ELAN POWER 30

Sometimes, things just don't seem to add up in the boating world. Take for example the Elan Power 30 - a sweet little sportscruiser if ever there was one. When we first tested it back in 2015, we described it as a vessel with a sleek modern form that was brilliantly engaging to drive. We also pointed out that it was extremely competitively priced compared to its nearest rivals of the day, the Jeanneau Leader 9 and the Grandezza 3300C.

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In fact, there was very little not to like about it. Surprising then that the Elan Power 30, a smaller sibling to the 35, 42 and 48, never really caught on and very few were sold on these shores. Today, Slovenia-based Elan, which began in 1949 producing skis (and still does), has completely given up with motor boats (which it used to build in Croatia) and now focuses on its sailing yacht portfolio instead. And that's a shame, because in its Power 30 sportscruiser, Elan managed to conjure up a super little boat that was actually far more than just fit for purpose. In addition to its reliable performance and seakeeping, which for us included riding out a particularly nasty chop off Poole with commendable refinement, our 2015 reviewer enthused about “the illusion of space down below”. But in retrospect, it's unfair to imply that the sense of space here is illusory because, in spite of the fact that this is a compact and good looking 30ft sportsboat, Elan packed in a pair of double cabins, a decent salooncum-galley and a heads compartment large enough to swing a cat.

LOWER DECK LAYOUT

Key to the boat's downstairs layout success is its unusual split galley arrangement. This features a short-angled corner unit, housing a double induction hob, a fridge and a pair of drawers to starboard. The sink, meanwhile, is mounted in a separate unit amidships, next to the companionway steps and backing onto the bulkhead of the aft cabin. This cunning configuration utilises every inch of space without compromising the square footage devoted to either the heads or the aft cabin. And returning to that starboard unit for a moment, we also love the angled front face of the top drawer and the fact that there are two lockers above the worktop, one of which houses the boat's microwave.