Elan time and again confirms its status as the ultimate innovator, which has been impressing users with its thoughtful solutions for many years. This year, as many as two Elan products received prestigious Red Dot design awards. Elan Voyager folding skis even received the most valuable version of the Best of the Best award. The GT6 yacht is the first vessel of the Elan brand to receive the Red Dot Award.
Red Dot is considered one of the largest, most recognized international product design competitions. At this year's selection, Elan competed for prizes among as many as 7,800 registered products from more than 60 countries.
The first Elan Voyager folding skis
Elan won his first prize Red Dot already got it in 2007. And since then, they have already accumulated 11. But this time they got it for the first time the most prestigious version of the Best of the Best award, which is reserved only for products that clearly stand out from their category with their thoughtful and sophisticated design.
The first folding ones are exactly like that Voyager "all mountain" skis, which represent the embodiment of a long-standing desire for folding skis, which are functionally equivalent to classic (non-folding) skis, while at the same time adding to them an essential advantage - mobility. These are skis that are designed for the challenges that the modern world brings with its speed. Voyager skis when folded, they are placed in a special bag in which there is enough space for other ski luggage. Everything corresponds to the dimensions that can be declared on the plane as a normal piece of luggage. That's why Voyager skis are the ideal companion on the plane, train and in the car. In fact, it is possible to have a bag with all your ski equipment right with you in the office.
Besides Red Dot awards the Voyager skis also received the Plus X award, which is considered to be the most important global recognition in the field of sports technology and lifestyle, and Voyager skis were awarded in as many as six out of seven categories: innovation, high quality, superior design, ease of use, functionality and ergonomics. They were also awarded at the largest sports equipment fair ISPO in Munich. There, an independent international jury awarded them the prestigious version of their award ISPO Gold Winner Award. In their justifications, the awardees of both awards highlighted the exceptional technological sophistication and innovation of the Elan Voyager skis, which represent an important innovation in the world of ski travel around the world.
Elan GT6 sailboat
In addition to the Elan Voyager skis, there is a prize Red Dot: Product Design also received Elan GT6 sailboat, which is the first vessel of the Elan brand to receive this prestigious award. The Elan GT6 has already won nominations for European Boat of the Year (European Yacht of the Year 2020 award), British barge of the year (British Yachting Awards 2020) and for the best design for international design in nautical and aviation (design et al International Yacht & Aviation award). The GT6 sailboat is the embodiment of the grand tourer (GT) concept transferred from the auto-moto world to the nautical world. It is a fusion of luxury and sportiness, fast sailing, comfortable stay on board and breathtaking design.
To realize the concept, Elan's development team teamed up with a nautical architecture house Humphreys Yacht Design and design studios FA Porsche. The hydrodynamic shape of the sailboat's hull, the plan of the sails and the nautical stability were designed by the Humphreys Yacht Design agency, in which they also used their experience in the design of regatta sailboats when designing the more sporty sailing profile of the GT6. Otherwise, the Elan GT6 is the first production sailboat that was designed in terms of style and design in the legendary Studio FA Porsche. This is precisely why it is a vessel whose elegant silhouette attracts the eye like a magnet. She is the first production sailboat in her size segment to offer a "flush deck" - a flat deck from the mast forward, which gives her an assertive stance and an elegant profile. The matching curves of the hull reflect the light in surprising patterns, while smaller design elements express both the confidence of the auto-moto industry and the elegance and changeability of nature.
Designers from Studio FA Porsche have also designed an interior that offers a new level of luxury and travel comfort. The entire interior has the recognizable, unique DNA of the legendary Studio FA Porsche, which combines minimalism with functionality. The interior therefore creates a connection between the living area and the kitchen and creates a balance between functionality and comfort, achieved by playing with light, color and shape. The reality of the idea of the GT6 barge could only be embodied by the company Elan, which, by combining the know-how of cutting-edge composite technology, a team of top craftsmen and more than 70 years of nautical tradition, has created a new benchmark within the segment and a barge worthy of the flagship of Elan Yachts.
