Birdseye
Well-Known Member
yes I know its a bit old hat for the keen racers but I am wondering if it would suit an old man like me. What is the build quality like? Handicap?
anybody here race an Elan 31?
- Thread starter Birdseye
- Start date
John_Silver
Well-Known Member
My previous boat was an Elan 31. Only cruised her. Kept her for just 4 years though. When I realised that the commissioning issues list was being added to by wear and tear issues…….May have been unlucky. Both with the then UK agent, who went into voluntary liquidation shortly after delivery. Or with a ‘Friday boat.’ I was so chastened by the experience, of Elan ownership / (lack of) dealer & yard support, that I replaced her with a Rassy 310. Which, 15 years later, I still own.
The Elan 31 did sail well though. Poole YC had a burgeoning race fleet, at the time (early noughties). Bar talk said that they performed above their rating. But I don’t know if that was borne out by results.
PS Happy to PM a Damage Report, if you’d like.
EDIT: I had set my heart on an X-302. But they went out of production in 2004…..I was shopping in 2005….and then I saw the Elan 31. Suspect that the X-302 would have been better built and enjoyed better after-sales support…
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dunedin
Well-Known Member
Interesting. What was the date of your Elan?
We had an Elan 36 which was built in 2000 and it was a brilliant boat, well built and very strong. They also had a superb Scottish agent, Bill McKay
John_Silver
Well-Known Member
2006 launch. Down in Plymouth.
Our issues did not seem to be shared by the Poole YC fleet - which were early noughties boats….
Cariadco
Well-Known Member
Races a 310 Performance for a while. Loved it. Not sure it's the same as a 31 though?
dunedin
Well-Known Member
Looks like there were two different Elan 31s by different designers then the Elan 310.
Wonder which version the OP is thinking of?
Birdseye
Well-Known Member
Didnt even know that there were two versions. The question came into my mind because my current boat has a poor cockpit layout and the Elan in my club has a much better one.
Cariadco
Well-Known Member
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
It does not surprise me about the dealer. In 2003 at LIBS I went on the 31 quite by chance with no intention of buying a boat. But by the end of the show I was quite willing to place a deposit. The wife stopped me & suggested that we look at other 31s first. So I took that as a " I do not want you to buy a boat"
To my surprise, within a month she had made appointments for us to visit a number of brokers.
We travelled over 100 miles to look at the Elan again, on the water. In his office the broker chucked us the keys & told us what pontoon it was on & left us to it. No interest whatsoever.
A similar experience with the Jeneau dealer who would not wait 4 minutes for us, having traveled 100 miles & stuck in a traffic jam for 1 hour & just closed shop as we arrived. So we could not see the 32
In the end we went with Inspiration Marine,(Hanse) who could not have been better, showing us 2 models then standing back whilst we looked on our own. Later arranging the all important test sail.
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
dunedin
Well-Known Member
That I think is the “middle one” from around 2005 ? The other Humphries designed Elans were a great combination of speed with safe handling plus great interior - so would home this 31 would be similarly good.
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
The internet suggests 2002.
Deck/cockpit set up looks remarkably similar to the First 31.7 I had at the time but the interior fit out appears better.
Rereading the article I see Elaine gets an honourable mention
Deck/cockpit set up looks remarkably similar to the First 31.7 I had at the time but the interior fit out appears better.
Rereading the article I see Elaine gets an honourable mention
flaming
Well-Known Member
Ha!
Weird though that we get a name check in a 2024 article as a well known Solent Elan, when the 37 went to Scotland in 2018…
flaming
Well-Known Member
I had a run in with the Elan dealer at a boat show in about 2012. It was shortly after the 380 had launched and I introduced myself as the helm of Elaine.
He went off on one, ranting at me having cost him “dozens of sales” because we kept beating the 380. I thought he was joking at first, but he really wasn’t. He was vey aggressive.
For context we’d offered to leave the 37 on the hard for a series if he lent us a 380 to see if we could get some results, but he wasn’t interested.
Sad thing was, I think the 380 was probably a pretty good boat, but the first owner was not an experienced sailor, and we’d been sailing the 37 for a while by that point.
He went off on one, ranting at me having cost him “dozens of sales” because we kept beating the 380. I thought he was joking at first, but he really wasn’t. He was vey aggressive.
For context we’d offered to leave the 37 on the hard for a series if he lent us a 380 to see if we could get some results, but he wasn’t interested.
Sad thing was, I think the 380 was probably a pretty good boat, but the first owner was not an experienced sailor, and we’d been sailing the 37 for a while by that point.
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
I hadn’t spotted the publication date and thought I was reading something from around 10 years ago…
mrming
Well-Known Member
Have you looked at the Hanse 291 / 301? Appreciate it may be too small but it can be sailed above its rating. Nice combination of decent sail area and high ballast ratio. Someone in my old club sailed one single or short handed and did very well.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
Excellent boat, but some had a small engine
Or if you can find one - An Aphrodite.
An elderly couple in berth next to me have one, in beautiful condition
Goes really well & they sail it like they stole it.
Birdseye
Well-Known Member
I have no problem beating them in my bilge keel 290. Looks like a nice boat but the one I race against has a self tacker and thats a no no.
mrming
Well-Known Member
Are you of equivalent experience / ability?
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
The Hanse that you are racing against must be poorly sailed if you mean boat for boat.
One only has to look at the RYA ratings to see how a Sadler 290 bilge keel performs. We have one in our club(Just come on the market) and it is slow in comparison. The chap who sails it used to be an international Canoe competitor so was no slouch at sailing. A hanse of the 301 era had the option of the genoa. I have one on my 311 but rarely use it unless racing in light airs as the laminate ST is quite powerful & can be fitted with barber haulers off the wind. Then a cruising chute.
290 rating .855
hanse 301 .922
Aphrodite .913
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