Different beasts – shared heritage

Underpinned by Nautor’s regatta management skills and customer care the company’s ClubSwan range of one design performance yachts has been a huge success. And the offer continues to grow...

Ever since the launch of the ClubSwan concept almost two decades ago, a combination of strategically-planned new models and expertly-managed regattas in stunning locations around the world have seen the format thrive.

Entries at last year’s Swan One Design world championship, for instance, included a dozen ClubSwan 50s, nine c-foiling Swan 36s, as well as a number of older ClubSwan 42s and Swan 45s. ClubSwan yachts also have a long history of strong participation in other established regattas and in iconic offshore races and regattas such as the Rolex Fastnet Race and Loro Piana Giraglia.

The two latest designs, launched almost simultaneously this summer, the ClubSwan 43 and the ClubSwan 28, open the format to a much wider audience. The ClubSwan 43 is a fast offshore machine intended as a crossover boat that’s very competitive on the racecourse, but is also fitted out so that it can be used for relaxed, yet fast, family cruising. Both models have a strict one design format, though the CS43 will also be competitive under ORC and IRC rating rules. This is expected to bring a wave of younger buyers, including those with young families, into the stable. At the same time both are borne of the same international expertise that underpins the existing models in the range.

Historically Nautor Swan has been very careful about choosing exactly which ClubSwan one designs to launch and when. So why is 2024 a good year to launch these two new designs? ‘This is the right moment because we believe the market is looking for a crossover between handicap racing and one design, with the ability to take part in our events, plus a family cruising mode if needed,’ says Federico Michetti, head of sport activities at Nautor Swan. ‘This is a segment that has been missing from the market.’ Equally the ClubSwan 28 will drive further participation in the sport. ‘It’s a way to attract new sailors with a small boat into the world of Nautor,’ adds Michetti. ‘It broadens the market and widens the appeal of our boats to more sailors.’

ClubSwan 43

LOA (including sprit) 14.56m
LWL 13.10m
Beam 4.25m
Draught 2.40m
Displacement 7,700kg
Upwind sail area 118.2m²
Mainsail 72.7m²
Foretriangle 45.5m²
Asymmetric spinnaker 174m²

ClubSwan 43
This cutting edge contemporary design was created as the perfect crossover boat. It provides a very competitive pure racing experience, both as a one design and under the ORC and IRC rating rules, while the stylish and elegant interior makes for a viable sporty cruiser for vacations of up to a couple of weeks. This is a deliberate move by Nautor to bring back desirable habits of the past, where families might, for instance, compete in a week of intense racing before relaxing the following week on a cruise with family and friends.

Two configurations are offered for racing, with the one-design having a large square top mainsail and asymmetric spinnakers. The ORC optimised sail plan has a pin-head main and adds symmetric kites to the inventory to maximise the yacht’s competitiveness in Category A.

Carbon spars are part of the standard inventory, while impressively tight sheeting angles help to maximise VMG upwind. The hull form has moderate beam by today’s standards, with marked flare above the waterline, especially aft. This significantly boosts light airs performance through minimising wetted surface area and will be a key to the design’s success on the racecourse.

The ClubSwan 43 is a crossover boat conceived for both one design and handicap racing – and also as a sporty cruiser

When considering the world’s most iconic 600-mile offshore races, it’s easy to allow heavy weather abilities to dominate one’s thinking. However, statistics tell a different story. Even in areas noted for stronger winds such as the English Channel, on average in mid-summer the breeze is below 10kts for half the time. Excellent performance in light and moderate conditions is therefore a pre-requisite for success.

Of course, it’s also vital to be prepared for the other end of the spectrum, as the last two Rolex Fastnet races have clearly demonstrated. When they do meet properly challenging conditions, ClubSwan 43 owners can be reassured of Nautor’s renowned quality, backed by input from some of the world’s top structural engineers. They will also benefit from a hull form that rapidly builds stability as heel angle increases and the distinct chines high in the topsides aft become immersed.

The ClubSwan 43 has a full cruising interior

The hull and deck are built of vacuum infused vinylester with strategic carbon reinforcement. Construction is at Nautor’s new-state-of-the art BTC facility in Pietarsaari in Finland, the home of Swan, but, as with all ClubSwan projects, it benefits from input from an international team that represents the best in the world in their respective fields. Key figures include Juan Kouyoumdjian, responsible for naval architecture and performance analysis, plus Pure Design and Engineering for the structural engineering, and Micheletti, Micheletti+Partners for the interior design. Both the concept and execution of the interior are also informed by extensive consultation with prospective owners. The result is a three-cabin, single head layout that’s semi open plan to the forepeak. This should provide ample sail stowage space when racing, as well as enough privacy and room for personal kit for short holiday cruises, making the ClubSwan 43 and extremely attractive dual purpose boat.

‘It’s an exceptionally remarkable yacht, optimised for both IRC and ORC, delivering mixed fleet competitiveness until a local One Design fleet is established’ explains Michetti. ‘For example, you could go to Newport, Rhode Island, do the ORC worlds there and it would be very competitive. And there will be people who say “let's buy it and race in ORC until the one design becomes established here”.’

A clean, efficient and relatively simple cockpit layout is one of the ClubSwan 28’s key features

ClubSwan 28
The smaller design launches on a big wave of interest for inshore racing in small, very fast and very exciting boats that offer a simple format without compromising the adrenaline factor. The ClubSwan 28 is intended for teams of four to five and is the smallest model ever produced by Nautor. Yet it still extolls all the virtues that make the ClubSwan formula so enticing for passionate sailors. As such it marks an exciting new chapter in the long running ClubSwan story.

‘With the CS28 we were looking to have sporty boat without compromising the easy handling and to have the smallest Swan ever built, as the entry to the Swan world,’ says Michetti. ‘We also have a very impressive project to support young sailors in the class.’

As with the other yachts in this stable, it was carefully crafted by Juan Kouyoumdjian with the aim of producing a complete user-friendly package for passionate sailors seeking close highperformance racing.

The sailplan is optimised for varied conditions, with an emphasis on the medium to light winds. It therefore has a large rig, with a displacement of only 1200kg.

The ClubSwan 28 is designed to be raced by a crew of five

At the same time, a relatively narrow beam of 2.5m keeps wetted surface area low to further boost light airs performance. This, combined with the light displacement and a lifting keel, also makes it possible to tow the boat by road, which can reduce the cost of moving it between venues, while also facilitating logistics. In less and three hours the boat is ready to sail.

The carbon mast with no backstay is a perfect example of the drive for simplicity, yet there’s a hydraulic system for quick rig tension adjustment, while an innovative shroud configuration synchronises mast bend and headstay tension. The boat wardrobe foresees five sails for the season (one main, two jibs and two kites); whilst in the following seasons, class rules limit the purchase to only three new sails. Deck layout prioritises both efficiency and safety, with a clean cockpit, recessed foredeck and full kite retrieval system that will enable crews to douse the spinnaker at the last moment, while minimising the risk of making a mistake.

Like all yachts in the current ClubSwan range, the new 28 has been designed and optimised by Juan K

The first boat is already on the water and a further eight are scheduled to be completed by the start of next season. The debut event for the class will be the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia in September 2024. Longer term, the vision is to create an international class with fleets across the world, including North America and Asia.

Both the ClubSwan 28 and ClubSwan 43 clearly benefit from Nautor’s huge expertise at creating successful one designs and its firmly-established professionally managed Swan One Design Circuit. No other brand comes close in Nautor’s ability – and sheer market presence – to create phenomenally successful new one design classes in today’s increasingly crowded regatta scene.

ClubSwan 28

LOA (including sprit) 10.7m
LWL 8.5m
Beam 2.5m
Draught 1.8m
Displacement 1,200kg
Upwind sail area 49m²
Mainsail 30.5m²
Foretriangle 18.5m²
Asymmetric spinnaker 70m²

However, in both cases a bigger draw for some owners may be the optional turn-key package ClubSwan Racing offers. ‘We have a full concierge team for all the ClubSwan yachts,’ explains Michetti. ‘So overseas owners coming can just let us know when they want the boat in the water and what their next regatta is. We then have a 360 degree care package taking in transport, rigging, splashing and boat maintenance to make it a headache-free project.

‘It's available for all our classes. With the ClubSwan 36, roughly half the boats at any regatta are fully managed by ClubSwan Racing, including spare parts and maintenance. This is a very important factor for some owners, especially those who live around the world and are therefore not available to organise looking after the boat. So we do that, including the transport, with a super professional and skilled team.’

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