Elandra 53

OVERVIEW
– A meeting of minds and experience behind a new sportyacht
It's a Herculean effort launching a new boat brand and getting traction in today's pleasure-boat market. To capture the educated-buyer's attention you need smarts beyond skin-deep bling. The all-new Elandra 53 reflects a deep level of design and thinking. The boat is the product of considerable market research, proven boatbuilding skills, and a new team with family ties to Australia's greatest boatbuilder, Bill Barry-Cotter.

While the Elandra crew probably want to step out of the shadow of doyen Bill, it is under his watch that son Tom Barry-Cotter and stepson Luke Durman from Elandra cut their teeth. Given the freedoms of expression that come from starting afresh with a clean sheet of paper, the Elandra was always going to make a statement and we have followed this new build with keen interest since its inception in November 2012.

"It was a great thing starting from scratch and building an entirely new boat," explains Durman, the Elandra sales and marketing man, as we stand alongside the stunning metallic hull of boat number one. "We use the catchphrase 'inshore elegance with offshore attitude.'"

Indeed, this seems a fitting tagline when you consider the heritage of the hull designer, the third player in the Elandra team, Grant Senior, ex-Formula Cruisers from New Zealand. "We’re targeting the third and fourth boat owners," says Senion, "and they know what they want."

Elandra's research revealed big-boat owners are stepping out of flybridge cruisers and into sportyachts, demanding a full-beam master cabin, walkaround decks and shaft-driven reliability and efficiency. These things, plus a tender garage and aft galley, are features of the high-volume and especially wide 53-footer.

In drawing the lines and layout, qualified industrial-designer Tom Barry-Cotter said he was trying to strike a balance between traditional and contemporary – like a sporty Lamborghini or Ferrari crossed with an elegant Bentley, he says. The resulting Elandra 53 is his Aston Martin or Jag on water, Tom says, with the main focus being not to go overboard with the detail lines. The understated elegance was achieved using CAD programs and his naked eye.

Conceived and crafted for the Australian and New Zealand way of boating, the Elandra 53 will be right at home cruising the North Island Gulfs or Hamilton Island, contending with cold climates like Melbourne and Tassie, or basking in the tropics, and traversing testing offshore waterways like those in WA. 

You also get a lot of boat for the money here and one of the most complete inventories on any 53 sportyacht we've seen.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
– Semi-custom and loads of kit for $1.797 million
You pay a premium for the Elandra 53 over, say, a Maritimo S50 for about $1.6 million drive-away that’s a bit smaller in length but with a similar wide beam. But really there’s not a lot to compare, as this is a semi-custom boat with a very different lay-up, layout and standard spec'.

Running to three pages of fine print, the standard specification included twin Scania DI13 750hp straight-six diesel engines with JMS Joystick manoeuvring using high-thrust bow and stern thrusters. 

The boat comes with an exceptionally quiet Fischer Panda 25kVa genset, twin 3.5kW inverters and huge battery banks, plus a complete Simrad NSS electronics suite including twin 16in screens, broadband radar, autopilot, and a wi-fi module. Then there's the EPIRB, fenders, lines, first-aid kit and more.

The high-tech hull is backed by a 10-year warranty (lay-up details below), topped with 10mm teak cockpit decking (teak decking to foredeck extra), and with a submersible swim platform for tender launch. 

The cockpit barbecue, Webasto sunroof in the saloon, auto anchor wash, foredeck sunbed cushions, Bose indoor/outdoor theatre speakers system, tropical-strength air-con, and entertainment system including stateroom TV all come standard.

In short, the Elandra 53 has been built and bundled ready to cruise with no hidden surprises or extras, except your choice of (2.80m jet) tender. The standard boat with the Scania engines is expected to hit 32-33 knots, but as tested with the upgraded MAN R6-800 engines, the slippery Elandra averaged 34.3 knots top speed, according to official sea trials.

With the test-boat options — bigger MAN engines ($57,710 upgrade), metallic diamond-grey Dupont hull paint ($58,650), KVH TracVision satellite TV ($13,570), laundry with stacked Siemens washer/dryer ($5090), soft furnishing allowance ($12,500), high-pressure washer, Reverso oil-change system, cockpit icemaker and bar fridge, Simrad NSS upgrade with depth sounder and remote helm controllers, plus 7in Simrad combo in the master stateroom — the test boat has a ticket of $1,867,128.

So the price for this semi-custom hand-built beauty — a voluminous 53-footer by any measure — isn't out of the ballpark. And for seasoned boaters, there's a lot of flexibility to meet diverse needs. Durman says each and every Elandra, hopefully amounting to two craft per year, will be known by its name not its hull number in what will be a personalised boatbuilding service.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
– Unique features in a bluewater sportyacht
We came aboard at Southport Yacht Club, stepping onto the integrated swim platform that adds to the waterfront real estate. A quick submersible centre section will assist with a snappy tender dispatch. You could add stainless transom rails with a cutting board or big barbecue (stowed back in the garage when not in use) to create a better fish, dive and party platform.

Steps ascend to the cockpit either side of the central garage, through smoked-glass cockpit gates whose hinges could do with hexhead screws to match those on the cleats. The low-carbon 316 stainless-steel deck gear, including the custom cleats by Tom, is from local fabricators Black Marlin Towers. It has a robust Australian-made look and feel. LED courtesy lights bring the decks to life at night.

Elandra acknowledges the importance of cockpit space, with a flowing day-living layout that morphs into the saloon without a step to be seen or tripped. This way, the integrated transom lounge with high/low table, which doubles as an aft sunbed/daybed, is within easy earshot of the lounge just indoors in the aft saloon.

These two facing seating areas let you cater for a crowd at lunch, create a formal dining setting for intimate groups, and perform all manner of casual entertaining duties. You might want to add a Euro-style awning over the cockpit for shade and some kind of insect screens for those saloon doors.

Otherwise, the impressive 'frameless' sliding glass saloon doors add to the sense of flow in the indoor/outdoor cockpit and saloon. And there's an aft galley that's handy to both areas that will get to.

The cockpit amenities centre had a small Siemens teppanyaki hotplate, optional icemaker and fridge. Just as importantly for cruising types, there's a huge lazarette under the cockpit sole for storage.

The walkaround decks are truly class leading, extra wide and backed by half bulwarks, granting safe access for crew of all ages and four-legged friends to the foredeck. There is a sunpad on tracks, drink and bottle holders, a neat pop-up LED courtesy lamp, and that non-skid decking we have seen on Rivieras and Maritimos for decades. 

The fresh- and saltwater fore and aft deckwashes are welcome. Ground tackle includes 80m of 10mm chain, 100m of rope and an Ultra Anchor for stay-put adventure boating.

The integrated engine vents, which are well clear of the water, hull glazing and reverse gunwales add to the modern looks, as does the low-profile saloon 'house' topped with satellite and matching dummy domes. 

The painted hull helps reduce the boat's volume visually and, without naff canvas cockpit covers or infill spray panels, the Elandra cuts a very smart line.

Back indoors, the custom frameless doors open to reveal smart walnut joinery with a horizontal grain, hard-wearing Ultraleather upholstery on the aft lounge, where there's commercial-grade wood-look vinyl flooring extending across to the aft galley. 

You get German-made Siemens appliances including induction cooktop with integrated extractor, combi microwave/oven and dishwasher, four Isotherm drawer fridges/freezers, and storage for pots, various soft-close drawers, and cupboards, plus a pull-out pantry. You can always add more refrigeration and storage in the lazarette.

"We designed the whole boat to have a relaxed feel without a lot of up and down. It's free flowing," explains Durman. And with three seating areas, there's plenty of room to kick back indoors and outdoors in a layout that seems to belong to a much bigger sportyacht.

Carpet and leather lift the luxe levels on the raised or forward saloon deck with lounge opposite the twin helm seats. Underway, guests travel on this lounge alongside captain and navigator on the twin high-backed Stidd helm chairs. At rest, these swivel to face the galley return and create a quasi bar setting. There's an electric opening window alongside the starboard helm plus the sunroof for ventilation.

A 32in television connected to a Bose home-theatre system provides a focal point in the saloon at night. If you created a sofa-bed function or infill with the L-shaped lounge you could create an area for two adults or a bunch of kids to outstretch before the TV/DVD and when cruising. Otherwise put your feet on the supplied ottoman.

Given the hull volume, you are in for treat below decks. The atrium-effect of the large companionway with upholstered rail hints at the luxury in the three-cabin/twin-ensuite layout. A lot of thought has gone into maximising space, with an island queen bed in the VIP up front offset at 45 degrees to the centreline. It's unconventional though not uncommon on game boats in America. The gain is with extra floor space around the offset bed.

The storage lockers and hanging lockers are all lined, with an unusually large side cabinet for bedding, while the walnut joinery has a trim line mid-panel to break-up the large grain. There are fixed portlights and the usual Oceanair escape hatch with insect and shade screen. Perhaps opening portlights will be an option? A separate AV system with bluetooth is needed for guests, too.

The ensuite/dayhead has an opening hatch as well as extractor fan, a giant moulded shower stall, stunning mother-of-pearl floor tiling and a porcelain sink atop a vanity. Joinery is a highlight again, while the freshwater toilet has a saltwater-flush option. With 1000 litres of water aboard, fitting a desalinator might be optional.

The third cabin surprises with space not normally found in a bunk cabin. The adult-sized beds, opening hatch and hanging locker make for a very liveable room. Both bunks get a view out the portlights. The washer/dryer filled the main hanging locker on the test, but it's handy to the companionway.

Proving you don’t need a pod-driven boat to get a full-beam cabin, the Elandra 53 will win over would-be owners with its accommodating stateroom with innovative master en suite. Mirrors, a bedhead feature, bedside tables, designer lamps, vanity and dresser/desk, 32in television, daybed and studio-style wardrobe are features. Panorama windows keep you connected while opening ports deliver fresh air.

To maximise master-cabin space, the en suite with vanity hasn't doors and is open-plan with an opening portlight. This leaves the sink and tap, joinery and mother-of-pearl flooring on show. We’re told open-plan en suites are on trend in homes these days and you can see why.

Thankfully, frosted glass doors conceal the head in its own private space forward and there is a separate man-sized shower aft of the on-show vanity. It's certainly a great full-beam stateroom for a 53 footer.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
– Built to survey and custom standards
Standing alongside the Elandra, you can't help but marvel at the volume. The high freeboard fore also aids seaworthiness and creates a dry ride at displacement speeds. This is good news when the next fuel spike arrives. The flared bow and double chine add to the volume, while displacing water.

The warped-plane hull has a typically fine entry, but with a convex running shape, with a small 150mm keel for "just enough bite". Laminate schedules are interesting. Senior sent some 16 panels to specialists in NZ for testing and settled on a strong but light laminate with three layers of Quadraxial E-glass reinforced with two layers of Kevlar. The resulting stiff hull is backed by a 10-year warranty, twice that normally on offer.

Small prop pockets help achieve low shaft angles of less than nine degrees and, ultimately, create efficiency. The boat has underwater exhausts via fins in the hull and just one skin fitting (for the bilge pump) as a common line exits the transom. This helps maintain the clean-looking hull and simplifies the plumbing runs.

The running gear includes survey-like 2.75in shafts and four-blade props. Fuel of 3000 litres is carried in aluminium wing tanks with remote shutoffs, and there are grey- and black-water tanks. A 240V waterpump runs off the inverter for house-like pressure, as do fridges and AV systems at night. For backup, the 240V deck-wash pump is interchangeable.

The compact 20kW Fischer Panda generator in sound shield proved very quiet, while BEP C-Zone digital switching, twin 3500W chargers/inverters, with smart (gennie) start under high load, and huge battery banks take care of the electrical needs.

A vertical ladder leads through the cockpit hatch to the head-height engine room, with two-pack sprayed finish (a liner to come in future). It's a little tight outboard of the 13-litre straight-six common-rail Tier 3 engines, but there's no disputing the quality of the fit-up, with big engine bearers, survey-type fire-rated strainers, spin-off fuel filters and coolant bottles tucked away outboard that could be more accessible.

Soft panels under the galley floor let you crane out an engine if you must. There was otherwise a lot of focus on ensuring the engines enjoyed optimum air, with 24V fan-forced and extractor fans and washable membranes as part of the ventilation kit. It's all quite impressive and to custom offshore-boat standards in keeping with Senior's background.

ON THE WATER
– Dry and efficient running in an offshore sportyacht
Weighing 18,000-22,000kg dry and loaded, the Elandra 53 isn't a heavy boat. But those laminate schedules ensure it is strong. And while it feels stiff, it isn't harsh like an unforgiving high-tech carbon maxi-yacht.

"Running at 25 knots, you won't hear any creaks, groans or joinery noise," says Senior, as we prepare to cast the lines. 

The convex running surface and width to the transom help with stability, meaning that you can carry the weight of engine options, jet tenders, watermaker and other equipment around the stern area without affecting performance. And this is a key feature...

Experienced boaters should appreciate that the Elandra 53 is designed to perform in realistic user trim, with full tanks, all the owner's gear, even a bit of light growth. That isn't something you will get on boats built to run light, as some are with pod drives, and subsequent sea trials have shown the Elandra 53 enjoys efficiency gains over leading local and imported luxury marques, Durman says.

"Our calculations indicate that the Elandra 53 is between eight and nine per cent more fuel efficient than rival boats of the same size and horsepower," Senior adds. Lower-end economy — cruising at 18-24 knots at around 1500-2000rpm — was a key design consideration.

Time to put the theory to the test. Defined by the twin Stidd helm chairs and a protruding dash brow, and harbouring the twin 16in Simrad NSO touchscreens, the lower helm is quite elevated and affords good views of the ocean road. Air-con outlets on the screen act as a demister, while the opening window assists with fresh air and communications to crew.

Astern, after our albeit flat sea-trial offshore, there was no spray on the aft glass and thus no station-wagon effect that plagues some sportyachts. So guests can travel on the aft lounge and remain dry on this boat. That said, there was still a bit of fine tuning on the prop front when we drove the Elandra 53. This has now been sorted.

The official sea-trial figures define a boat with a 34.3-knot top speed at 2360rpm WOT, up from 2230rpm on our trials, after new props were fitted. Smooth cruise of 20.6 knots at a lazy 1600rpm sees a modest 123 litre/hour consumption or 5.95 litres/nm, for a range of 454nm from 90 per cent of the 3000-litre fuel capacity.

Fast cruise at 1950rpm, 400rpm off WOT, is 27.5 knots for a 385nm range, while 2150rpm, the 200rpm off WOT speed traditionally regarded as maximum continuous, gives 31 knots and 336nm. 

We have mentioned the handy high freeboard and with that the nice displacement attitude. The boat will run at its hull speed of about 11 knots at 900rpm for a range of 983nm using 2.75 litres/nm. So if fuel prices bite, just go slow.

Meantime, at that sweet cruise speed of 20-21 knots, we reeled in the sea miles on what was a glassy Gold Coast day. The Elandra 53 felt at home in the bluewater and, with its trans-Pacific bloodlines and family lineage, it's clearly more than just a show pony. 

The boat embraces technology, with the twin Bonning digital engine panels, electronic shifts, C-Zone switching, Simrads screens and more all adding to the cruising pleasure.

VERDICT
– A trans-Pacific team delivering its best for Down Under
Too often we see 'bling' replace good boating sense. The Elandra 53 proves that a five-star finish and flash fit-out can keep company with serious offshore-cruising credentials. The hull design, layout, engineering and ergonomics have more in keeping with a custom boat than a production one. Indeed, this is among the most seaworthy and passage-ready sportyachts on the market today.

"Building in Australia... you don't want to build a commodity product because you can't compete on price. But we will keep the volume low and quality high and form an intimate relationship with our customers. Every boat we build will have a name, not just a number," Durman says.

The Elandra objective is two to three boats a year. Something bigger and even more unique is in the pipeline, we’re told. Meantime, as a harbinger for Elandra, this 53 hits the sweet spot.

The main competition for a genuine offshore sportyacht with shaft drives, a full-beam stateroom and easy walkaround decks? Try the keenly priced Maritimo C53 from Bill Barry-Cotter.  So do you go with the known brand or this semi-custom personalised alternative? It’s an interesting father V son scenario where the buyer stands to win.

The Elandra 53 will be displayed at the 2014 Gold Coast Marine Expo from October 17 to 19. Check it outl

LIKES
>> High volume 53 with separate living spaces, big accommodation and terrific walkaround decks
>> Impressive mid-range economy from trusty shaft drives and powerful MAN engines
>> Custom-boat-like engineering and hull lay-up, with subsequent seaworthiness and efficiency
>> Excellent fit and finish, quality components and installations
>> A new generation of boatbuilders with famous bloodlines

NOT SO MUCH
>> Is there a place for this new brand in Australia? You will be taking a risk buying an Elandra
>> Unconventional VIP cabin mightn't be to everyone's liking
>> No Cummins, Caterpillar or Volvo engine options at this stage
>> New kids on the block might lead to poor custom-boat-type resale value down the track

Specifications:
Price as tested: $1,867,128 with upgraded MAN R6-800, ZF joystick and options as detailed above.
Priced from: $1,797,000 with twin Scania DI13 750hp engines, ZF joystick and very complete inventory.
LOA: 16.66m
Hull length ISO: 16.15m
Beam: 5.25m
Draft: 1.15m (max)
Weight: 19,000kg dry, around 23,600kg loaded with twin Scania DI13 750hp engines
Sleeping: 6+2
Fuel capacity: 3000 litres
Water capacity: 1000 litres
Holding tank: 400 litres
Engines: Twin MAN R6-800 common-rail diesel inboard engines with shaft drives, ZF gearboxes, with four-blade Nibral props
Generator: Fischer Panda 20kW

Supplied by:
Elandra Yachts
Biggera Waters, Queensland
See www.elandrayachts.com.