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The bigger outside the smaller inside ... elan experiences
Martin
May 2026
Hello there, this was my fifth cruise on Elan sailboat... I gone through Elan 38 (1993), this one was a real experience, huge, large, heavy, maximum genoa, quiet pavement around the deck, very spacious and selfconfident warrior on rough Seas (heavy, large and very long keel)...then I took Elan Impression 35 (2015) and she was a bit shorter which shown itself in cockpit as the most, but all sails handling was accessible. Elan Impress.35 was smooth, not fast, pretty stable and ready to sail with kids and two families...the design allowed everybody to move and sidewinds and backwinds were perfect for this boat anytime. Upwind courses were very quick and scary for the crew :)) ...keel was a little 1,6m but there was some. This year I took Elan Impression 40,1" (2022) for a very reasonable price, expectable for the early sping (April). Cabins were smaller, two toilets had space advantages - but took a lot from the saloon. Kitchen was large and useful. At the stern there is a nice fridge and grill. Second pair of winches at the back would help better Jib manouvers with ensured rolfok, but there were just a pair. Cockpit with all the cussions and large table, were good for the party but less for the sail. Standing position at the helm (not practical), was possibly designed for the sitting position only...little engine lever, cannot be operated from the standing position and it is tough and very sensitive. This is a touristic yacht for the summer. She has nice electric fuses with led lights, perfect battery capacity displays and many handy solutions. But the Spirit of Yachting, you may find on the other boats probably... so my results for this kind of ships: 1st Elan 38 (Zaglav for tough experiences) - 2nd Elan Impression 35 (Tesa for smooth little sailing) - 3rd Elan Impression 40,1" (Tonka...nice name, nice ship, very little inside and more little outside - ready for the summer).
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