swan 55 sailing yacht

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First look: Swan 55 new model from respected brand

• Toby Hodges
• January 25, 2023

The new Swan 55 should appeal to owner-drivers, couples and families and follows the successful launch of the Swan 58 just last year

Product Overview

Why bring out a Swan 55 when you only launched a Swan 58 last year? Because they’re different boats aimed at different types of sailors and owners, says Nautor. Both are drawn by the legendary German Frers, but where the 58 is a small 60 and may often be used with professional crew, the Swan 55 is more aimed at owner-drivers, couples and families.

The Swan 55 has a modern, beamy hull form, albeit combined with some of that deep V hull which has helped make the Swan 54 so seaworthy. It also has a lower style fixed bowsprit and a completely new beach club transom design which opens and extends out on rams to create a massive bathing platform as well as revealing a lazarette and tender garage for a 2.5m RIB.

More big-boat features include options for a staysail on a ram, an electric Code fuler on the sprit, a captive mainsheet and a hydraulic gangplank. The cockpit has the smart twin telescopic tables seen on the 58, which can combine to seat 12 around, and features five electric winches as standard.

The interior of the new Swan 55, which is aimed at owner-drivers, couples and families. Photo: Eva-Stina Kjellman

The interior invokes the cosy feeling of the 54, but with more space, in a three cabin, two heads layout, which includes a practical utility cabin with workbench and stowage in the port aft section.

A real draw is the master cabin, which is up forward again like the 54, and the options this now allows. Swan is considering offering it as a ‘super suite’ – if the Pullman cabin is removed, this space can open out to be used as a full office or TV suite adjoining the cabin and so become an indulgent two-cabin fast cruiser!

A performance version with square top mainsail and longer bowsprit is also offered.

Swan 55 specifications

Hull length: 16.60m 54ft 6in Beam: 5.00m 16ft 5in Draught: 2.50m 8ft 2in Displacement: 22,450kg 49,494lb Price: €1.8m ex VAT Builder: nautorswan.com

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08 Sep Swan 55 for the next memorable experience

• A pure beauty in a modern, contemporary style
• An outstanding and iconic design but following tradition, classic proportions and purpose, low freeboards
• A true cruiser with no compromise, but capable of winning top races: a real traditional dual-purpose Swan
• Sturdy, reliable and durable construction, renowned Finnish quality
• Easy to manage and to handle, problem free
• Exclusive interior layout with several different proposals for cabins, heads and nav station
• Moods concept for interior and style
• Personalization philosophy: numerous proposals for layout and style, rich optional equipment list for personalisation

The New Swan 55 represents over 50 years of evolution since the first Swan 55 was designed by Sparkman and Stephens in 1970. This was a legendary model which paved the way to the Swan 57 launched in 1977, the Swan 53 designed by Maestro Germàn Frers and followed by Swan 56 in 1997 and Swan 53 in 2005.

The evolution of the 2021 Swan 55 is sure to write another page in the history of Nautor’s Swan, based on the pillars deeply rooted in Swan DNA: Elegance, Quality, Performance and Reliability.

By Germàn Frers

“This latest iteration of the Swan 55 model Line represents a new generation of hull design developed over the past couple of years with the assistance of tools available today to study the behavior of the canoe body in all sailing conditions.

These are hulls with a powerful back end that attain maximum sailing length and low resistance while heeled thus the lowest possible displacement / length ratio and they provide excellent balance through the range of heel angles in combination with the well proven twin rudder set up.

When designing the bow sections which are well rounded transversally and have a sharp entry angle, we have favored the sailing condition and comfortable ride when heeled.

The hull displacement is the result of a thorough study of weight and the position of the equipment onboard. These boats need to carry a fair amount of equipment for the comfort of the people living and enjoying life on board. However, the speed will be very good all around.

She will be a pleasant yacht to sail, both easy to handle and cruise in its standard version and race in its performance set-up version, which includes a square top mainsail and a bowsprit for the light weather and downwind sails.”

The deck is the most important area on a sailing yacht – the place for controlling the yacht at sea as well as relaxing at anchor or in harbour, for enjoying the fun of sailing in pleasant weather and also conquering thrilling heavy storms while remaining safe and sheltered.

Swans have always been designed taking the deck and its organization into great account. From the very first yacht in the late 60’s, every Swan has a deck optimized in every detail for efficient, safe and enjoyable sailing and living aboard in great comfort, be it under way, at anchor or in marinas. Today our yachts show a hallmark deck organization, with well separated areas for handling the boat while sailing and living comfortably in all possible situations, be it sunbathing, dining or swimming. Great care is also given to proper protection both from adverse weather and from sun with well-designed sprayhoods, biminis and awnings.

The new Swan 55 is perfectly in line with this ethos, adding in some new innovations that enhance livability still further in the cockpit and transom areas, like the “transformer” tables or the extra-long swimming platform, an exclusive new feature on a yacht of this size, which enhances the livability of this area, resulting in a proper beach area derived from superyachts. Shorthanded cruising is facilitated by five equally specified winches, all electric as standard, positioned to allow a single crew member to handle the boat alone. The hallmark design of the coamings protecting the benches results in an extra-wide cockpit area, where the twin “transformer” tables offer a variety of setups, from lunch to sunbathing to “pouffe” position. Ahead of the mast, a wide sunbathing area integrated into the coachroof offers the proper shape for the self-tacking track, designed for the staysail but suitable for the jib as well. More forward, a large, deep locker is dedicated to sail and voluminous gear storage.

In line with her sisters, the Swan 55 interiors represent a refined luxury, typical of Nautor’s renowned Finnish craftsmanship.

The interior has been designed having in mind maximum comfort for long periods, both under sail and at anchor.

The new Swan 55 offers an exclusive layout with three comfortable double cabins with two heads, complete with separate shower compartments (a third head is optional).

The saloon and galley are designed for maximum livability and social interaction but also to be  functional and practical while under sail. The organization of the spaces allows an additional utility cabin dedicated to storage or this can be converted into a crew cabin with an enclosed head and a sink.

The saloon has a C-shaped sofa with central table to port while the starboard area including  the chart table can be configured into three different layouts according to the owner’s needs.

This whole  general arrangement provides a very convivial and friendly feel to live aboard the yacht below decks.

The galley, following the latest layouts of Swan 48 and Swan 58, offers domestic-like amenities, including top-level appliances, comfort and generous storage places. Many options are offered for the cabin layout, in order to fulfil different owners’ needs and to allow proper personalization of the yacht.

The natural light coming in from the hull windows and plentiful overhead hatches gives great energy and luminosity inside the space.

By Misa Poggi

“A blue water yacht with an exclusive layout is born. Three cabins, two heads and a “stock” cabin, to be used according to the owner’s needs. A layout allowing great comfort for long periods of ocean navigation. The design matches with the materials. Those chosen for the Swan 55, have been selected to be aligned with life onboard and mirror a perfect home-lifestyle… practical, pleasant, comfortable and durable. Four essential elements that need to coexist at sea.

Particularly balanced colours and finishes to expand spaces and create an environment of super comfort. The moods have been designed to respond to the tastes of different types of customer, from the most classic to the most “extravagant”, but always maintaining the style and the elegant standard of a Swan. For the internal finishes of the bulkheads, the wainscot style is proposed among other options as an homage to the historical seafaring tradition… obviously respecting Swan safety and practicality.”

For style and finishing the new Swan 55 features three different moods: Swan Soul which embodies the typical Swan ambiance, Scandi Vision for a more northern atmosphere and Blue Genoa paying homage to the colours of the ocean and more traditional seafaring.

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Swan 55 - for the next memorable experience

Related Articles

Swan 55 : Beautiful northerner with an Italian temperament

Michael Good

 ·  14.11.2023

It is well known that the designs from the office of German Frers in Argentina are not only stunningly attractive, but also have the best sailing characteristics. And as you would expect, this is also the case with the new Swan 55. In the YACHT test in freshening winds of 10 to 15 knots, the beauty built by Nautor in Pietarsaari, Finland, gave an impressive demonstration of her performance potential. With a total weight of over 22 tonnes, the ship is not exactly a lightweight, but it is equipped with a sporty rig and ample sail area. The sail carrying capacity is therefore quite high at 4.7.

Anyone interested in a Swan 55 is offered a maximum of customisation options by the shipyard. The customer can choose between different rig configurations and also have a say in the layout on deck within the scope of the possibilities. There are also numerous options for the interior fittings, especially for the design in the foredeck. For example, the guest cabin on the port side can also be used as a TV lounge, a boat office or a dressing room. The aft cabin on the port side can accommodate a workshop, a pilot's berth with washing machine and plenty of storage space or, if necessary, a skipper's quarters accessible from the cockpit.

The detailed test report will appear in an upcoming issue of YACHT. Until then, you can see the first photos of the sailing boat in the extensive test gallery above.

Technical data Swan 55

• Designer: German Frers
• CE design category: A
• Hull length: 16.60 m
• Overall length with bowsprit: 17.75 m
• Waterline length: 15.78 m
• Width: 5.00 m
• Standard draught: 2.50 m
• Draught Performance: 3.40 m
• Draught with telescopic keel: 2.00-2.85 m
• Weight: 22.45 tonnes
• Ballast/proportion: 7.53 tonnes/33.5%
• Mast height above waterline: 23.22 m
• Mainsail: 95,11 m²
• Self-tacking jib: 80.15 m²
• Gennaker: 275.0 m²
• Motorisation: Yanmar 110 HP/Saildrive
• Fuel capacity: 800 litres
• Fresh water capacity: 600 litres
• Base price ex shipyard: 1.8 million euros (net)

Further links on the topic

• World premiere of the Swan 55 at boot, with a tour of the boat as a film on YACHT-TV
• Mega yacht "Shamanna", a Swan 115 FD
• High-tech at its best: the new Club Swan 80
• Next from Nautor: Club Swan 41

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Golden Galiana: the Swan 55 preparing to race around the world

• Katy Stickland
• December 12, 2022

Katy Stickland sails the Swan 55 Galiana in Helsinki and meets the Finnish crew and her skipper, as the boat is prepared for the 2023 Ocean Globe Race

Galiana romps along like a thoroughbred racehorse, her new white hull gleams under the Baltic sunshine as she cuts through the waves cleanly, leaving foaming sea in her wake on our voyage from Kajholmen island back to her home port in Helsinki.

This most classic of Swans is almost spiritual to sail; you are almost overwhelmed by her beauty and performance, especially upwind.

If you were not converted to Swans before, you certainly are after a few hours of sailing in the Gulf of Finland.

Designed by the pen of Olin Stephens, the Swan 55 was first launched in 1969. Galiana was built in 1970.

Initially called Barbarossa , and sporting a red hull, she sailed for two seasons in the UK before being sold.

Galiana will be sailing in the Adventure Class in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race for yachts between 47ft-56ft. Credit: Ville Norra

Her name changed to Asia, and then Golden Aura before the yacht ended up in the United States of America; 23 years ago British sailor Patrick Green bought her and returned her to the UK, where she was renamed Galiana and used for chartering and racing alongside her sistership, Valhalla .

Galiana was up for sale just as Finnish skipper Tapio Lehtinen was coming to the end of his 2018 Golden Globe Race .

After 322 days alone at sea, he was already thinking about what to do next.

Race chairman Don McIntyre told him about the Ocean Globe Race , a retro Whitbread Round the World race that he was planning for 2023, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread.

Would he be interested in leading a crew in the Adventure Class? If so, there was a Swan 55 for sale.

‘I didn’t need to look at any other alternatives. I have been dreaming of a Swan 55 yawl since my teenage years. I’ve always been a big Olin Stephens fan and this 55 is the classiest and most beautiful Swan Nautor’s has ever built,’ explains the 64-year-old lifelong sailor, who sailed the yacht back to Finland in the autumn of 2019.

Gorgeous Galiana

Galiana is certainly a head turner. Her blue hull is now white with a golden stripe, her deck has been recaulked and sanded and the king plank, toe rails and hatch coamings have been varnished. The chrome sparkles, polished to perfection.

‘It’s the combination of aesthetics, seaworthiness and speed. Swedish boat designer Olle Enderlein worked at Stephens’ office in his younger years in the 50s. He is quoted as saying: “Beautiful boats sail well’, and I think he learnt the philosophy from Olin Stephens. I totally agree,’ said Lehtinen.

The Swan 55 is firmly from the golden age of yachting and owes more than a passing nod to the International 6 Metre class, Finland’s most popular classic racing yacht.

Viivi Moisio, 19, is a sail maker and one of three women on the team. Credit: Niklas Sandstrom

The original lines of the first of Stephens’ yawls came from Dorade , his breakthrough boat in 1929 which won the 1931 Transatlantic Race and started an era where Stephens’ yawls did very well racing under the Cruising Club of America (CCA) and Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) rules on both sides of the Atlantic .

‘ Dorade is actually a scaled up International 6 Metre, and Olin and Rod Stephens learnt to sail onboard an International 6 Metre on Long Island Sound in the 1920s. Dorade was his design number six and among the five first ones, there were two or three 6 Metres already, so he understood the idea of the International boats which are narrow and sleek and go very well upwind. He made that his philosophy for offshore sailing boats which revolutionised the design of offshore sailing boats in the 1930s,’ explained Lehtinen, who sailed the 1936 Tore Holm 6 Metre, May Be IV for 35 years; she is now for sale to fund his racing ambitions.

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A new generation

Much of the hard work to refit Galiana is being done by her Ocean Globe Race team; it is not unknown for them to work into the early hours of the morning during the summer, making most of the light to get projects completed on time, although you will never hear any complaints.

Unlike other race entries which are selling berths on legs, Lehtinen decided to put together a team of young Finnish sailors.

Out of 105 applications, 55 sailors were initially chosen. After a season of sailing in the Gulf of Finland, this was whittled down to 18 sailors and then just 10; their average age is 24.

Lehtinen will also circumnavigate with offshore sailor and youth sailing proponent Pia Grönblom, 49, who is also a certified nurse, and experienced seaman and Six Metre sailor Ville Norra, 50, Galiana ’s first mate.

The team spent a week in Lapland in March to prepare for the rigours of the Southern Ocean , skiing during the day to a new location and sleeping under canvas at night. There are also regular gym sessions, as well as sailing.

Galiana ‘s team are doing nearly all of the refit work on the yacht themselves. Credit: Juhani Niiranen/HS

Viivi Moisio,19, is one of three women on the team, and is the second youngest member.

‘When I started on Galiana I didn’t have much experience of big boats because I started sailing on Optimists, so I’ve learned a lot. We came back a stronger team after Lapland, and being immersed in nature. I feel more prepared for what lies ahead,’ she said.

Mauri De Meulder, 25, is studying environmental economics at Helsinki University, and was one of the first to apply for a place on Galiana’ s team.

‘The best part is the team spirit we have. I love sailing of course, whether I do it solo or with others, but it is always special when you have a good team with you,’ he said.

For Lehtinen, the most important criteria for crew selection was ‘attitude, attitude and attitude’.

Tapio Lehtinen shows off the Ocean Globe Race 2023 trophy to young dinghy sailors at the Helsingfors Segelsällskap. Credit: Katy Stickland

Only two members of the team have ‘strong racing DNA’, while the others come from Optimist, Sea Scout or other sailing backgrounds.

‘I am a fan of Churchill, who is famous for advising young soldiers on their way to the Front to ‘Never give up, Never give up. Never give up’. I think that’s the most important thing, but it is also important to be social. The Three Musketeers’ principle, ‘One for all, and all for one’ is very central. You have to be loyal and you have to help others to succeed. You need to be a team player,’ he said.

Lehtinen was just 23 and a student when he earned a place as watch captain on the 1981-82 Whitbread boat, Skopbank Finland, a C&C Baltic 51 skippered by Kenneth Gahmberg.

‘The Gahmberg family gave the possibility for a group of young sailors to get into ocean racing and I think now it’s my turn to return the favour to the next generation, and give back to the sport,’ he said. He hopes some of the young crew on Galiana will also do the same in the future.

Fit for fight

While Lehtinen has actively been part of the team’s training, he also allows them to take the initiative.

‘I think the best way to train is to let them sail by themselves, and I only interfere when I feel that it’s needed. They are smart people who are actively developing the way that we sail the boat,’ he said.

Tapio Lehtinen was watch captain aboard Skopbank of Finland in the 1981–82 Whitbread Race. Credit: Ajax News and Feature Service/Alamy Stock Photo

Further work on the Swan 55 will include fitting new, stronger masts to make the ‘rig bullet proof’ in a knockdown , the finish of an interior refit designed for Southern Ocean conditions, and a new durable wardrobe of WB Sails.

Under race rules, teams sailing a ketch or yawl are allowed only 13 sails which can’t be changed during stopovers, part of the organisers efforts to make the race as sustainable as possible.

Galiana will sail with three furling headsails in front of the mast and then a fully battened main and mizzen sail.

Lehtinen has already sailed around the world nonstop on his 2018 Golden Globe yacht, the Benello Gaia 36, Asteria. The boat had a fully battened mainsail. He opted to have the same on Galiana due to ‘the durability of these types of sails.’

‘We are having three furling headsails partly for safety, but it’s also to shift gears more easily when the conditions change. Instead of needing to change from one genoa to another, we will just play with the furlers so we won’t be losing time, but we also minimise the risk of losing people, because most of the people who have been lost over the side have been lost from front of the mast changing headsails,’ noted Lehtinen.

Galiana ’s crew were at the start line of the 2022 Golden Globe Race to support their skipper, Tapio Lehtinen. His race ended 450 miles off South Africa, when his Gaia 36 sank. Lehtinen was rescued. Credit: Etienne Messiommer/GGR

During the 2018 Golden Globe Race, Lehtinen couldn’t help noticing how the amount of sealife has diminished during the four decades after his first circumnavigation in the 1981 Whitbread race.

‘There are lot less birds, whales and sea mammals to be seen,’ he noted. This has been caused by fish stocks crashing due to over fishing and the acidification of the seas as a result of climate change ; scientists believe there are 40% fewer fish in the oceans today than there were in the 1980s.

Consequently, Lehtinen has decided to team up with companies which are part of the solution in the transition towards a carbon neutral circular economy.

“I fully understand the rage of the young asking our generation why we haven’t acted in time. I see my role as increasing awareness of the solutions. If companies, regardless of their field, are innovative and take responsibility for sustainability, we can tackle the challenges. Another of my favourite UK Prime Ministers of mine was Maggie Thatcher, who used to say: “If there is a will, there is a way!”.

Tapio Lehtinen has raced yachts for three decades. Credit:Jessie Martin/PPL/GGR

Lehtinen’s main Golden Globe Race sponsor is 3stepIT, which provides life circle IT hardware for companies, putting sustainability into practice.

‘We need and we can take action to save the planet and hand it over to next generations in such a condition that also they can enjoy of sailing and of the oceans,’ said Lehtinen.

He hopes his team will bond with Galiana as much as he has.

‘I feel very familiar sailing Asteria and Galiana , they feel like 6 Metre boats and it is almost a physical enjoyment to feel Galiana move and to steer her through the waves; I feel part of the boat.’

Team Tapio Lehtinen Sailing may not have the fastest boat in the Ocean Globe Race’s Adventure class, but with a team this committed and eager, their progress will be compulsive following when the race starts in September 2023.

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