Review of Elan 450

Basic specs.

The Elan 450 is a large sailboat designed by the British maritime architect bureau Humphreys Yacht Design in the late 2000.

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Hull

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.

Rig

The boat equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a genaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

Keel

The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.25 - 2.35 meter (7.38 - 7.68 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

EU classification

Elan 450 holds one CE certification:

The boat is by European Union certified as Class A. OCEAN:

Designed for extended voyages where conditions may exceed wind force 8 (Beaufort scale) and significant wave heights of 4 m and above but excluding abnormal conditions, and vessels largely self-sufficient.

Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 8.6 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

Immersion rate

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Elan 450 is about 366 kg/cm, alternatively 2052 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 366 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 2052 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

L/B (Length Beam Ratio)

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Elan 450 is 3.80.

Compared with other similar sailboats it is slimmer than 76% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a significantly more speedy hull design.

Ballast Ratio

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Elan 450 is 34%.

This ballast ratio shows a righting moment that is higher than 38% of all similar sailboat designs. A righting moment (ability to resist heeling) just below average.

Over- / underrigged

Maintenance

Bottom Paint

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 62m² (667 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

Rig

Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

**Guiding dimensions of running rig**
Usage	Length		Diameter
Mainsail halyard	44.9 m	(147.2 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Jib/genoa halyard	44.9 m	(147.2 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Spinnaker halyard	44.9 m	(147.2 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Jib sheet	16.6 m	(54.5 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Genoa sheet	16.6 m	(54.5 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Mainsheet	41.5 m	(136.2 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Spinnaker sheet	36.5 m	(119.8 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Cunningham	5.9 m	(19.3 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Kickingstrap	11.7 m	(38.5 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)
Clew-outhaul	11.7 m	(38.5 feet)	14 mm	(0.55 inch)

Boat owner's ideas

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

Finally

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Elan 450 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.

References

[Ref 1]: ISO 8666 Small craft — Principal data.
[Ref 3]: ISO 12215-5 Small craft — Hull construction and scantlings.