Elan 450 Tops League Of IRC-Friendly Cruiser Racers
Racing Editor Andi Robertson lets the new Elan 450 have its head off Porto Roz, Slovenia FOR ME it’s an irony that the weather for our Elan 450 test was something less than average. Having travelled to Slovenia to sail the new Rob Humphreys design in the pleasant surroundings of Porto Roz on the Adriatic coast, then a little cooperation from the wind, and more especially the overhead conditions would have been welcome. When we arrived the mist was thick, with visibility to tens of metres really. Say a quiet ‘thanks’ for the presence of the old sea dog Bill Mackay who knows the stretch of water like he knows the Clyde, or so you’d like to think given that he’s spent eight years on and off working out of the Elan factory only an hour and a half inland, and completed countless tests sails and more than a few regattas from this chi-chi resort which is just 30 minutes from one of Italy’s main sailing cities, Trieste. So it is almost in spite of the test sail, which was chilly and marked by a clammy 9kts of breeze and cold March temperatures, that I’d have the 450 as my Boat of the Year so far. In a market place which struggles under the weight of 42-46 footers, many of which would fit the broad remit of an identikit IRC friendly cruiser racer, what Rob has done is something a little different from the mainstream. It takes its cues from the Open class 60 and Class 40’s in some simple respects. Twin rudders allow a slightly more powerful hull to be drawn without producing anything scary, while it retains most of the styling and details of the Performance line such as the 410. The boat has a retractable spinnaker pole with gennakers. The open, bluff transom and powerful stern sections, sleek deck profile, long waterline length, plumb bow and minimum overhangs define the 450, but there is a subtle sheer and the three hull side windows which confirm the cruising orientation. It’s a boat which the Central Europeans would call ‘sportif’, which approximates to being for the discerning, experienced owner who knows what he or she is about, and wants to go fast in comfort, usually short handed and probably without having racing aspirations. It is not really a boat to chuck round the race course in IRC. In the 450 you’d go anywhere at speed and with a simple but effective sail plan you’d sail short handed, with two or three in the cockpit rather than a full team, and all in comfort and safety. The Elan house styling actually keeps the boat in check a little. The cockpit and deck on our test boat were fully teak finished which adds to the user appeal, but actually masks the lines a little. Construction is excellent in Elan’s resin infusion system, VAIL, with foam cores and the vacuum applied once all the stringers and longitudinals are in place which produces one moncoque structure, reducing weight and maximising strength. The internal structure grid, in solid laminate, takes the keel and rig loads. We have always maintained that Rob Humphreys designs good looking boats and the 450 reinforces this belief. The cockpit area is good. It is relatively shallow and workmanlike. There is good space for the helm around the twin wheels, but ample seating. We liked the table set-up, hidden away under the sole but simply pulled up in seconds on two brushed alloy supports (see pic). The winches are well sited too with the A-style mainsheet running below decks to the winch which is easily sited for the helm, and well spec’d primaries giving ample power and line speed for the big gennakers. There is good access to the liferaft locker and an opening drop down mini ‘garage’ in the stern. Our boat has two headsail tracks, one slightly outboard and aft and inboard for the non-overlapping jib. In the conditions we had and lighter, you might want to work closely with a quality sailmaker. A big, light upwind gennaker might be a supplementary proposition somewhere down the line, for this is a boat you’d prefer to sail rather than motor in light breezes, as well as put the pedal down in fresher winds. That said the all purpose gennaker we had on was close winded. Optional is a rather elaborate and heavy hydraulic boarding passarelle/stern seat. Sure it is very nice in the Adriatic and the Med, boarding stern-to, but a bit James Bond meets Victor Meldrew, and it is not really a choice that many would make. The advantage is principally in not risking your back having to lift the quite long seat/gangplank. But for the money it costs I’d be having a nice lightweight carbon version and no additional farm machinery in the cockpit. Up front the bow locker is good, deep with an articulating anchor stowage system. What we like about the 450 is that it can be such a blank canvas, either keeping it relatively stripped, or you can go gadget crazy and have everything push button; electric and hydraulic. But the joy came in sailing the boat. It handles beautifully and appeared quick and easy to drive. The twin rudders mean a smaller blade and a different feel. Drag? Well the computations say there is slightly more and you are aware of the wake and bubbling from the second rudder, but this is at slower speeds when the boat is upright. For me the extra feel when the boat heels has to be worth it, with much lighter loads in stronger breezes. It is altogether more efficient other than in light winds. Upwind the feel is different, and it encourages you to steer well. Rather than flicking the boat around, you tend to let the boat have its head and use the long lines and foils, building speed and lift. Upwind the boat tracked well, and accelerated well. There is a natural tendency to let the speed build and then take maximum height. It seemed close winded enough, but not a boat you felt you wanted to pass it through the eye of a needle. Tacking was excellent too, with good ergonomics in the cockpit and it’s easy to let the speed rise quickly. Under the big gennaker you can lose the sense of speed simply because we had no horizon or reference points, but we came across the bay at somewhere around 6 knots in about 8 knots AWS because we reached the shore rather quicker than expected! Here the boat really accelerated evenly and smoothly, and this is where you start to really feel the Open class influence albeit relatively mild. It has the same basic feel. Not that you shut your eyes and think you’re on the Vendee Globe, but it is a noticeably different feel to your average 45 footer. Down stairs it is nothing short of great. Compared with some recently launched 45s and even established ones at much greater cost, the interior is superior. The finish brings on a challenge to X-Yachts. The light wood accentuates the space and airiness of the boat, but the bold, linear layout leaves plenty of space too. Not trying to cram too much in and leaving some floor space enhances the feel of size and space. The galley area is excellent, with a big, forward facing working area and masses of storage space. And opposite, the nav station takes the same core values, in space and working area and is executed nicely. There is a traditional three cabin layout which offers a large owner’s island double berth forward, or a four cabin layout for those with a larger crew, including an offset bunk room to starboard. Overall we were hugely impressed with the design, sailing ability, and interior of the Elan 450.