Elan 310... I'm in love!

Twister_Ken said:
"I take it the company would be reluctant to let me do it for them."

They're probably going to want a works crew aboard, especially the skipper, but there's usually room for rail ballast.
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To be honest, work's crews aren't really Premier's (Elan agents in the UK) style. They tend to rely on good skippers buying the boats. This has an obvious cost benefit, and worked spectaularly well in the case of "Lucky" Jim and his 410. Although they did sponsor him in a small way, it was definitley not a "works" team. The old Quokka being a 37 didn't hurt sales back then either.
Hasn't worked as well with the other new models, with the possible exception of the 450 and the Hurricane crew. Though their very good results are almost never shouted about, despite online racing websites, and even magazines, crying out for content, even brazen press releases.

Contrast that to the J-UK way - see a brand new model racing in the UK and you'll see a silver fox somewhere on it. That's the Agent, Paul Hayes, and not only is he a very, very good sailor, but he also brings top tallent with him to get the boats up and running.
That new 97 has won it's class in every big race since it arrived. RTI, Cowes, Dartmouth etc. Perhaps not too much of a suprise given the average age and size of the competition and their amateur crews, but still very impressive, especially to anyone considering a new boat at that size.
And what do you know, every good result mysteriously appears on racing websites under massively pro J headlines.

Race results sell racing boats, even more so when the people selling the boats actually tell the boat buying public about them! It's a total mystery to me why other dealers don't take a leaf out of J's book. I mean, how can it be that classes that haven't been made in a decade or more (Sigma 38 being a great example) can manage a decent press release about how much fun they're having racing their boats, but people actually selling boats can't even spend ten minutes on a monday morning to bash together a "look how well our boats did this weekend" press release and email it to a dozen websites. Unless you actually did any research you would have to conclude that the only decent racing in the UK happens in J boats and old Sigmas.

Anyway, rant over. I have total respect for the professional marketing and PR job done by J-UK. I just wish they sold boats that I want to sail.
 
orbister said:
How many days and miles have you done it one?
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I'm not sure what your asking. If your asking miles under the keel under my ownership then i suppose around 100. Including one trip Fowey, most i've spent on her is 3 nights in the marina on my own. Fowey, Dad and me spent 2 nights which was more than enough on a boat that size with two people. It probably was less comfortable as it was a little swelly in Fowey those 2 nights.

Diadem isn't uncomfortable, just not something i would like to live in. I would like something that you don't have to go sideways to get in to bed as you go past the heads. Having a dedicated chart table without a seat to work comfortably at. A table to eat off might even be more of a nice luxury. Diadem will serve me well for the next couple of years and i don't regret buying her. She is my first yacht and i'm already learning so much off her, she's lively yet balanced, Quick but comfortable and never too much to handle. She takes a blow well and is nice and dry no matter what direction she cuts the swell. All these things to me are perfect for a first yacht.
I may seem i'm already onto the next thing but i want to keep my eyes and ears open about what i'm going to be looking for in the future.
 
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Cerddinen said:
Don't forget that these boats work by sailing at alarming angles when going to windward. This reduces the wetted area to a minimum but necessitates the twin rudders in order to have some grip on the water. This is fun if most of your sailing is downwind.
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Not sure what boats you are referring to here, but lightweight wide beam boats such as the Elan 310 are normally sailed much more upright than a traditional narrow hull long keel boat, which needs the heel to generate much leverage
 
arfa said:
Monkfish I am with you on this boat - definately worth a closer look if you want a bit of pace

The polar diagrams suggest she will fly downwind. Yes she'll be light and tricky in a blow but that's where the fun starts !

http://www.adriaship.it/repository/download/ELAN 310 POLAR DIAGRAM A4.pdf
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At last someone who can read a polar diagram! I understand what they are trying to show but don't actually understand how it is displayed and what i am reading off one of these.
 
Cerddinen said:
Don't forget that these boats work by sailing at alarming angles when going to windward. This reduces the wetted area to a minimum but necessitates the twin rudders in order to have some grip on the water. This is fun if most of your sailing is downwind.
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With respect, I think that these boats are designed to sell boats. That is where the design brief starts and ends.

The daft thing with this one is that like many modern production performance cruisers that are not aimed at genuine race campaigners, they are designed to be 'mini-open 60s'. This sounds great but it's actually total piffle.

The IMOCA 60 or whatever it is called this week is designed to still be controllable when it has gone over further than it should but because it is designed to be sailed single handed or short handed. On a boat of 31' it ought to be so much easier to sail it upright, which is how all fat arse boats (like mine) need to be.

The globe-girdlers also have cassette stepped rudders so that the lazy rudder comes away from the water and stops creating drag. Look at the photo on the Premier website, look at the drag of the lazy rudder. Look at that distrubed water.

With any sort of crew, this boat would sail faster upright with one rudder than on it's ear with two. For boats that accelerate when they heel try at Folkboat.
 
I saw the 310 at the Show yesterday and chatted to the salesman about the debate on this forum. For a purchaser who is aware of how the boat will handle it looked tremendous fun. If it had been on the market two years ago when I was in the process of buying I would certainly have given in serious consideration. The wide stern ensures a surprisingly large aft cabin so that it is could be used comfortably for cruising. I can understand how it divides opinion but am definitely in agreement with the OP.
 
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