The Elan company may be more familiar to Americans as a manufacturer of skis, but across the street from their ski manufacturing facility in Begunjie, Slovenia, is a boatbuilding plant that’s been producing boats for 50 years.
The Elan 40 is a Rob Humphreys (Kingfisher, GBR Challenge) design in a 16-knot breeze. The deck gear is a mix of Harken and Lewmar, with a Furlex furler for the headsail. The rig is an aluminum Selden section popular with European builders. The boat has a split backstay with a hydraulic adjuster on the port side. The main sheet is set up grand-prix style, running down from near the gooseneck, which is handy when you need the sail pumped or pulled in quick for a jibe. The Elan 40’s hull is solid fiberglass, the deck is cored with balsa. The keel is solid iron fin with a lead bulb, and draws 6’9″.
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