Elan 340 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Where the 333 carried a softer entry, the 340 was given a finer bow and a fuller afterbody, a shift that increased form stability and improved downwind speed. The hull is fibreglass, laid up with quad and multi-axial GRP and Kevlar strengthening around the mast base and bow, while vinylester resins in the outer laminate resist osmosis and curing is vacuum-assisted to hold resin content without excess weight. Structural integrity comes from an inner grid of transverse and longitudinal GRP frames and stringers forming the floors, glued and glassed into the hull, with a heavy-gauge stainless liner into which chainplates are bolted directly. The hull-to-deck join is both glued and stainless-bolted for shear, and the hull and deck are laminated as one unit at bow and stern; the cast iron keel is attached with ten stainless bolts. Skin fittings are bronze, double-fastened and accessible. Gel coats are robotically sprayed for even thickness, and the deck layout uses recessed hatches for a clutter-free working surface.

Rig and Handling

In standard trim the 340 carries a 7/8 fractional twin-spreader Selden aluminium keel-stepped mast secured to common chainplates with single lowers and caps, with a Furlex 200s furler or Tuff Luff groove for racing, and the yacht is arranged to fly either a fractional or masthead spinnaker. Sheeting tracks sit inboard of the shroud base, and all halyards, reefing lines, vang and outhaul run aft through Spinlock clutches on the cabintop. The steering is positive and extremely light, and the helm remains responsive even when pressed under a shy gennaker. In flat-water testing she made 6.5 knots to weather in 10 knots true and 7.5 knots with sheets cracked in 11 knots, and an owner reported her tacking as fast or faster than a well-crewed Young 88 while pointing extremely well. With a lofty rig she benefits from windward rail weight and carries full sail to around 18 knots true.

Accommodations

The 340 is offered in a single layout: a double cabin port aft, head and shower starboard aft, and a double forward, with a central U-shaped settee and bi-fold table. The galley to port has a gimballed two-burner oven and hob, twin stainless sinks, and a 12-volt Isotherm fridge; the head is large with a fore-and-aft twin-sink unit and a wet-weather locker draining to the bilge, though standing headroom is tight for anyone over about five foot five at the door. The forward cabin offers either two singles or a double made by adding a small infill squab, and both cabins have proper doors. Trade-A-Boat described the internal fitout as fairly basic for Elan's entry-level yacht, with light timber veneers over ply, a dark epoxy-sealed sole, recessed downlighting and a one-piece deck liner.

Cockpit and Deck Detail

The wheel sits at the extreme cockpit rear on a Jefa A-frame pedestal with a twin-spoke stainless wheel, freeing room for trimmers but constricting the helmsman until the clip-in transom board is removed. The mainsheet traveller is forward of the pedestal and well aft of the primaries; wet lockers flank the wheel and a central locker houses drains, quadrant and a small gas bottle. Companionway hatches drop into the sole rather than being stowed, with a hinged bridgedeck box for halyard tails. A deep bow anchor locker carries a factory Lofrans 1000-watt windlass, and the split bowrail completes the foredeck.

Known Issues

Testers noted the one-piece cabintop liner covering the coachroof is too large to remove safely at sea and requires the dodger off first, complicating halyard access. The port and starboard sole lockers take in water by location, and the deep starboard cockpit locker wants nets or shelving. The double slides for the companionway look to be merely screwed to the superstructure, and the galley suffers marginal stowage because pumps occupy the under-sink and stove cupboards; the stove top also lacks a rear fiddle.

The Verdict

The Elan 340 is a genuinely quick, well-engineered small racer-cruiser with Lloyd-certified construction and a thoughtful deck plan, let down only by entry-level interior finish and a few access and drainage annoyances that a careful owner can mitigate.

Pros