Unsinkability

Testing unsinkability with through-hull fitting open

The safest yachts in the world...

When ETAP Yachting began developing and producing sailing yachts in 1970, their aim was to build the safest sailing yachts in the world. Besides selecting superb materials and paying close attention to ergonomics, they felt it imperative that ETAP yachts should be made unsinkable. The crews who entrusted themselves to Etap yachts had to be sure of a safe voyage, even if their boat took in water.

How?

ETAP Yachting decided on a unique, technically refined construction method known as the ETAP ship-in-ship construction. In the ETAP ship-in-ship construction, the deck and hull are double-skinned. The hollow space between the two decks and two hulls is filled with closed-cell polyurethane foam. The closed cell structure is almost entirely non-absorbent and gives the boat sufficient buoyancy. Even if your ETAP yacht does spring a leak, it will remain stable and afloat, with enough freeboard for you and your crew.

ETAP 21i hull in double-skin construction

Thanks to many years of experience, Etap can now inject most of the foam into zones that remain unused even in single-mould boats, minimising any loss of space. Some years ago the ETAP 30i beat competitors to be named the boat with the largest amount of storage space in its class!

Difference between normal hull of ETAP 21i and hull flooded to the maximum depth

Quality & certification.

How can it be guaranteed that your ETAP is truly

unsinkable?

Etap Yachting uses computer simulations during the design phase to calculate every last detail of your boat, leading to above-standard stability and buoyancy.
Experts such as Veritas verify the boat's unsinkability, in accordance with the standards set by Marine Marchande, the official French inspection agency. For ETAP Yachting, Marine Marchande's official standards are the strictest in existence.
Practical tests are performed to check that everything is functioning as planned. We regularly carry out our tests in the presence of boating press representatives to prove that our boats are unsinkable.
We occasionally receive reports on an ETAP boat that has sustained heavy damage but remained afloat and manoeuvrable thanks to the ETAP ship-in-ship construction.

Partition volume of foam, ETAP 24i

Many advantages

Over the years, the ETAP ship-in-ship principle was refined and now offers you a host of advantages:

Thanks to the unsinkability guarantee, you know that your ETAP boat will stay afloat. You will never need to abandon ship; you can calmly tackle any technical problems and sail safely to the nearest port
The double-mould construction method also offers highly efficient thermal and acoustic insulation. ETAP boats are practically condensation-free, giving your crew and equipment a much more pleasant environment than on other boats
The double-skinned deck and hull mean a more rigid, dimensionally stable structure

Test by French yachting magazine "Voiles & Voiliers". Itinerary: Calais-Dover-Calais in a single day - with through-hull fittings open!

The inner deck and inner hull allow to give our yacht a unique quality of finish: no need to use water-proof materials or plastic in the decor; instead, the interior is made of sound structural polyester, a low-maintenance, durable and aesthetically pleasing material with long-lasting value.

Thanks to the confidence of so many thousands of customers who prefer ETAP's unique construction technology, 35 years after its founding Etap Yachting can call itself the world leader in unsinkable yachts. That's something to be proud off !

ETAP 21i "flooded to the maximum". Test by German magazine "Yacht". Itinerary: strait between Germany (Warnemünde) and Denmark (Gedser) in a single day.