Elan 31 (Humphreys)
Elan · Rob Humphreys · 2002
Updated
The Elan 31 (Humphreys) is a 9.19 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by Rob Humphreys and built by Elan, first launched in 2002. It races in Class C. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 4% of the designs it races against.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 4% of the boats it races against.
153rd of 159 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 24 starts across 6 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
9.19 m
30′ 2″
Beam
3.20 m
Draft
1.90 m
Displacement
4.4 t
Sail area
54 m²
On the podium
Where a Elan 31 (Humphreys) finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
21%
of 24 starts by 1 boat
Wins
0%
Read from 24 starts by 1 boat between 2019 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Elan 31 (Humphreys) was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Edison Next Italian Offshore Sailing Championship - Campionato Italiano Assoluto d’Altura2026- Campionato Invernale del Ponente2025
- 151 Miglia - Trofeo Cetilar2024
- 151 Miglia - Trofeo Cetilar2023
- 151 Miglia - Trofeo Cetilar2021
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
26%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
—
Not enough data yet: 5 races over 10 NM carry a published distance.
Who she races against
The designs a Elan 31 (Humphreys) actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Also met, too few times for a figure:
Hanse 510 (7 meetings), First 40.7 (6 meetings), Grand Soleil 43 (Maletto) (3 meetings), Pierrot 9.16 (3 meetings), Elan 310 (3 meetings), Impala 36 (4 meetings), First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) (3 meetings), T 34 (2 meetings), IMX 40 (2 meetings), Figaro 1 (2 meetings), X-332 (3 meetings), Dufour 34 (2 meetings), X-342 (2 meetings), Swan 47 (2 meetings), Grand Soleil 39 (Maletto) (3 meetings), Dufour 350 (2 meetings), JOD 35 (2 meetings), Este 39 (1 meeting), Bolt 37 (1 meeting), Millenium 45 (1 meeting)
Some of the boats it races against
How the Elan 31 (Humphreys) 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
4.87
38°
Beam reach
7.59
90°
Broad reach
8.12
135°
Downwind VMG
7.25
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.
It is an upwind boat first. Windward-leeward courses give it more of what it is good at than a coastal race does.
Where it gains
Its best ground is upwind once it pipes up, where it goes better than its measurements say it should, and by a margin worth having.
Where it pays
It falls short off the wind once it pipes up, giving away time it never gets back. That is weight that has to be driven rather than released.
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 beam reach.
How fast is a Elan 31 (Humphreys)
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.18 | 4.30 | 4.75 | 4.87 |
| 52° | 4.85 | 6.23 | 6.66 | 6.80 |
| 60° | 5.11 | 6.40 | 6.83 | 6.98 |
| 75° | 5.26 | 6.54 | 7.01 | 7.30 |
| 90° | 5.16 | 6.66 | 7.10 | 7.59 |
| 110° | 5.16 | 6.72 | 7.33 | 7.95 |
| 120° | 4.96 | 6.63 | 7.32 | 8.19 |
| 135° | 4.44 | 6.30 | 7.13 | 8.12 |
| 150° | 3.78 | 5.73 | 6.82 | 7.74 |
| Run VMG | 3.28 | 4.98 | 6.24 | 7.25 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Nearly all carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 430 kg.
Rigging
Elan 31 (Humphreys) rig and sail dimensions
A Elan 31 (Humphreys) carries 11.46 m of mainsail hoist on a 4.25 m boom, a forestay 11.64 m above the deck and a 3.90 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 9 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 56 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.