Sail-World.com : European boat of the Year to race at Hamilton
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European boat of the Year to race at Hamilton |
This year’s Hamilton Island Race Week will be special for a number of reasons. Firstly, there’s the Audi’s sponsorship which is set to bring the event to a whole new level. Secondly, the competition is going to be ferocious with skippers realising a divisional win will see them with a chance to get the keys to an Audi.
Thirdly, you are going to see a boat which won it’s category in this year’s European Boat of the Year racing in the CR/IRC Division. She’s an Elan 340 Performance Cruiser called ‘G-Whizz’, sporting a performance rig and raced by Rod Parry and Gael Moldan of Navsail- the Australian distributors for Elan.
G-Whizz is the first of the Elan 340’s to arrive in Australia and although she’s been a casual entrant in the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club winter series, many sailors wouldn’t have seen her in the flesh yet.
Your first chance to do so will be at the Sydney International Boat Show, 2-7th August, and then she is being trucked directly to Hamilton to race.
She will be crewed by a non professional team made up mainly of Elan 37 owners in the CR/IRC. Gael and Rod decided to race her at Hamilton mainly for fun, but also to give people a chance to see the handling and performance of Elan’s stylish new model. Owner Rod Parry said that he was expecting her to be competitive within the cruiser/racer class.
‘The boat is good on its feet- it performs well’ said Rod. ‘It is also a boat you can cruise in and be happy to be on board because it’s got space, all the utilities that you need, a luxurious modern interior and you’ve also got good headroom.’
‘It’s not just a straight cruising boat: it’s a performance cruiser.’
Elan’s range of performance cruisers are well established in both the cruising and competitive sailing worlds, with a reputation for being well made, balanced boats with quality inclusions and a good turn of speed. They’re especially popular with families who want to be competitive at a club level, but also enjoy the comfort and luxuries of a well appointed cruiser.
The company offers a rig upgrade on the 340 which is appropriate if you’re planning to use the boat more for serious racing than cruising. The performance rig upgrade costs about $9000 and includes:
‘Twin spinnaker halyards, twin genoa halyards, and the halyard material and rigging wire is different. It’s got Dyform rigging wire on it. You’ll get a two bladed folding propeller, the Haarken deck equipment is upgraded to another level and the winches are bigger.’
‘It’s a worthwhile package. If it was purchased item by item it would cost you a lot more. Elan offers this package for most of their performance cruisers.’
The marine press have been effusive in their praise for the Elan 340. In February of this year Matthew Sheehan, and following the London Boat Show, wrote in Yachting World that:
‘Whether you’re ghosting along in sub ten knots of breeze or pressing to weather in 20, the 340 is beautifully light and balanced on the helm. Unlike so many modern wheel-steered boats, there is no slack or give in her steering system and friction or drag to mute her feel.’
‘Add to this a block and tackle mainsheet system that’s close to hand for the helmsman and crew, along with genoa car pullers and well thought out deck layout and you have a boat that sails well and is easy to get the best out of.’
He concluded that ‘under sail the Elan took us by surprise – light, responsive and more fun to sail than many boats twice her size.’
Other people have commented on the Elan 340’s sleek, stylish design and classic looks. It’s not the sort of aesthetic that dates or which goes out of fashion. The 340 been described as ‘a pretty boat with a fresh modern feel and the best all round package in her class.’
 | European Yacht of the Year award 2007 - Elan |
As well as looking good at Hamilton, Gael and Rod will have the satisfaction and security of knowing that their boat’s construction has been independently certified by Germanischer Lloyd. All Elan yachts carry individual Germanischer Lloyd GL Plus certification.
Germanischer Lloyd checks the structural integrity of Elan’s hull and rig designs and then provides technical supervision during production. Buying a boat with individual GL certification means that the owner knows that the vessel is well built, safe and structurally sound. Quality construction is something that Rod takes very seriously, and he’s critical of boat builders that build to a lower standard.
‘You can’t cut corners, not when you have people’s lives at stake.’
Gael and Rod also have the advantage of racing a Rob Humphrey’s designed vessel:
‘He’s well known and highly regarded throughout the world. I mean he’s the designer for many premier blue water cruisers, he’s the designer for Oysters, and is responsible for some of the many round the world race formats…’
As well as designing fast cruisers, Humphreys Yacht Design has been involved in high profile race campaigns such as the America’s Cup, Open 60’s and Volvo 70’s.
So there’s another reason to go to Hamilton or the Sydney International Boat Show this year: keep your eyes open for G-Whizz, because that’s what you’ll probably say when you see her.
by Media services
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