The search results provide a lot of useful information to construct the article about the Elan 340.
Key findings from search results:
- Designer: Rob Humphreys.
- Design Philosophy/Goals: Performance cruiser, easy to sail fast, comfy cruiser, great on the race track, sails bigger than its size. Emphasizes top-level performance for competitive sailors. Intended to be more performance-oriented than its predecessor, the Elan 333, with improved light weather performance and deck styling. Spacious for its length.
- Awards: European Yacht of the Year in the "up to 10-metres sailing yacht" category (2007). "Boat of the Year 2007".
- Variations:
- Shallow draft (1.95m/6.4 ft) lead keel available as an option.
- Deep draft version (2.10m/6.89 ft) with an L-shaped keel for extra performance. The provided the deep draft of 6.89ft, so this is the standard performance keel.
- Handling: Generally described as a "brilliant boat that sails well". Good cockpit arrangements for racing.
- Interior Layout: Two cabins, an L-shaped galley, and a U-shaped settee. Aft double cabin provides privacy. More space and light than the Elan 333.
- Construction: Excellence in construction, including reinforced polyester. High-tech composite construction (from builder article).
- Owner Perspectives/Common Issues:
- Strengths: Solid construction, comfortable motion (implied by "comfy cruiser"), exhilarating to sail. "Sails bigger than it is".
- Weaknesses: One mention of rust blooms on a cast iron keel for "4 or 5 years" on a specific boat. Another comment mentions a "strange omission" of a spinnaker pole track on the mast, with only two fixed rings. The builder article mentions Elan's early twin rudders had "problems" but "the idea is excellent and works well". The Elan 340 has a single spade rudder according to the, so twin rudder issues aren't relevant for this model.
- Some owner reviews exist.
Now I have enough information to construct the article following the specified structure.