Elan 450 coming to US

The first of the new Elan 450 series will be arriving in the US during early February 2009, ultimately heading to its new owner in New York.

The elegant Elan 450 is the latest Cruiser/Racer from the naval architect responsible for the current Elan range, Rob Humphreys.

The Elan 450 builds on the success of the redesigned performance range from Elan and in addition to the twin rudders and twin wheels in the cockpit the boat features an open transom, flush hatches on the coachroof, lines running below deck and a long waterline length.

The boat has an impressive sail plan with tall fractional rig, swept aft double spreaders, large main and non-overlapping headsail.  An optional large gennaker is flown from a retractable bow sprit.

The Elan 450 is a swift racing yacht that will be fully appreciated by the serious sailor and yet can transition easily to a sophisticated cruising yacht to be enjoyed by his family too, with its swiveling stemhead anchor fitting, stowaway cockpit table, light and bright interior, generous forward owners’ cabin and gourmet galley.  Attention to comfort and detail is evident throughout.

To prove the point of the versatility of the Elan 450, a charter company in Europe that has taken an Elan 450 into their fleet as a cruising boat also recorded great results in local racing across the Straits of Gibraltar from Sotogrande to Ceuta.  Although light winds prevailed during this 2-crew race, the Elan 450 "SUKA" won in its category and overall averaging 8.2 knots.