Nautor's Swan presents the new maxi era

by Nautor's Swan 22 Dec 2020 11:11 GMT

The contemporary Maxi Swan line was reborn when the new Swan 98 hit the water last July, and there are great developments afoot with the latest advances and new models from the Finnish yacht builder.

Swan's involvement in the maxi yachts segment started in the 1970s, with the launch of Sayula II, and since then more than 15 Swan maxi models have been designed, resulting in the production of 100 yachts above 24m. But the Finnish brand's landmark Maxi moment happened in 2010 with the launch of the innovative Swan 115, which has a hull design inspired by the big ocean racers, a maximum beam point repositioned far aft to allow a much more stable heeling of the boat, twin rudders and a revolutionary interior design that prioritizes volume and comfort.

"The Swan 115 started us out on the pathway to what has become the overarching strategy of the entire brand: the division of our product line into performance cruisers and pure racers," says Giovanni Pomati, Nautor Group CEO. "The Maxi Swan is ideal for those in favor of a fast but comfortable yacht to cruise the Oceans and participating to Superyacht regattas, while the ClubSwan Maxi is for those who love speed and pure performance, and who want to test their abilities at the professional racing circuits."

With four Maxis currently in build (two Swan 98s, a Swan 120 and a ClubSwan 125) there is a great deal of anticipation and excitement for the coming months at the shipyard. The third Swan 98 is due for launch in April, while the fourth hull of the same model will be the first to have an ownerforward layout. Also expected for delivery next year is the newest unit of the Swan 120 flagship, while the ultra-fast ClubSwan 125 is poised to beat all the world records. But not one to rest on their laurels, the designers and naval architects at Nautor's Swan are already working on new projects.

"Here in Pietarsaari, there's always something brewing" continues Pomati. "We are currently working on various improvements to Swan's Maxi range, introducing hybrid electric propulsion and updating existing models to meet the new emissions requirements scheduled for 2021."

Swan 88 - A pure cruiser, with a racer soul

Sitting at the entry point to the world of maxi yachting, the design of the Swan 88 is based on an evolution of the brand's previous popular yachts but with the addition of various innovative features never before seen on a Swan. The yacht is a beauty, with a distinctly feminine elegance to her lines while delivering a superyacht experience on a platform that is both efficient and easy to maintain.

A deck for living as well as racing

As on every Swan, the heart of the yacht is its deck, which on the Swan 88 can be separated into four defined areas, the first three located in the cockpit/aft while the fourth is found in the fore section. In the guest cockpit, Swan has introduced a newly evolved coachroof design on the 88 that takes inspiration from previous generations of maxi yachts, bringing together the practicality of an integrated sprayhood and bimini, with a very elegant line. The cockpit's modular benches can be arranged in a number of different configurations, such as lounging and full dining set-ups.

The maneuvering area with the yacht's winches and steering pedestals is centrally positioned in this area, to allow space at the stern for a completely new beach area where guests can recline or lie down, with access to the water as well as the large tender garage. Forward of the mast, there is a fourth area which can be used for sunbathing or as a sunset lounge, with a large sail locker and anchor locker below the deck.

Efficient performance and design

As with all the brand's models, the Swan 88 is a purebred performance yacht; it is a nocompromise cruiser, with a racer soul.

The Swan 88's appendages are optimized for cruising, with a standard moderate draft of 4m and options for shallow-draft, telescopic and performance keels. The twin rudders convey multiple advantages including a shallower draft and improved balance while sailing.

"The New Model is an evolution of the previous models, but for this one we've done a complete study for the balance, the performance, the position of the rig and the shape of the sails" says Germàn Frers. "According to the results of these studies, we designed the hull".

A veritable blue water yacht, the Swan 88 is designed to provide a soft, comfortable ride even in rougher conditions, with an optimized heeling angle of no more than 20 degrees. With an effective load line length of less than 24m, it is economical to run and manage, while also providing wide appeal on the charter market and upholding a high resale value.

"The Swan 88 has been conceived to be the entry size to the Swan Maxi World, compliant to the MCA rules. Our decision to do so has come from the fact that we wanted to build a Superyacht with an efficient platform, in terms of management costs, easiness to get the charters certifications," says Giovanni Pomati. "This project sees the collaboration with Lucio Micheletti, teaming up for the exterior design, for a new concept which will be followed by bigger sisters".

The Swan 88's sail plan takes advantage of the brand's wide experience from recent ocean races, bringing together efficiency and uncomplicated, easily managed sailing. The mast well's location in the middle of the yacht provides a good balance between the foretriangle and the main sail, with the opportunity to fraction the triangle in four different stays - gennaker, code zero, jib and staysail - thanks to the long J measure. The staysail can be provided with a self-tacking track, and the mast and boom are constructed in carbon as standard.

"As all the Swans also this model will be a protagonist in the Maxi Yachts Regattas panorama" adds Pomati.

Comfort on board

"When you walk onto a boat, you should walk into a very comfortable, harmonious and magical place. This magic comes from the balance created between volume, geometries, architecture and materials." Misa Poggi - Interiors Designer.

Designed with guest and crew comfort on extended trips in mind, a range of layout arrangements and mood concepts is available to customize the yacht's interior and style to an owner's tastes. The standard interior is the typical owner-forward layout, with four ensuite guest cabins and a dedicated area for up to four crew.

The interior has a number of features to increase the sense of space onboard, including generous windows in the hull and coachroof. One of the most remarkable design innovations of the interior is the substantial transparent stairway leading from the cockpit to the salon, with a further two stairways leading down to the accommodation level aft, creating a spectacular entrance.

The owner's cabin is spacious and comfortable with a large ensuite, while further aft the guest VIP cabin can be optionally converted into a TV lounge, and the two twin guest cabins with optional pullman berths. The aft section is separated into two separate areas; the first is a half-crew, halfguest area, with a big galley and a second dinette, which can be used as crew mess, but also for guests' breakfasts, or as a comfortable place where children can stay protected while sailing. And further aft, there is a dedicated crew area accessed via the cockpit, with two twin bunk cabins, separate showers, and space for appliances.

"Working on this project has been really inspiring for us, we reckon it would be a contemporary classic and a very best seller in the Swan history" concludes Vanni Galgani, Product Line Leader.

Technical specifications

• Length Hull: 26,54 m - 87,10 ft
• Load Line Length: 23,99 m
• Length Over All: 28,27 m
• Length Water Line: 24,99 m
• Beam max: 6,72 m
• Draft std: 4,00 m
• Draft shallow: 3,60 m
• Draft telescopic: 3,00 - 4,60 m
• Height above dwl: 40,53 m
• Displacement: 54.100 kg
• Ballast: 15.050 kg
• Fuel tanks: 2.800 l
• Water tanks: 1.500 l

Sail areas

• Sail area tot: 437,39 sqm
• Main sail: 235,51 sqm
• Jib Orc: 201,88 sqm
• Gennaker: 690,00 sqm

Sail plan

• IG = 35,65 m
• ISP = 38,30 m
• J = 10,60 m
• P = 35,00 m
• E = 11,00 m
• TPS = 13,00 m

ClubSwan 80 - A new concept for the maxi yacht world

The Nautor's Swan strategy related to its ClubSwan yachts has always been to create a highperformance line within the family of Swans, in order that they would be able to compete at the top level of the professional racing circuit. With the success of the ClubSwan 36, 50 and 125 models, the range is renowned as the highest performing, most innovative and most technologically advanced segment of the company. And yet, there was an opportunity to complete the ClubSwan line with a new model.

"The ClubSwan 80 project was born for two reasons: One, because clearly our line deserves a new yacht of this kind and second, because in the Maxi reality we see the possibility and the space for a high-performance yacht that will fill a regatta system that is now lacking something like this," says Enrico Chieffi, Nautor Group Vice President.

For the construction of the ClubSwan 80, Nautor 's Swan is in partnership with Persico Marine, based in Nembro, an international shipyard renowned worldwide for its expertise in building high performance yachts.

The brief

The ClubSwan 80 has been conceived to be a very fast and high-performance yacht, completely in line with her sisters, based on the concept of One Design yachts.

"The idea is to create a class of identical yachts, so this is something very unique in the world of maxis," adds Chieffi.

All the boats are specifically designed to sail in short racing, participating in the traditional events of the maxi circuit and specialized in light to medium winds (VMG sailing).

"Why this? Because these events are mainly sailing in these conditions and we want a very competitive boat as such," Chieffi continues.

Technical specifications

• LOA (hull only with over hang): 24.70m
• Beam: 6m
• Draft: 4.75m
• Displacement: 19kg
• Ballast: 6kg

The new model features a canting keel of 4.75m, which is proving to be a great compromise between having a very fast, deep keel while also allowing the yacht to enter into harbors and ports without any limitation.

The ClubSwan 80 has twin rudders, as usually adopted in its new shape as designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian (as happened for ClubSwan 36), and a canard. More specifically, a rotating canard has been adopted for sailing in short racing in light/medium winds (VMG), but also to grant a big flexibility in the tactical situation that are very common in the tight fleet racing.

The very long, retractable bowsprit, together with the very light displacement related to the canting keel, makes the yacht a real monster downwind, providing an enormous amount of fun while sailing.

The interiors

The yacht comes with a minimal, stylish interior with the aim to combine the very high performance with a degree of comfort inside. A more luxurious version with a full set of options is also possible, being fully aware it may affect sailing performance.

"You can buy comfort but you can't buy performance and this is very important for the concept of the One Design class. So the base yacht is the fastest and lightest boat you can get," explains Chieffi.

The circuit of events

Racing has been in Swan's DNA since the very beginning and the brand's thrilling regattas are the most eagerly awaited events by our owners. ClubSwan has always been associated with racing events, especially One Design, which provides is particularly enjoyable, with a rational and cost effective proposition, both for the management of the racing program and the original investment in the yacht. The winning formula - with the owners at the helm as the established principle, and the boats all of the same type - is keeping the competition friendly and with a gentleman-like spirit.

Since 2002, when the Swan 45 was first launched, Swan started on this route and today its One Design circuit of events is one of the most successful in the world, with a consistent number of yachts participating. The most important ones are The Nations Trophy, held bi-annually on odd years, and The Nation League (Mediterranean and North Europe) held on a yearly base and completely dedicated to One Design. Completing the offer, there is the "must attend" Rolex Swan Cup, on even years, in the beautiful setting of Porto Cervo.

Obviously, the ClubSwan 80 will take advantage of this well-established, worldwide circuit of events, which is why the Nautor's Swan Racing Office is developing its dedicated One Design class rules. One of the most important rules, as for all OD racing regattas, is the owner driver, where the owner of the yacht must helm the boat; this allows passionate owners to sail at a very high level while still being manageable and in a friendly environment. The program drafted for the ClubSwan 80 Class will have five events a year, with 25 days of racing, one winner, and a dedicated world championship that will be a standalone event.

"The hull number 001 is under construction at the moment, and our goal is to have three ClubSwan 80 boats in the water racing at the Rolex Maxi Worlds in Porto Cervo in 2022. We expect a lot of traction out of this, we see this as an exciting new challenge. A class of this size and of this magnitude has never been achieved and realized by anyone in the past, but we believe it's time to do it. And the project and the team are unique," concludes Chieffi, who is also managing the whole project supported by a team of international experts.