First sail for Club Swan 42

NYYC's Nautor one-design takes to Finnish waters

The first ever sail trial of the Club Swan 42, a unique one-design racer-cruiser from Nautor’s Swan has proved a great success say the manufacturers. The new model had its first sea trials on 28 and 29 June, sailing from the Nautor yard in Pietarsaari, Finland.
Crew members included Enrico Chieffi, Nautor Group Vice President of Marketing & Sales, German Frers, who designed the model, Alessandro Loni Coppedè, the designer of the interiors of the boat and world renowned sailor Steve Benjamin. On the first day, the boat was trialled in the late evening and those onboard enjoyed sailing under the Finnish midnight sun.

Enrico Chieffi commented: “The boat is incredibly reactive and handles with great ease. We were sailing up wind at around 8 knots and were impressed with the model’s stability, which increased her speed through the water. As we continued to test the yacht’s capabilities to the maximum, we got the speed up to 13 knots. We were delighted that the model has the same feel as a pure racer as it was still responsive at this speed.

"Our mission was to create a model, tailor made for one-design racing and comfortable cruising. This racer-cruiser perfectly balances speed with comfort as the interior is light and spacious, providing the quality associated with Nautor’s Swan. The model fulfils all of our objectives and the sail trial underlined the boats capabilities and racing qualities on the water.”

The original concept for the Club Swan 42 was formed through a ground-breaking partnership between the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) and Nautor’s Swan. In July 2005, the New York Yacht Club selected Nautor’s Swan as its partner for a new international one-design racing class. This model was created to develop “Corinthian” sailing and has already gained global recognition within the sailing industry.

Designed by the German Frers design office in collaboration with Nautor’s Swan, to specifications developed by the NYYC, this new model is a high performance yacht with racing at its core. Following the trial, Naval Architect German Frers commented: “The first impression after a short, first sail is very positive. The steering is light and smooth and seemed to have plenty of control.”

Following day two of the trial, Steve Benjamin commented: “We had another really good day yesterday and finished up the first round of testing on the new New York Yacht Club Swan 42 hull #1. Nautor’s Swan is doing an incredible job. The team worked all day to get the bowsprit ready so we could test the new Class 2A asym. Everyone was really happy with the size and design of this sail, it seems to fit the boat really well.

"After about four hours on the water, in broad daylight, we returned to the dock at around 9pm. It was a great trip and everyone involved with these boats has a lot to look forward to.”

The Club Swan 42 and its Class Rules are made to foster high level sailing competition between predominantly amateur yachtsmen. The model will have the benefits of a strong class association and it will be competitive at international sailing regattas within open divisions including IRC. Nautor’s Swan will nurture the class, encouraging its growth by expanding the programme through its global network of agents, service yards and by introducing the concept to premier yacht clubs worldwide.

More pictures on page two