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Built beautiful, and built to last    


'The vacuum infusion construction method used by Elan'    Elan
Elan Yachts have gained an enviable reputation for making some of the best built boats in the business. Not only are they incredibly elegant and great to sail, they come with Germanischer Lloyd certification. This means that the construction of every single one of Elan’s luxurious yachts is carried out under the technical supervision of GL certifiers. And every individual yacht is certified to the highest level: GL plus.

Certification of construction by a reputable, independent certifier is worth its weight in gold as far as a boat owner’s peace of mind goes. GL certification means that you can be sure that your boat has been built to the very highest standards, and good construction goes a long way to ensuring the safety of captain and crew.

Certification is also one of the reasons that Elan Yachts hold their value so well: people have confidence in GL’s strict construction standards and know that if they’re buying a second hand boat it’s likely to be sound.

Elan’s philosophy of solid construction, superior performance and a beautiful aesthetic runs through every part of the yacht design and building process. This is exemplified by the process they use to build their hulls and decks: 3-D Vacuum Infusion.

The above graph shows the significant increase in the properties of the VAL system over the traditional hand laid system used by many series production boat building companies. -  Elan  


Vacuum Infusion is radically different to the traditional method of making a fibreglass boat: initially it’s a dry process rather than a wet one. Layers of dry fibreglass are laid into a mould, a high tech core material is cut using very accurate CNC machines and this layer then placed in the mould, then the final layers of fibreglass cloth are applied.

The entire mould is placed in what amounts to a giant plastic bag, a pump is then used to create a vacuum in the bag and the resulting suction draws resin through all the layers.

The pressure of the vacuum creates a strong bond between the core and the fibreglass, with the pump left running until the laminate is cured. One of the other functions of the pump is that it draws out excess resin, which results in a lighter boat and one with a higher fibre to resin ratio.

An additional benefit of Elan’s 3-D Vacuum Infusion process is that some of the main hull stringers are cast in the one piece, which provides additional strength to the hull.

‘Compared to a normal lay up of fibreglass used by some manufacturers, the Elan method of vacuum infused hulls means that, the fibre content is 50-60% higher’ said Navsail’s Rod Parry, Australian distributors of Elan.

‘(That’s the fibre in the glass.) The tensile strength is about 40% more. The e-modulus (elasticity) is 40% greater. And the flexural strength, which is the important one, is 140% greater. It means that the result of a vacuum infused hull is a lighter, stronger boat.’

Elan’s Vacuum Assisted Lamination method of production of hulls and decks, produces stronger and stiffer hulls ensuring perfect anti-osmosis protection: (left to right)outer multiaksial fabric, soric core, PVC core, inner multiaksial fabric -  Elan  


It’s not only the hull itself which is recognized as being built to a superior standard. The way Elan attaches their keels is recognised as being one of the best methods around.

Elan lead keels have a stainless steel integral spinal grid running right through to the bulb. This grid links up with the keel bolts, and this, coupled with the structural integrity of the hull and the cast-in longitudinal stringers makes an incredibly strong, but still flexible, structure.

This method provides greater assurance of the boat remaining sound in the event of an accidental heavy grounding: not only do you want a boat that is tough enough to take hard knocks, but one that is flexible enough to allow the effect of the shock to be diffused over a larger area.

'Now as far as how the Elan keels are fixed; on the top when you lift up the floorboards you’ll see big plates which are 8mm stainless steel’ said Rod.

‘They’re turned up on the edges so you don’t get any twist or distortion. The vacuum infused hull thickness where the bolts go through varies from approx 20mm-35mm, depending on the model.’

And there’s added assurance in terms of certification: ‘the keel’s reinforcing is something that GL certify.'

Elan’s attention to detail continues through to another crucial part of the boat which is ordinarily subjected to extreme loads: the rudder. Most boats have a rudder where there is a bearing in the bottom hull and a bearing in the deck, with a shaft running between them.

‘There’s nothing really in between giving added support’ said Rod.

The vacuum infusion construction method -  Elan  


‘For example, there have been a few boats in the last couple of years that have lost keels and lately that have lost rudders. It’s something that people should be aware of when selecting a boat for their needs.’

Elan’s cruising boats have solid vertical webs that are approx 80mm thick which support the rudder area. This together with the stainless steel stocks which are an integral part of Elan rudders make them very suitable for offshore. Even if you do have the misfortune to badly damage your rudder, Elan’s design means that critical damage to the hull is less likely.

'If you have a rudder sheer off, you’re got less chance of ripping the bottom out of the boat because you’ve got this support.’

There’s an old expression: what price peace of mind? Well, it’s probably the same amount as an Elan Yacht, built to the superior GL plus standard. A well constructed, thoughtfully designed boat is a joy to own and sail, and one less thing to worry about!




by Media Services