Elan 210 Premiers at the Dusseldorf Boat Show

— 27 Jan 2011

They say that every cloud has a silver lining. There has been a big cloud hanging over the world economy over the past few years and arguably the silver lining is the focus everyone is applying to get through it. In the marine industry it’s a focus that makes one think about our sport and what makes it appealing, about sailing’s core values, and about making it possible and exciting for new people to join in.

In our on-going work for Elan we felt we needed to appeal to the most passionate side of sailing, creating in the 310 and 350 boats that appealed to people besotted with the fun side of sailing. And now, as a logical extension of this work, we are delighted to have been able to look at a size that can be a crucial incubator for the future health of the sport. The new Elan 210 is what one might generally term an entry-level boat, hopefully one that nourishes interest in the sport and in boat-ownership. However, in reality the Elan 210 is more than that – for some it will be all that one might dream of in sailing, for others it will be a second boat, an adrenaline ripster for the occasional evening race. Whichever of these criteria applies we believe she will have a welcome place in the sailing world – fast and responsive to satisfy the needs of the racing sailor, whilst spacious and surprisingly comfortable for overnight cruising.

The design of the Elan 210 incorporates many of the novel production yacht features seen on her larger sisters, the Elan 310 and 350. Twin rudders offer greater control at heel and a reduced bow down trimming moment, enabling the E210 to benefit from a powerful, chined hull form with beamy aft sections. The high stability hull form and low VCG ‘T’ bulb keel deliver a substantial righting moment for a reduced displacement. Combined with her generous sail plan (including large asymmetric spinnakers flown from a retractable bow sprit and the option of a big head mainsail) the E210 offers sparkling performance both on and off the wind.

Aside from the performance advantages, the E210’s beamy hull form also provides an exceptionally large cockpit and interior volume for a design of this size. A single tiller on centreline and a mainsheet traveller mounted on the transom further enhance the feeling of space inside the cockpit. In the centre of the cockpit is a fully enclosed engine well containing a 6hp four stroke outboard engine which is retracted and deployed within a semi constrained cartridge system. Halyards, reef lines and jib controls are all led to the pit area with two size 8 Harken winches mounted on the cabin top either side of the companionway. These winches also double to operate the lifting keel pulley system, reducing draft from 1.55m to 0.5m draft, making the E210 easily trailerable and ideal for exploring shallow water cruising grounds.

Below deck, the layout is simple, yet highly functional. The E210 sleeps four comfortably with a forward double berth and two single aft berths running either side beneath the cockpit. A simple galley unit comprising a single burner cooker and sink and a concealed toilet offer all the creature comforts for a weekend cruise.

The Elan 210 is sure to take up a strong position in the small boat market and provide an entry model to the Elan Marine performance yacht range. The wholesome cruiser/racer ethos which is at the heart of the E210 design will appeal to both the racing and cruising sailor alike, whilst offering excellent resale potential in the future.