Elan GT5 Review and Used Buyer's Guide

Why the Elan GT5 started with a race boat's hull

The Elan GT5 was born in a lean period. Yachting World later noted that new-model development at Elan had almost stopped around its change from state to private ownership, and the GT5 was the exception. Rather than tool a new hull, Elan took the Rob Humphreys design it already sold as the Elan 400, by then renamed the E5 (and the lighter S5), added a bolt-on extension to stretch it to 43 ft 4 in, and built an entirely new deck, coachroof and interior on top. It was unveiled at the Salon Nautique de Paris in December 2016 and test sailed by the press the following spring from Portoroz, on Slovenia's short Adriatic coast.

GT stands for Grand Turismo, and the car reference is deliberate: Elan wanted a boat that feels quick but asks nothing of its crew. The extra volume and the deckhouse made the GT5 about 1,700 kg heavier than the E5 according to Yachting World, and the rig was cut down to match. Cruising World's Boat of the Year judges still liked the result enough to name it Best Midsize Cruiser 40 to 44 Feet for 2018, and its switch panel won a DAME design award in 2017.

Wraparound glass and black trapezoids

Three styling cues mark a GT5 from a distance: black automotive-style windows that wrap around the coachroof for a 180-degree view from the saloon, a pair of black trapezoid hull windows on each side, and a black fairing at the aft end of the deckhouse. Up close, the hull is the E5's: plumb bow, fine entry, beam that flares amidships and is carried aft on pronounced chines, with twin rudders angled to bite as the boat heels.

The deckhouse looks tall from the dock, a point Cruising World's tester raised before deciding the interior volume was worth it. SAIL called the boat one with 'style to burn', and it remains instantly recognizable on the used market.

An inverted saloon with the galley under the mast

The most unusual part of the GT5 is below. Humphreys and Elan reversed the normal layout and put the galley forward, running athwartships against the main bulkhead, with the stove and oven to port and a big single sink and refrigeration to starboard. You step down the companionway into the after end of the saloon, beside an 8 ft settee to port and a shorter settee to starboard. SAIL pointed out the downside (carrying hot food aft to the cockpit in a seaway is a gamble) and the upside: the cook works at the point of least motion with plenty of counter on either tack.

Other details show careful thinking. The saloon table has an inboard grab handle that also supports the leaf, and it drops to make a large double. Illuminated switches can be found in darkness. Instead of a fixed chart table, a settee backrest lifts and slides so its back becomes a navigation desk, no cushions to move. Joinery is oak or teak with solid oak corner posts and fiddles.

Four ways to split the accommodation

Elan offered the GT5 in four arrangements, which is why listings vary so much. The final specification lists three cabins with one head as standard, with options for two cabins and one head, two cabins and two heads, or three cabins and two heads. In the two-cabin versions the space under the starboard cockpit bench becomes a huge locker, the single most useful feature for cruising couples. The forward owner's cabin has a centerline queen berth with settees and two hanging lockers; giving up the port locker and settee buys an en suite head and shower.

• Three cabins, one head: most beds, shared head aft to starboard
• Two cabins, one head: the cruising couple's choice, with a vast cockpit locker
• Two cabins, two heads: owner's en suite forward plus guest head
• Three cabins, two heads: maximum flexibility for families or charter

A trimmed-down rig with every line at the helm

To keep the GT5 manageable Elan reduced sail area compared with the E5. The final specification lists a 46.2 m2 mainsail and 32.7 m2 jib, with a 130 m2 asymmetric flown from an optional fixed composite bowsprit that also serves as anchor roller. Sail controls are ducted under the deck and emerge just forward of the twin wheels: headsail sheets to a winch slightly forward, halyards and the German-style mainsheet to a winch beside the helm, with rope lockers under each helm seat. The headsail furler drum sits below deck in a deep anchor locker.

Jefa steering earned praise from both American testers for its smooth, responsive feel. The cockpit itself is long and wide, with 1 ft 8 in coamings forward for back support and two side-by-side drop-leaf tables whose outer leaves fold down to turn the benches into sun pads.

What the GT5 did in the Bay of Piran and off Portoroz

Neither major test caught much wind, so treat the published numbers as light-air evidence. Cruising World's editor sailed upwind at 5 knots in about 7 knots of breeze and gained another couple of knots as it built to around 12, comparing the handling to a sports car on mountain roads. SAIL's tester, with only 6 to 8 knots apparent, made an honest 3 knots at 30 to 35 degrees apparent, just over 4 knots on a close reach and more than 5 knots once the gennaker was set.

Under power SAIL's 55 hp boat made 6.9 knots at 2,000 rpm with a two-blade prop. As with any twin-rudder boat there is no prop wash over the blades, so slow-speed maneuvering astern takes practice; bow and stern thrusters were offered for that reason.

Keel, engine and tank choices

Draft figures differ between sources because Elan changed the standard keel over time. The early American boats were quoted at 8 ft standard and 6 ft 5 in shoal, with the shoal version described by sailboatdata as US-only; the final specification lists 2.25 m (7 ft 4 in) as standard with 2.45 m iron or composite keels and the 1.95 m shoal keel as options. Light displacement is listed at 8,970 kg (19,775 lb) with 2,655 kg of ballast.

Standard tankage is modest at 146 liters (39 gallons) of fuel and 220 liters (58 gallons) of water, with a 490 liter (129 gallon) water option. Engines ran from a 40 hp Volvo Penta or 45 hp Yanmar to 50 and 57 hp upgrades, and late boats could have Oceanvolt electric drive.

Finding and pricing a used GT5

The GT5 sold in smaller numbers than Elan's Impression cruisers, and good examples tend to change hands through dealers rather than open listings. In the US, expect roughly $240,000 to $380,000 depending on year, layout and equipment, with the two-head versions, composite keels and boats fitted with air conditioning and electric winches at the top. Because Elan announced in November 2025 that the GT range would not continue, there will be no newer GT5 to undercut values, but you will rely more on independent yards for warranty-style work.