Elan 210 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Humphreys' hull shape for the 210 follows the established norm for Elan's performance range, with a long waterline and short ends, a fine entry, and a broad transom hull shape drawn by Rob Humphreys. The chined form and powerful aft sections feed directly into the boat's stated generous stability, while the ballasted low-centre-of-gravity lifting keel locks in place when sailing and carries a large bulb for added stability. With the keel down she draws 1.55 m and with it raised just 0.5 m, and at 1,090 kg displacement with 360 kg of ballast she remains light enough to be towed behind a medium-size car. The lifting keel and twin-rudder layout are central to her character: the twin rudders retain their grip long after single-rudder designs will have lost control, and the boat allows excellent control even at high heel angles.

Rig and Handling

The 210 carries a generous sail plan on a fractional sloop rig, with options for either a square-top or pinhead mainsail. Originally she was drawn with a relatively stiff mast section and a fat-headed mainsail tuned to deliver a great deal of power in the light airs of the Adriatic. That original rig, however, proved less suited to British waters; testers found the rig too stiff to enable the mainsail to be significantly depowered without reefing. UK-specification boats therefore now carry a lighter-section fractional rig with a large-roached mainsail and single spreaders, which gives excellent control over sail shape while providing adequate forestay tension. A backstay flicker keeps the roach clear of the stay through tacks and gybes. The headsail is set on a Harken roller with a below-deck drum, jib sheet tracks sit on the coach roof feeding twin coachroof-mounted winches used for halyards and other controls, and the mainsheet traveller is set toward the aft end of the cockpit. She is set up for asymmetric spinnakers on an aluminium bowsprit that retracts into a recess beneath the deck rather than into the accommodation, so it does not provide a route for water ingress into the cabin.

On the water the design delivers. In a test with wind building from 12–15 to around 18 knots she showed a nicely balanced near-neutral helm upwind even when deliberately over-pressed, made a respectable 5.5 knots against a short chop, and saw speeds close to 10 knots downwind. The twin rudders give a rock-steady feel, and foot chocks in the cockpit floor are well placed for helm and crew to brace when well heeled.

Accommodations

Below decks the 210 offers a cosy and practical arrangement with adequate overnight accommodation that, for a performance boat of this size, holds a surprising amount of light and space surprising light and space below decks. A forward double berth leads aft to two single settee berths on either side of the cockpit, and there is space for two to sit comfortably at the aft end of the cabin on the heads of the long quarter berths, with a cosy squeeze for four overall. Bunk lengths are generous even for very tall sailors, and the keel box is surprisingly unobtrusive with the keel bolted down. Privacy comes from neat sailcloth blinds retracting into the deck-stepped mast support, and the small galley has a sink with fresh-water supply plus options for a stove and a toilet with curtain surround under the head of the forward berth. Saloon settee backrests and table can also be rigged in the cockpit. Stowage is practical: two shelved cabinets amidships, more space under the companionway steps, larger kitbags under the forward berth, and removable sailcloth hanging bags that ease moving gear ashore.

Known Issues

The one documented design shortfall is the original rig's behaviour outside its home waters. The stiff mast section and fat-headed main that powered the boat so well in light Adriatic airs were found not to be so good in UK waters, specifically because the rig was too stiff to let the mainsail be significantly depowered without reefing. Elan addressed this on UK-spec boats with the lighter fractional rig and large roach, but any early Adriatic-spec example elsewhere may still carry the original, less forgiving tune.

Ownership and Editions

The 210 comes in three editions. The Base Line specification has no interior and simplified deck gear; the Club Line adds basic accommodation and uprated deck gear; the Top Line carries a racing package with full accommodation. For 2013 three Fun Line editions were offered at reduced prices. The outboard sits in a neat well below the cockpit and is easily raised, leaving an unobstructed flat underwater section — a detail that makes trailering and shallow exploration straightforward. Testers found her an appealing, quick, well-mannered boat that takes the hassle out of sailing and compares favourably to established direct competitors on power-to-weight and stability, equally at home round the cans or hitched to the car for a fortnight's holiday.

The Verdict

The Elan 210 is a rare thing: a sub-22-foot trailerable that sails like a proper performance yacht yet offers genuine overnight shelter. Humphreys' hull and the lifting-keel twin-rudder platform give her poise in breeze and chop that belies her size, and the usable interior proves Elan did not compromise manners for features.

Pros