tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44622575908384882612012-02-09T20:13:56.849+01:00...pocket rocket from Elansilverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.comBlogger1321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-10996133631326373722012-02-09T19:15:00.000+01:002012-02-09T19:15:20.103+01:00

Sorry for the delay getting this out, but Margie writes us from down below with an interesting backstay solution for more control. Hi Thomas Hope you are well and enjoying the winter break. We are in the middle of summer here and we have been sailing in a number of regattas for mixed results. In the stronger winds ( 20 to 30 knots) we have been struggling against boats we beat in light winds. (

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-75230354878482968182012-01-30T20:32:00.002+01:002012-01-30T20:32:47.493+01:00

....an example of how to create some interest from a few pictures.... Make your own slideshow with music at Animoto.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-24367186602241176032011-11-10T22:31:00.000+01:002011-11-10T22:31:59.254+01:00

Winter is approaching, and Silverminken is now ready to meet the harsh Norwegian winter.....so now the blog should get even more attention! Even this somewhat quiet autumn has brought a lot of visitors, and I am happy to say that we have now passed 56.000 hits on this blog. Which is really awesome, considering that it is a blog about sailing (not politics, religion or the credit crunch), and

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-27511600401024065292011-10-13T18:21:00.000+02:002011-10-13T18:21:10.185+02:00

Margie writes us again from down under: Hope you are well and finishing off your sailing season on a good note.Our spring- summer season has just started and we are working out what events we can go in. Our boat was weighed the other weekend (see photo) 3907 kg .We have received our rating (Australian Measurement Certificate) which has usnearly the same as an A31 and 1 ton race boats.Is this

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-2904993725982723492011-09-02T09:02:00.000+02:002011-09-02T09:02:55.201+02:00

It has been a while since I posted last, been a lot to do, regrettably. But Silverminken is now on show at the "Båter i sjøen" tradeshow, an on-the-water boatshow which is the largest of its kind in the Nordics. It is displayed alongside the 210 and 350. We also had a brief testsail with a couple of guys that were interested in the 310. Hopefully we'll see some more 310's on the water next

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-56294988384560232622011-07-14T10:30:00.000+02:002011-07-14T10:30:21.886+02:00

As the summer vacation is approaching, Silverminken needs to transform from racing mode to cruising mode. Here are some of the to-do issues: Repair log: Change cockpit "hatches" (the two small hatches on either side, the hinges were broken due to a wrong installation, warranty) (Done - turned out great) Get the spinnaker halyard back - it blew out during a broach under the Twostar regatta (or,

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-58155473791860097532011-07-11T11:29:00.001+02:002011-07-11T11:31:08.532+02:00

Margie from Australia writes us with some updates from down under, including some nice pictures and a movie showing their kite set under a regatta. Hit the title for the full update! Hi Thomas Congratulations on some good results in the recent regattas. We have been following you guys on the blog site with interest, looking at how well you sail and your techniques. We are still the only

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-62362232235393293412011-06-29T10:58:00.003+02:002011-06-29T10:59:17.535+02:00

Here is a video from Silverminken in this year's Watski Skagerrak Twostar regatta:

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-62564103331289097942011-06-28T14:36:00.001+02:002011-06-28T14:36:37.254+02:00

We won our class in Watski Twostar Skagerrak 2011!! Here is an interview with the winners (regrettably in Norwegian) just after the race:

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-1035702056195487852011-06-28T14:26:00.001+02:002011-06-28T14:31:12.457+02:00

It's been quite a while since the last posts, regrettably, but we've been busy sailing, so now I'll try to get some more posts out (and movies) from the recent events. The Færderseilasen was a great race, considering the fact that I had a hard time getting crew....we ended up with my little brother and a friend who was interested in testing out the 310....not really the best ramp-up for entering

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-530432028573110972011-06-15T23:21:00.000+02:002011-06-15T23:21:47.436+02:00

It's been a while since the last post ... a lot of stuff going on at the moment, but now we are getting closer to the focus of the season, the Watski Twostar 2011 regatta! I'll post more on that next week, but this weekend we are sailing Silverminken in the "Færderseilasen" regatta ,which is the worlds largest overnight regatta. We don't really have high expectations for this regatta, since we

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-48849305016561664732011-05-22T19:13:00.000+02:002011-05-22T19:13:45.901+02:00

Here are some pics I took from the Oslofjorden Rundt 2011 doublehanded regatta... Here's Tormod at the helm just as the sun goes down in the west. Just catching the last of the breeze before it died down on the last run. Click the title for all the pictures Heading southwest towards the last windward mark. The largest boats in the other classes have rounded as you can see in the horizon.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-55219331070357299012011-05-18T14:31:00.002+02:002011-05-18T14:33:11.985+02:00

The Elan 310 "Bada" is doing very well at the moment, following their overall 1st place at the "Riva per tutti" regatta, they came in second in IRC and fourth overall in the "Giannutri - Jack Daniel Trophy". http://www.romaper2.com/pub/index.php?cat=irc_rivapertutti&query=irc_rivapertutti http://www.rivaditraiano.com/continua.asp?id=289 http://www.adriaship.it/news.php?dettaglio=81

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-23651848049523618152011-05-16T15:25:00.000+02:002011-05-16T15:25:00.087+02:00

From the norwegian sailing magazine "Seilas" web edition.....they reported from our video. Cool. :)

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-62458310808910867032011-05-16T08:12:00.002+02:002011-05-16T08:12:33.893+02:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-1071942351069223362011-05-11T21:34:00.001+02:002011-05-11T21:35:19.256+02:00

A quick trip up the mast today to remove the broken whip batten. I had brought a replacement, but after inspecting the broken one I think I'll have to find a smaller one. The one mounted from the beginning was a bit too wide for the 310, so it was tapered a few mm on each side as shown on the first picture here: The tapered end was fastened on the mast top. This is not really a good solution,

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-46986993332635614342011-05-08T20:01:00.001+02:002011-05-08T20:01:25.584+02:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-5860056010579068822011-05-03T08:45:00.002+02:002011-05-06T07:41:32.556+02:00

The Holmsbu 2011 training was great this year - incredible weather and ok winds gave good training on the water both days. An incredible five (!) Elan 350s on the water this time - Silverminken was the lowest rated boat there (apart from a Jeanneau SO 35) - closest contenders were a Dufour 34, Pogo 8.50. Happy sailors.  Here's Silverminken on port heading into the the starboard boats right

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-7502107866395261862011-04-29T20:17:00.001+02:002011-04-29T20:18:25.492+02:00

Pic from the first day of the shorthanded session at holmsbu. Tomorrow Tom Humphreys will have a presentation after the training

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-61978254960994182322011-04-27T18:36:00.001+02:002011-04-27T18:36:14.981+02:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-33978460087542525252011-04-20T19:56:00.001+02:002011-04-20T19:56:25.969+02:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-45516183825664765272011-04-17T21:06:00.000+02:002011-04-17T21:06:46.639+02:00

Here's Silverminken waiting for the truck to come lift her into her true element..... Quite a few things were done this winter in preparation for the new season. Like last year we've used VC-17 antifouling on the hull, with Trilux on the keel and rudders. As mentioned in a previous post, we moved the speed transducer, and do a small repairjob in the bow - these turned out great. The boat was

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-41352317951298420702011-04-12T20:19:00.000+02:002011-04-12T20:19:47.690+02:00

The original placement of the speed log transducer on Silverminken was not optimal, so this season we are optimizing this so it is placed correctly and aligned perfectly. ....just a little scary seeing the hull like this..... Here you can see the area prepared before creating the new hole. The depth transducer is the dark patch beside it. Hopefully she'll be ready soon!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-66734370893545121742011-04-10T17:10:00.001+02:002011-04-11T09:06:43.045+02:00

Excuse the poor quality of the picture, it was taken in broad daylight, but anyway - here you can see how we are mounting the "cage" around the plotter so that it is better protected in the cockpit. The plotter can rotate freely inside the cage. We'll see how it works out on the water, but it does look very nice. It is fixed to the board that covers the backstay purchase, so it doesn't hinder

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-77212666867648553822011-03-29T10:27:00.001+02:002011-03-29T10:46:48.309+02:00

Margie wrote to me about the status on the 310 in Australia....good reading! Hi Thomas I thought I would fill you in on the progress of the Australian 310. Boats arriving in December is not a good thing as Christmas and summer holidays fill 3 to 4 working weeks. So things did not happen until late January, early February when rigging was finished and our sails were finally finished. On our first

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-16778579168706457092011-03-12T11:46:00.001+01:002011-03-12T11:46:11.773+01:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-86694188371684821342011-03-07T22:34:00.003+01:002011-03-07T22:36:55.158+01:00

Courtesy of Adriaship: Elan 310 from Adria Ship on Vimeo.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-61750188101353780172011-02-24T21:13:00.000+01:002011-02-24T21:13:38.098+01:00

Thanks to Martwin from the Netherlands for the tip - here is a video from a test of the Elan 310 in the Dutch sailing magazine "Zeilen".

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-44556378639889309652011-02-12T17:16:00.000+01:002011-02-12T17:16:54.651+01:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-51785407680468086472011-02-09T11:11:00.000+01:002011-02-09T11:11:25.684+01:00

When one considers that this blog is a blog about sailboats (which not everybody is interested in), and actually one sailboat in particular (which might not be what everyone is looking for in a sailboat) it is pretty cool that the following numbers show up in the stats section: Over 4.000 absolutely unique visitors since content started showing up Over 37.000 pageviews Average of 3 pages viewed

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-49711079881160927092011-02-04T16:49:00.001+01:002011-02-04T16:49:37.700+01:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-46340599442384770722011-01-19T15:51:00.000+01:002011-01-19T15:51:31.398+01:00

The 310's little sister will be revealed at Boote 2011 in Düsseldorf in about a weeks time. Interesting concept, and looks pretty cool! Although this blog is about the 310, it doesn't take a lot of effort to see the relation! Almost identical in concept to the other new Elans, except this little beauty has a lifting keel and rudders that can be retracted/lifted for trailersailing. And....

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-9758191434602694062010-12-14T14:13:00.000+01:002010-12-14T14:13:28.589+01:00

Margie in Australia just told me that their Elan 310 build #50 has arrived in Australia! It caused quite a stir at the yard with its twin rudders and wide transom! Not quite the typical boat....  Build #50......  Offloading from the truck.... Happy owner!!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-77258636927928162622010-11-25T10:14:00.004+01:002010-11-25T20:12:34.166+01:00

The test I have previously referred to in previous posts is now available in the latest issue of Seilas magazine (issue 9). I'll post more info on this later, but by the looks of it the 310 came out very well! Quoting freely from the magazine: "After two days' intense sailing with Elan 310, First 30, Sun Fast 3200 and Dehler 32 the Elan 310 was the winner. It was the combination of sailing joy,

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-69980260200697749672010-11-05T12:39:00.000+01:002010-11-05T12:39:11.920+01:00

I have had a few questions about the sails we've chosen for Silverminken, so I thought I'd atleast post the certificate measurements here. Please note that these are the numbers from my certificate, so please verify these before using them. MAIN MTW:0.125 (head) MUW:0.92 (7/8 width) MTQW:1.64 (3/4 width) MHW:2.75 (1/2 width) MQW:3.51 (1/4 width) HEADSAIL JLU:12.15 (luff) JLP:3.81 (

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-53297523892970830652010-11-01T21:42:00.001+01:002010-11-01T21:47:32.626+01:00

I recently got word from Karsten and Steffi in Lübeck, Germany who quite recently got their new Elan 310 "Oystercatcher" delivered. Unfortunately it is the end of the season, so it went straight to winter storage. They're probably eager for the winter months to pass quickly! Oystercatcher is hull #48 from the yard, and has Okume interior. The shrink-wrapped hull. Here's a shot of the

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-29201505207285217512010-10-21T11:07:00.000+02:002010-10-21T11:07:57.504+02:00

I just got word from Blue that Elan 310 build number 42 has been delivered to Seattle, Washington! Go "Air Time"!!! Plastic wrapping being removed....looking good! Build number 42......anxious to see if they made any further adjustments to the builds since Silverminken. Looks like a happy owner!! That aft section always looks awesome!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-23056860201826312772010-09-28T09:03:00.000+02:002010-09-28T09:03:03.871+02:00

Here's a picture from the recent test showing the 310 next to the First 30.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-62939250802544479182010-09-26T11:08:00.003+02:002010-09-26T11:09:12.969+02:00

Here's the video from the testsailing of the boats......Elan 310 (Silverminken) with orange/white spinnaker got some good footage.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-43253170248826043032010-09-23T17:31:00.003+02:002010-09-23T17:32:35.575+02:00

Here's a picture from the testing that was done these last couple of days.... Silverminken looking good!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-25011710839467827282010-09-22T23:05:00.000+02:002010-09-22T23:05:07.247+02:00

Two sailing magazines in Norway and Sweden are testsailing boats, and Silverminken is one of these boats. Here are some videos taken aboard the Elan 310 from todays testsailing. Looking good! At the end of the first video (and the third) you see the Sun Fast 3200 being parked (yellow spinnaker).

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-33697530100330576822010-09-20T09:30:00.001+02:002010-09-20T09:30:17.598+02:00

Light winds, but we got some settings done for those conditions....

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-35124794414969980342010-09-17T08:52:00.000+02:002010-09-17T08:52:14.046+02:00

Hot from the Netherlands (thanks Martwin!), the Elan 310 is nominated as HISWA Yacht of the Year in competition with the Boréal 44 and the Saffier 23. Cool! Hit the title for the pictures and press release (Dutch).

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-38025025633644456292010-09-03T20:32:00.000+02:002010-09-03T20:32:14.946+02:00

Lots of people came to the Elan boats today, fun to see that so many people are interested in this new line from Elan. Also cool to see that the 350 is getting a lot of attention. :)

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-47833538852121990042010-08-29T17:15:00.000+02:002010-08-29T17:15:53.420+02:00

The largest floating boat show in northern Europe "Båter i Sjøen" is taking place next weekend in Sandvika, and Silverminken will be there together with the new 350 and a 380. If you have the possibility this is a great opportunity to meet and see the boats live on the water!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-89698768963376969352010-07-15T19:27:00.000+02:002010-07-15T19:27:55.726+02:00

We finally got the plotter placement done. There is a protective cage in stainless steel, but it isn't ready just yet, so we'll just have to be a bit careful. Here you can see where the plotter is mounted, the mount has a small plastic spacer below it so the mount can swivel nicely so it can be viewed from both sides of the cockpit. The hole for the cables was drilled about 20cm behind the hole

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-57634914118543616852010-07-15T11:06:00.000+02:002010-07-15T11:06:10.201+02:00

The first 350 has arrived in Norway, and is now being sanded. Pics at: http://silverminkenthomas.blogspot.com/2010/07/elan-350-i-norge.html (Norwegian)

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-43113357424228722352010-07-02T09:08:00.000+02:002010-07-02T09:08:04.730+02:00

Kalliste was entered in the IRC 6D division, with an IRC rating of 0,969 and won its class. Congratulations!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-74194294159072727212010-07-01T22:53:00.000+02:002010-07-01T22:53:40.209+02:00

The third 310 is now in Norway, rigged and being painted......looking good! Silverminken was used as the template for the standard Fjord Sail 310 version, and it looks like almost all solutions are identical, apart from the shore power which has been moved from the transom to beside the port side footrest in the cockpit. Maybe because it will be less susceptible to waves and water? Anyway, with

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-66757881894999842902010-06-18T17:21:00.001+02:002010-06-18T17:29:19.956+02:00

We entered Silverminken for the worlds largest overnight regatta - Færderseilasen. We knew it would be difficult to get a team together, since we have only been focusing on shorthanded so far. Also, there was a long list of things to get done in order for her to be race-ready in time. Miraculously we  got most of the stuff done, but my heavy-weather jib wasn't ready. Unfortunately, we would have

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-6736149522381249722010-06-10T23:56:00.000+02:002010-06-10T23:56:37.795+02:00

We finally agreed on a logo for Silverminken that somehow communicates what we feel about the 310. After struggling a bit about fonts, sizes and color, this is the final result. It looks stunning!!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-33852919174135702022010-06-03T21:53:00.000+02:002010-06-03T21:53:14.970+02:00

The AIS has now been mounted. Ole-Jo did a great job on this! As everyone knows, an functioning AIS transponder needs: The AIS unit A dedicated GPS for the AIS (since it can only use 4800 baud) A dedicated AIS antenna (or splitter, we have a dedicated antenna) ...and if you want to use this information for anything it needs to be connected to the plotter, which often means bridging NMEA 0183

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-53995389167092513042010-06-03T21:39:00.002+02:002010-06-03T22:04:05.349+02:00

Finally our new headsail arrived! Say no more....580 Technora Scrim on a medium/heavy 109%. Woohoo!!!!!!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-53409448971649295762010-06-03T21:24:00.002+02:002010-06-03T21:33:00.562+02:00

The mounting for the chartplotter has now been tested and ordered, and here you can see a picture of how and where the chartplotter will be mounted. A dummy plate is fixed where the mount will be so we can see how we can use and operate the plotter. This way it is out of the way, while you can rotate it and see it from both sides. Angle it a bit forward and the mainsail trimmer can both see and

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-87953021368397584372010-05-31T08:44:00.003+02:002010-05-31T11:11:39.165+02:00

Here's some footage from the Oslofjorden Rundt 2010 regatta. Now without the border.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-9843441317312488582010-05-27T22:58:00.000+02:002010-05-27T22:58:05.875+02:00

...been a while since the last update, but Silverminken has been sailing quite a bit, but now it's time for the first regatta! Oslofjorden Rundt is a nice regatta in the Oslofjord gathering some 50-60 boats with a dedicated doublehanded class. We will be sailing in the doublehanded class both friday (30 miles) and saturday (16 miles). A full regatta report will follow... Preparations for the

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-43775444089640257172010-05-06T12:35:00.001+02:002010-05-06T12:35:21.666+02:00

Here's a high-res movie from the shorthanded training in Holmsbu:

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-1950770345980175192010-05-05T01:31:00.001+02:002010-05-05T01:31:50.171+02:00

Shorthanded training session last weekend at Holmsbu, here is a low-quality edit of the light-weather portions of the weekend. Expect an HD cut soon.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-47298078292476200482010-05-04T23:45:00.000+02:002010-05-04T23:45:33.645+02:00

Last week we had another testsail on Silverminken, and this time it actually led to ordering the third 310 to Norway. Cool! Here is a short clip from that day....great weather, nice conditions in the Oslofjord. Sorry about the low quality, didn't have time to make the HD version.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-81567158497010478452010-05-04T19:45:00.000+02:002010-05-04T19:45:33.350+02:00

We were at Holmsbu this weekend for the annual training session for shorthanded sailors. Great event, although the first day culminated with a 30 knot headwind. Got the sails down with no damage in the nick of time. Phew. Here's a short video of Silverminken sailing in the beautiful weather the next day....

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-74341451183794419162010-04-17T12:51:00.000+02:002010-04-17T12:51:33.547+02:00

Another testsail, this time with shorthanded expert and distributor Tor. Excellent testing conditions - not too much wind, but enough to get the smiles out with the chute up!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-75074769189632172492010-04-15T21:53:00.000+02:002010-04-15T21:53:15.593+02:00

Went out today with my brother in the Oslofjord. Was blowing a bit more today, instruments said 10-12 knots in this video, though it probably was a bit more...max speed on video was just over 8 knots, and right after we stopped filming we hit 9. Nice!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-80498951656308653982010-04-10T20:17:00.004+02:002010-04-10T20:17:58.097+02:00

I went out on the fjord today in the beautiful weather. Thought I'd motor off to meet up with the Formula 18 guys having a training weekend, and then attempt my first singlehanded sail with Silverminken back. Here's a video of what it looked like. Awesome. Just have to gradually build shorthanded boathandling so that the assymetric comes out next time!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-84323393139744634762010-04-08T23:03:00.000+02:002010-04-08T23:03:13.602+02:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-76714527904380471512010-04-07T18:21:00.000+02:002010-04-07T18:21:26.009+02:00

Ugh. We got ready to take Silverminken out yesterday, had about 3-4 knots of wind, but when we attempted to hoist the spinnaker it all but disappeared. Disappointed, but then again - I got to take her out for the very first time! Fog, rain, no matter - this is awesome! She was parked in her new berth next to an Elan 380, and let me just say that looking at the 310 from the stern is awesome! Hit

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-25402494876630902252010-04-05T16:42:00.000+02:002010-04-05T16:42:05.786+02:00

Today we finished everything necessary for delivery (but some more stuff needs to be done after that), but we didn't have time for a testsail, so that happens tomorrow. These things were (amongst other things) done today (hit the title for more): Rig tensioning Furler this and that Redid the backstay arrangement (24:1) Mounted the lazy jacks Sails and battens Plugged in the speed log Finished

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-72264169122430140432010-04-05T08:54:00.001+02:002010-04-05T08:56:35.810+02:00

Silverminken is now rigged, yesterday the only remaining bits and pieces were the leads for the furler etc. The plan is to have her ready to sail today! Weather reports 4-8 knots in the area (bummer), but outside it is already blowing more than that so maybe we'll get lucky? Some of the recent shots on the water...hit the title for more. Got some diesel filled so we are ready to take her out.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-8882506862732649062010-03-30T21:34:00.001+02:002010-03-30T21:34:34.271+02:00

I went to check out the progress on Silverminken, and there she was with the mast up! The boom is not yet on, but here she lies. Slender profile on the Selden rig. I got to help out a bit, both with the 340 and Silverminken. Brand new sails waiting for the first trip on the water....woohoo!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-66432172345625473122010-03-30T21:26:00.002+02:002010-03-30T21:26:52.043+02:00

The second 310 to arrive in Norway, this one with a slick looking blue hull. Going to Stavanger.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-60942326303520822772010-03-29T19:44:00.001+02:002010-03-29T23:37:37.443+02:00

Kjell Inge is busy rigging right now, so I went down to have a look. The rig, seen from above. Mounting the VHF antenna and wind sensor. Also, we will mount a backstay flicker. Just to ensure that the backstay is kept as much away from the leech in light winds. Another picture of silverminken on the water.... We went inside to have a quick peek around.... The charger/isolator arrangement (

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-58118444944182584242010-03-28T23:53:00.001+02:002010-03-28T23:53:33.848+02:00

Elan have now produced an official catalog for the 310 - click the menu item above to see it.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-29768604184390838872010-03-28T18:17:00.001+02:002010-03-29T23:38:13.085+02:00

Silverminken was launched today!!! Woohoo!! First images of her on the water: A proud soon-to-be owner! Here she is in the water next to a 340. The bow is completely vertical, and she somehow manages to integrate power and elegance in a very compact package! Look at that hull! Those lines! Amazing how that chine is done! To the right is a Sun Fast 3200. I'm not suggesting anything.... The

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-55328889282477698702010-03-26T17:23:00.001+01:002010-03-26T17:24:30.029+01:00

....looks like silverminken will sail sometime during easter! Got a few more pics from what is going on right now...forgive the poor quality, these are straight out of my HTC Hero.... Silverminken is now inside, and after sanding the hull the antifouling is now being applied. Looks pretty slick! Still not complete, though, so she will stay inside a few more days while the rig and sails are

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-80834605515063906152010-03-23T21:25:00.001+01:002010-03-25T08:42:17.830+01:00

The very first Elan 310 in Norway has arrived..... Finally arrived from Slovenia by truck. A bit wider than the truck itself....3.22m is pretty wide. Shrinkwrapped in plastic for the transportation. Being lifted off the truck. Always a bit skeptical when boats are lifted, but it usually goes well. Boat suspended so the truck can leave to pick up the second 310 bound for Norway (heading to

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-14363222414372379112010-03-17T22:53:00.000+01:002010-03-17T22:53:33.361+01:00

The Elan 310 was voted croatian boat of the year 2010 by Naucat, in the eight consecutive year of this event! This in addition to 2009 boat of the year by the Genova Boat Show, 2009 boat of the year at Izola etc. Cool.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-4500568885897700752010-03-10T15:58:00.000+01:002010-03-10T15:58:09.965+01:00

...translates into something like "razor-sharp babe"? Swedish magazine Båtnytt recently featured the Elan 310 with some great feedback - grab the issue while you can. A small introduction to the article can be found here.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-80000897758162658912010-02-27T11:08:00.001+01:002010-02-27T11:10:33.251+01:00

Thinking a lot about where to place the plotter recently. When sailing shorthanded I would very much like to have a chartplotter in the cockpit, and not have to go down below. However, since there is no pedestal, finding a good spot for the plotter is evidently not so easy. Hit the title for the full blog. Here are my requirements: The plotter should be removable so I can dismount it when

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-61847634132279962992010-02-23T11:55:00.002+01:002010-02-23T11:55:48.492+01:00

...but it was sorted quite well so now we are talking about hull #18 instead of 19. Nice.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-37397770847527380052010-02-18T13:09:00.000+01:002010-02-18T13:09:45.837+01:00

Looks like great savings: Premier Yacht Sales are offering the Elan 310 at a very interesting price: "SAVE 24,017. NOW £84,728 ready to sail, including; VAT, commissioning and delivery" http://www.premiermarinas.com/pages/elan_310_special_offer Specification here: http://www.premiermarinas.com/downloads/view/386

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-42329945630484245222010-02-10T18:34:00.000+01:002010-02-10T18:34:42.506+01:00

After careful considerations and comparisons with other boats GKSS have decided to buy three Elan 310s for their training programmes. Cool! Read more about this event here or here (swedish).

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-75799966274963980692010-02-10T12:25:00.000+01:002010-02-10T12:25:35.088+01:00

After discussing with Fjord Sail, North Sails and Rob Humphreys it looks like the ASOP concept is the way to go for hull #19. Cool! Basically, this means sailing an assymmetric spinnaker on an overlength pole so it is possible to get the spinnaker a bit further to windward and thus increasing both stability and going lower TWA. This also means that the bowsprit will be used for cruising, and we

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-12754348401074562722010-01-29T13:56:00.001+01:002010-01-29T22:24:04.986+01:00

This time courtesy of Seilas. Click the title to see the full article. Whoa! Carbon toerails? Me like!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-22690557360711040532010-01-29T13:43:00.001+01:002010-01-29T13:43:47.176+01:00

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-62322320787006994952010-01-25T23:02:00.000+01:002010-01-25T23:02:02.683+01:00

...ahh...the luxury of ordering a new chute. :) Talked to North today after their boat handling seminar and started discussing the colors for the medium/heavy spinnaker. Choices, choices. First chute will be 0.9 superkote with some additional strength added so we don't blow it out the first season, then we'll see what to add next....hehe.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-43440774642988287392010-01-23T16:36:00.002+01:002010-01-23T16:39:58.880+01:00

This is a sweep of the exterior shots floating around the web....hit the title for all the pics....  

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-82022524598125958512010-01-23T16:11:00.001+01:002010-01-23T16:39:42.692+01:00

This is a sweep of the interior shots floating around the web....hit the title for all the pics....

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-78007835386597242042010-01-23T13:48:00.000+01:002010-01-23T13:48:06.266+01:00

Here's a picture, courtesy of Seilmagasinet, of the 310 which is displayed in Düsseldorf. Counting down the days.... Kinda cool with bright orange keel and rudders?

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-34159501898173583892010-01-23T13:04:00.001+01:002010-01-23T13:05:30.459+01:00

The 310 only has room for three instruments on the hatch roof, and the default is that one of those places is occupied by the compass. This means that in order to get the instruments I want (wind, tridata, graphics x 2) I need to find a creative solution. I could go for mast instruments, but that means more wires through the mast, longer wire distances and more expensive instruments. Another way

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-11830020313128210822010-01-18T09:39:00.002+01:002010-01-18T09:49:33.895+01:00

The big boat show in Düsseldorf is under way, and the 310 is presented in hall 14 stand C39 for those privileged visitors. Elan is present in hall 17 stand A20.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-14712045853615966292010-01-05T23:10:00.001+01:002010-01-05T23:13:45.567+01:00

Adriaship have a lot of great pictures of the 310, here are some of them: The full view of the cockpit from aft. Cruising package includes the teak shown in the picture. The new Harken winches (Radial). Had good grip and actually worked as prescribed. :) The batteries are located under the benches, quite centered in the boat for good weight distribution. The mast foot, under the table

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-74164412090398285512010-01-04T23:08:00.000+01:002010-01-04T23:08:26.323+01:00

Many people have wondered about what the aft removable lockers look like, and the best picture I could find is here (courtesy of val navtika): As you can see, it is a double locker with pushbuttons (like the other lockers/shelves) and can be completely removed for racing by unscrewing a few bolts (by hand). Quite neat, really.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-41816253096985798422009-12-27T19:45:00.000+01:002009-12-27T19:45:31.240+01:00

Here's the current list of options chosen for hull #19, delivered with a tiller (ofcourse): Racing pack & cruising pack Shelves, removable Raymarine ST60+ Wind, Graphics (x 2) Raymarine SPX-10 autopilot Cabin heater, webasto 2000 Seawater pump Extra manual bilge pump (required for certain offshore races) Lazy jacks Upgraded fabric on cushions Sprayhood Radio/CD with speakers inside & cockpit

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-15470250203505498402009-12-22T09:59:00.001+01:002009-12-22T10:01:18.270+01:00

Indeed, hull 19 it is. Cool. Prime number.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-6279804940026138122009-12-21T15:31:00.001+01:002009-12-21T15:31:47.185+01:00

I got some messages indicating that comments were not working with the new template. Switched to a popup version until I can find the culprit - at least now it works.

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-1732095180204305752009-12-21T15:15:00.000+01:002009-12-21T15:15:20.854+01:00

This being a 31-footer means the forecabin isn't really more than a spacious bed. However, the bed is full size, which is more than what can be said for even larger boats. A neat contraption is found under the bunk, where there is a large storage compartment, used for the spinnakers when racing (as shown in the picture). Also, what you cannot see on this picture, is that the "lids" on this

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-59150906651154174592009-12-17T12:20:00.001+01:002009-12-17T12:20:54.082+01:00

Just placed my order. April 9th is just soooo far away!

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-82698079488117356982009-12-15T21:56:00.001+01:002009-12-15T21:57:08.702+01:00

Nordic Yachts (the Swedish distributor) have created a new promo video, quite professional. See it here:

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-73412706109844478632009-12-14T22:26:00.000+01:002009-12-14T22:26:30.488+01:00

Okay, here's another little drop of info on the 310, this time let's take a closer look at the cockpit, which in my opinion is one of the major selling points on this pocket rocket... Here's a (wide-angle) picture of the cockpit of the boat we testsailed in Poole. First of all, this is a pretty large cockpit for a 31-footer. Actually, it's pretty large compared to just about anything under 37

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-45399903044858765192009-12-12T11:30:00.000+01:002009-12-12T11:33:36.902+01:00

First of all I would like to say that these are my own, personal, subjective views more than a scientifical and objective review. I am, after all, a bit biased. The sample we were sailing was an early build, one of the first ones, and as such there were some minor issues. The shelves were not removed on this boat, and the locks did not all fit snugly, but this is something the later production

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462257590838488261.post-85552162719980456532009-12-11T23:33:00.000+01:002009-12-11T23:33:04.125+01:00

Okay, here is a brief description of the trip I recently did to testsail the Elan 310...actual review to come later. It all started when Tor and I were talking about testsailing the 310 in Slovenia, and Rob told Tor that this time of year we should really test the boat in Poole instead, because of the poor wind conditions in Slovenia this time of year. That turned out to be a good decision, as

silverminkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657581777669222271noreply@blogger.com0