More information about the disagreements have now been disclosed, which is a great, transparent move:
- There are many differences between sailing in the mediterranean and sailing in northern Europe; most notably more wind north and less regatta participation in the south. This means these markets need to address different characteristics in terms of performance, comfort etc.
- Performance boats are also very suitable for cruising, which is what Elan should make
- The new Elan 400 is going to be made a lot lighter, with vacuum + vinylester. It will weigh less than 7000kg
- The yard is going to initate a yacht weight-reduction focus programme, which has been fundamental for the Norwegian distributor, also with support from Rob Humphreys
- The yard has agreed with its subcontractors to increase warranty coverage and length so they better correspond to Norwegian requirements
The distributor goes on to regret that this has been a time of uncertainty for Elan customers, but that the end result is a lot better, and that many new and exciting things are to come from the yard.
More information (Norwegian) from Seilmagasinet: http://www.seilmagasinet.no/id/40203.
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Press release from the Norwegian distributor:
Fjord Sail renew distribution agreement with Elan
After a brief periode with disagreement about strategy and warranty conditions, Fjord Sail and Elan have found back to a basis for future cooperation. Elan will renew their focus on the performance line with focus on speed and comfort. A weight program has been initiated with the goal of producing lighter yachts in the future to ensure even better performance. Together Fjord Sail, Elan and key equipment vendors have found a way to honour Norwegian consumer laws in a way that secures the interests of all parties including the customer.
The objective of Fjord Sail is to be the leading distributor of performance oriented yachts in Norway. With the new focus of Elan we feel confident that we will be able to maintain this position in the future.
Tor Hove
Luka Modrian
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