40 years and they made the decision to partner also with Guillaume Verdier, who has wide experience designing IMOCA-style racing boats.
The 65 is the first of the new line to be launched and appears from the renderings to be a special blend of modern design and luxurious living. The 65 will have a price of around $3.5 million so Elan is focusing on a rarified and well-heeled customer base.
