When an Elan Yachts representative sat down with Cruising World’s Boat of the Year judges at the 2023 Annapolis Sailboat Show, right off the bat he described the Impression 43 as a boat meant for families. He said that it would provide safe sailing, but it also had performance potential.
Dockside, walking through the company’s latest model, I immediately got his first point. The boat was comfortable and homey, with a large cockpit and tall coamings to surround the crew topsides, and plenty of spaces to relax and rest below.
Then, under sail a few days later, the Elan confirmed the builder’s second contention as well. In less than 10 knots of breeze and calm seas, the GPS displayed speeds in the mid- to high-5-knot range closehauled and on a reach. That happened with no fancy light-air sails—just an in-mast furling main (a traditional main is standard) and self-tacking jib.
Elan Yachts and Elan snow skis are both built in the same industrial complex in the rugged mountains of Slovenia, miles from the country’s coast. But the Elans I’ve sailed on multiple occasions have all had some get-up-and-go. For some time now, all of the brand’s sailboats have been designed by Humphreys Yacht Design and Elan’s in-house design team, so there’s a good continuity in terms of look and feel. Rob Humphreys knows more than a few tricks when it comes to drawing slippery hulls. Interior design is by Pininfarina.
The Impression 43’s composite hull and deck are foam-cored and vacuum-infused (Elan has used infusion since 2003). Layup of the hull includes a coat of vinylester resin to prevent blistering. Vertical and horizontal stringers are laminated to the hull as stiffeners.
Besides sail options that include a genoa and gennaker, buyers have a number of other choices. The Elan we saw in Annapolis had an 80 hp Yanmar diesel and saildrive; a 45 hp Yanmar is standard, and a 57 hp Yanmar is available, as is an Oceanvolt electric drive. The standard keel is cast iron and lead, and draws 6 feet, 6 inches; a shoal foil is offered too. The boat we sailed had a few more bells and whistles, including a folding Flexofold prop, a large swim platform that folds up to enclose the transom (a smaller platform and open transom is standard), and four electric Harken winches: two of them adjacent to the twin wheels, with two more on the cabin top. The twin-rudder boat also had an optional fridge built into one of its helm seats, and a grill in the other.
A base Impression 43 costs just over $500,000, but fit out like the boat in Annapolis, the sticker price is around $750,000. That includes a Bimini top and dodger (handles on the outside of the dodger were best in show, I thought), Garmin electronics, two air-conditioning units, a diesel cabin heater, and twin cockpit tables that can fold down to create quite the sun pad.
With 2-inch bulwarks and 26-inch lifelines atop them, the deck feels quite secure when moving around underway. The boat’s bowsprit doubles as an anchor roller, and there is good access to the chain locker in the forepeak, ahead of a roomy sail locker.
Below, I really liked the Impression’s knotty oak interior. The standard layout includes a pair of aft staterooms, a head, and a shower compartment just forward and to port of the companionway. An inline, L-shaped galley takes up the remainder of that side of the salon. Opposite is a country-style dining table that can easily seat six people, with a U-shaped couch outboard, and a couple of folding chairs on the centerline that can be stowed in a locker in the V-berth. It’s a clever arrangement that indeed seems family-friendly.
Forward, the standard layout has a V-berth with a head and shower compartment to starboard, and a hanging locker opposite. Throughout, multiple opening hatches and ports let in lots of light.
For larger families (or perhaps for charter), the offset door to port into the V-berth allows for a fourth stateroom with bunk beds inside to starboard. This layout cuts into the size of the V-berth and replaces the hanging locker with the head and shower. It’s a compromise, but what isn’t on a 40-something-foot boat?
Overall, I thought that the Impression 43 hit its design brief spot-on. The easy-to-handle sail plan makes it a manageable boat to sail while also minding the kids (or pampering adult guests). Add the optional genoa and maybe a colored downwind sail, and Mom and Pop can go out and have some solid sailing fun too.
Take the Next Step
PRICE: approx. $750,000 (as tested)
CONTACT: elan-yachts.com
Mark Pillsbury is a CW editor-at-large and was a 2025 Boat of the Year judge.
