Swan 48 the third 48 feet by Nautor

Perhaps not all sailing enthusiasts know that the first Swan 48 was designed by one of the most famous naval architecture and yacht studios of all time, the American studio Sparkman & Stephens in New York where the technicians and designers were the Olin brothers and Rod Stephens while Sparkman was a good sailor, a prominent broker and a marine insurance man.

To be precise, the studio was founded in 1929 by Olin and then Drake Sparkman then added Olin’s younger brother Rod, who was then already an established name in yacht design.

The design of Swan 48 by this famous studio was possible thanks to the Finnish entrepreneur Pekka Koskenkylä who convinced Rod Stephens, passing through Finland to collaborate with him in the realization of innovative sailboats so the historic collaboration between the Nautor shipyard was born founded 1966 by the Finnish entrepreneur and the American firm Sparkman & Stephens.

Almost immediately, the first 36-foot Swan was made, which immediately impressed with its qualities at sea and the innovative material with which fiberglass was built. Then the production expanded and in 1971 the first Swan 48 designed by the New York studio was launched. From the first sea trials it was immediately clear that it was a beautiful and comfortable fast boat. A fine fiberglass sloop with fine keel a very strong and refined structure, for these design details suitable both for comfortable long distance cruises and to effectively participate in trans oceanic races. Indeed Swan 48 is famous for having won prestigious regattas like the Bermuda Race 635 nautical miles long and the Transatlantic Race of well 2,960 nautical miles even if the main purpose of the boat was to sail on a cruise with the family in total safety and comfort in Worldwide.

The production of this first Swan 48 began in 1971 and ended in 1975 with a total of 46 hulls built. In 1979, the world-famous Argentine architect and sailor German Frers came to support the Finnish yard, but Swan’s style did not change. Swan has always meant having a boat that simply has something more, where elegance is perfectly integrated with speed and the brand brings together all the enthusiasts who share these principles in a sailboat.

In 1995, then, it was the Argentine architect who designed the second generation of Swan 48, retaining the same class and performance as the original one.

In this new model, the Finnish Nautor shipyard produced 57 yachts in the following years.

It went well with the first Swan 48, very well with the second as a proverb of Italian popular culture says one of the most popular and well-known “There is no two without three” so today is the time for the yard to launch on the market its new third Swan 48 always designed by the German Frers Studio as regards the external and naval architecture while the interiors are signed by the architect Misa Poggi of Genoa. Everything was designed according to the criteria that distinguish the brand but engineered with advanced construction technologies and materials of the moment.

In fact the hull was made with sandwich with glass and foam core, vinyl ester resin, vacuum-cured, post-polymerized infusion, gelcoat finish with a total displacement of just 15 tons. It is 14.75 m long, 4.59 m wide with a draft of 2.40 m.

The overall design hull is gorgeous a true timeless beauty with modern style built with ample space to live a comfortable life on board even for long periods with all the comforts. Designed for owner’s use, with easy driving even with a family crew. The weights will be concentrated in the center and in the lower part of the boat to ensure maximum balance and navigation comfort. The owner will be able to choose between three different keels according to the use he intends to make of the boat. The rudder blades will be two and so will the control wheels. The deck is characterized by smooth and rounded shapes with an equipped sunbathing area and a large cockpit with a table for 6/8 removable people. The relaxation area is separate from the maneuver area for sail management.
Below deck aft there is a large space that can be used as a garage where you can park a tender of 2.80 m in length. The rig provides a well-balanced sail plan of the latest generation with a bowsprit to be able to use four different headsails. All the sail hardware is controlled by push-button steering wheel controls with four winches at hand.

The interiors will be set up using materials chosen with perfectionism and scrupulousness at the highest levels with an impeccable aesthetic sense to satisfy the most demanding clientele that appreciates the quality of the details and finishes but also the functionality of each individual element. They will be developed with a master stateroom in the bow, a central dinette and a kitchen that can always be used even during navigation, two bathrooms and two guest cabins.

Like its predecessors it will be a real elegant Swan, fast, robust and refined able to navigate at any latitude. One of the few current yachts that can be purchased for less than a million euros with several yachts booked before seeing the boat in the water.

The designers of this new Swan 48 one of the most appreciated models in the history of the Finnish shipyard have released the following comments:

 Germán Frers

Like every design coming off our drawing board, the new Swan 48 has been designed with heart and passion, but rather than acting only on the flash of a moment of inspiration, this new Nautor model is the result of a rational brief, based on a market analysis and the experience of the builder, agents and designers, coordinated by the Nautor Project Line Leader.
One can safely say the Swan 48 is a new model created by the work of a team of experts, and she offers the best equipment and material specifications and solutions available in the market.
The equipment and tanks are low in the bottom of the hull and close to the longitudinal centre of buoyancy. The angle of positive stability is in the order of 120 degrees.

The displacement reflects the quality of the construction and the equipment dedicated to provide best comfort onboard.
A yacht that will be safe, a pleasure to sail, will have an easy motion at sea due to the form stability and moderate ballast of the three keel options available, standard, shallow and racing. Following the latest larger models, the new design shows no distortion in the stern sections, the deck beam has been carried all the way back to the transom in combination with a twin rudder arrangement. Positive control shallow rudder draft and extra sailing length are some of the advantages of this design.
A well illuminated, massive interior volume where every one of the three cabins and two toilets, that include separate showers has been carefully developed in detail by the interior designer.
On deck there are separate areas for relaxing and sail handling. All halyards and sails are controlled from the cockpit and the tails stowed in dedicated bins. Protection from the elements is given by the spray hood mounted in combination with the bimini.
The lazarette is large enough to accommodate and stow a fully inflated 2.80 metre tender.
For sailors interested in racing at the Corinthian level there is a performance package offer available from Nautor, including a racing keel, a square top mainsail, carbon fibre mast and rigging, long bowsprit, upgraded deck gear together with recommendations to remove some of the cruising oriented equipment like the gen set.

Misa Poggi

“Working on the interior of a Swan yacht means creating a special atmosphere for onboard comfort and contentment and a reciprocal enrichment beyond the practicalities of place, function and space, always involving Finnish passion for excellence.

The process for producing a sense of intimacy combined with the necessary seamanlike features is a multi-faceted one that enriches itself thanks to the collaboration of the great expertise of the Nautor’s Swan team, our technicians and, of course, evaluating the dreams of Swan enthusiasts.

The atmosphere onboard and its energy are determined by the relationship between spacial elements and materials.

Nautor’s Swan materials are chosen carefully and tested by the whole team to guarantee their best performance in all the challenging areas of the sailing context.”

                                                                          

Main technical features

Length. 14.78 m
Length to gall. 13.88 m
Baglio maximum 4.59 m
Draft 2.40 m
Displacement 15,000 kg
Ballast standard version keel 5,200 kg
Engine Volvo D2-75 Saildrive 75 Hp
360 liter fuel
Water 500 liters
Mainsail 77.1 m²
Jib 62.5 m²
Gennaker 216.7 m²