Elan 31 (Design)
Elan · J&J Design · 1984
Updated
The Elan 31 (Design) is a 9.91 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by J&J Design and built by Elan, first launched in 1984. It races in Class C.
Length
9.91 m
32′ 6″
Beam
3.31 m
Draft
1.70 m
Displacement
3.7 t
Sail area
52 m²
On the podium
Where a Elan 31 (Design) finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
0%
of 22 starts by 4 boats
Wins
0%
Read from 22 starts by 4 boats between 2014 and 2024, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Elan 31 (Design) was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Aegean Regatta2024
Regata Jabuka2024- Aegean Regatta2022
- Viška regata2022
- Aegean Regatta2021
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
—
Not enough data yet: 4 races of 10 NM or less carry a published distance.
Offshore & coastal
0%
of these races end on the podium
Who she races against
The designs a Elan 31 (Design) actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Also met, too few times for a figure:
Oceanis 440 (7 meetings), Xp 44 (6 meetings), Elan 340 (6 meetings), X-372 (5 meetings), Hanse 370 (5 meetings), X-442 (5 meetings), Oceanis 50 (5 meetings), Olympic Sea 42 (5 meetings), Rush 31 (5 meetings), Dufour 40 (5 meetings), Mount Gay 30 (5 meetings), First 38 (5 meetings)
Some of the boats it races against
How the Elan 31 (Design) has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
4.73
39°
Beam reach
7.68
90°
Broad reach
8.38
135°
Downwind VMG
7.28
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
This design is even-tempered. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is across the wind in a strong breeze, where it goes better than its measurements say it should. It holds that advantage to windward as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
There is no condition where it falls away badly, which is worth something over a season of mixed weather.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.4 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the upwind.
How fast is a Elan 31 (Design)
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.08 | 4.24 | 4.69 | 4.73 |
| 52° | 4.75 | 6.18 | 6.63 | 6.73 |
| 60° | 5.03 | 6.36 | 6.79 | 6.95 |
| 75° | 5.19 | 6.50 | 6.99 | 7.32 |
| 90° | 5.09 | 6.54 | 7.06 | 7.68 |
| 110° | 5.05 | 6.67 | 7.37 | 8.05 |
| 120° | 4.88 | 6.58 | 7.37 | 8.38 |
| 135° | 4.41 | 6.29 | 7.15 | 8.38 |
| 150° | 3.75 | 5.74 | 6.83 | 7.95 |
| Run VMG | 3.25 | 4.99 | 6.21 | 7.28 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Roughly half carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 560 kg.
Rigging
Elan 31 (Design) rig and sail dimensions
A Elan 31 (Design) carries 10.25 m of mainsail hoist on a 3.60 m boom, a forestay 11.80 m above the deck. Typical figures across the 4 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 61 to 70 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.
Other designs under the same name
The name has been carried by more than one design. They are different boats.