Design and Construction
Kirié built the Elite 324 with a solid fiberglass hull to Harlé’s early-1980s French design. At 32.3 feet overall with a 10.6-foot beam, she has a length-to-beam ratio of 3.06.
The hull carries 3,000 pounds of iron ballast against an 8,410-pound displacement, giving a ballast-displacement ratio of 35.7 percent. That lends her a settled, purposeful stance without the leaden feel of a pure cruiser. Her displacement-length ratio of 221 places her among what reviewers categorize as “moderate racers”—quick enough to feel alive, but heavy enough to look after a crew in a seaway.
Wetted surface is about 290 square feet. An immersion rate of roughly 954 pounds per inch means she loads and trims predictably as stores come aboard.
Keel, Rig, and Sail Plan
The Elite 324 has a masthead sloop rig with a combined mainsail and jib area of 446 square feet. With the reference sail, that gives a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.0. The ratio rises to 20.2 with a 135 percent genoa, putting her ahead of most comparable designs in light wind.
The halyard and sheet geometry follows a conventional masthead layout. Both mainsail and jib/genoa halyards are about 92 feet long and 3/8-inch in diameter. The mainsheet is roughly 81 feet long, while the half-inch genoa sheets are about 32 feet.
The fin keel came in two drafts: a shoaler 4.27 to 4.57 feet and a deeper 5.58 to 5.88 feet, depending on load. Buyers could therefore trade shallow-marina access against more bite to windward.
Sailing and Engine Performance
The Elite 324’s theoretical hull speed is 6.8 knots. Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 20.5 is more comfortable than roughly a quarter of similar designs—not plush, but steady.
Her capsize screening value is 2.06, below the threshold accepted for ocean racing. That marks her as a coastal and offshore cruiser-racer rather than a bluewater racer.
An optional 18-horsepower Volvo Penta 2002 diesel gives a calculated maximum speed under power of about 5.5 knots. That’s enough to make a pass or approach a marina without drama.
Accommodations and Tankage
Comparative analysis ranks the Elite 324 as roomier than most similar sailboat designs. That’s meaningful at this length, where systems and berths compete for every foot of beam.
Water capacity is 50 gallons, and fuel capacity is 20 gallons. Those figures support weekend and extended coastal cruising without constant replenishment.
No interior arrangement details survive in the record beyond that spatial comparison. Her proportions, however, argue for a usable, if not expansive, cruising interior.
Points to Check
The shoal- and deep-fin-keel options should be confirmed against the specific hull during a survey, since draft and handling differ materially between them.
Verdict
The Elite 324 is a thoughtfully proportioned Harlé design that punches above her length in light-air speed and interior room while remaining honest about her limits. She’s a solidly built coastal cruiser-racer with a sensible rig, not a globe-girdling expedition boat.
Pros
- Faster than most peers in light wind with the genoa
- Roomier than most comparable designs
- Two keel drafts broaden mooring and sailing options
- Moderate-racer displacement profile balances speed and steadiness
Cons
- Capsize screening value falls below ocean-race acceptance
- Comfort ratio is ahead of only about a quarter of similar boats
- Maximum speed under engine is limited to 5.5 knots
