Elan 40
Description
The Elan 40 is a sleek, performance-oriented racer-cruiser sailboat designed by renowned British naval architect Rob Humphreys and built by Elan Yachts in Begunje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia, from 2001 to 2005. With approximately 100 units produced, it's celebrated for blending competitive speed with comfortable cruising amenities, making it a strong contender in the crowded 40-foot market of its era. The design emphasizes a lightweight hull, fractional rig, and responsive handling—ideal for club racing, coastal passages, or family weekends. At 39 feet LOA, it delivers upwind pointing ability and downwind fun without sacrificing livability, often described as "swift and pretty" with a quality-to-price ratio that punched above its weight. While production ended amid shifting market trends toward larger cruisers, used examples remain popular in Europe and the Mediterranean for their durability and upgrade potential.
Construction Details
| Designer | Rob Humphreys |
|---|---|
| Builder | Elan Yachts |
| Length | 40.026 ft |
| LOA | 31.330 ft |
| LWL | 28.580 ft |
| Beam | 10.560 ft |
| Displacement | 8135 lb |
| Max Draft | 7.050 ft |
| Min Draft | 7.050 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 50.71 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.21 ft |
| p | 49.11 ft |
| e | 17.26 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.71 ft | 14.21 ft | 49.11 ft | 17.26 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 49.11 ft - (14969 mm) |
| Foot | * 17.26 ft - (5261 mm) |
| Leech | * 51.2 ft - (15606 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 51.48 ft - (15691 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 434.19 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 49.5 ft - (15088 mm) |
| Foot | 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Leech | 45 ft - (13716 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.63 ft - (4764 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.39 ° |
| Area | * 386.81 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 50.25 ft - (15316 mm) |
| Foot | 14.875 ft - (4534 mm) |
| Leech | 47.25 ft - (14402 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 98.34 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.97 ft - (4258 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.45 ° |
| Area | * 350.97 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 50.25 ft - (15316 mm) |
| Foot | 21.8 ft - (6645 mm) |
| Leech | 47.6 ft - (14508 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 144.59 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.54 ft - (6261 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.94 ° |
| Area | * 516.02 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 50.02 ft - (15246 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.44 ft - (7145 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.02 ft - (14027 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 879 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 50.02 ft - (15246 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 25.57 ft - (7794 mm) |
| Foot | * 25.57 ft - (7794 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1087 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 28.96 ft - (8827 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.36 ft - (3158 mm) |
| Leech | * 24.59 ft - (7495 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 59.97 % |
| Length Perp | * 8.52 ft - (2597 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.02 ° |
| Area | * 123.38 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.