Based on the rapid growth and sales boom of their new sailboat line, Elan decided to invest in a new (huge beyond imagination) forty-three-footer—and in a new boatyard large enough to house the new model. 

Designed at the end of 1985 and launched at the end of 1986, the Elan 43 was revolutionary in many areas. The most important aspect was probably the invention of the modular build system, which permitted the construction of large interior elements to take place outside the hull, allowing for higher quality builds under better conditions compared to working directly inside the hull, as well as shortening the overall duration of the assembly work. The principle was enabled by an interior inner-molding providing the precise geometry for interior bulkheads and furniture—and giving the hull the necessary structural stiffness. It also allowed the possibility of offering the market a variety of interior options, from two cabins each with an ensuite bathroom, to four cabins and bathrooms.

Elan 43 became the most popular four-cabin recreational sailing cruiser, particularly with private customers and charter fleets. Her light-displacement hull was easily driven, simple to handle, fast and sea-kindly in all conditions. The racing version of the Elan 43 R won a number of races in the Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean waters—again skippered by Dušan Puh.

The modular build system was further developed over time, and in 2006 led to introduction of the complete interior built outside the boat in the Monte Carlo 76 project. Further novelties were a very clean, easy-to-move-around deck design with enhanced cockpit geometry, and a focus on creating safe and convenient access to water from the boat. These features were based on the Jakopin brothers’ own decades-long personal experience of boating on the Mediterranean—cruising, racing, or sailing longer passages.