swan yacht 55

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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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Swan 55 review: modern performance cruiser

• Toby Hodges
• August 25, 2023

Can a modern fast cruiser be all things to all people? Toby Hodges trialled the first Swan 55 to find out if Nautor's decades of experience can achieve such a feat

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

When it comes to choosing a modern performance cruising yacht, it could be argued that many of the current crop of designs share very similar trends, particularly those from Med-based brands or those aimed at warmer weather sailing. And for good reason: there are multiple attributes gained from long waterlines, voluminous hull shapes with beam carried aft, twin wheels and rudders, and spacious decks and cockpits. All of which may lead you to assume the new Swan 55 is simply following suit, another one of many.

But that would be forgetting something crucial, a one liner that can still close most arguments: ‘It’s a Swan’.

The most famous pedigree in modern cruising, the Finnish yard already has over 50 years’ experience of building at this size. Its first S&S 55 launched in 1970, while back in the late 1980s the Swan 53 was drawn by the same Mr Frers as today’s Swan 55. The Italian-owned builder and its long favoured Argentinian designer know their market and are exceedingly comfortable with producing this size and type of yacht.

Nautor Swan very much pitches this model as a bluewater cruiser, albeit with an emphasis on ‘fun’. Where some may consider a centre cockpit or more protected helming position crucial to ocean sailing, Swan knows many more seek the helming pleasure and deck space its more modern format provides. That’s not to say this Swan 55 is not fit for distance cruising, just that its primary purpose might be aimed more at enjoyable sailing than bashing around a horn. We got to try the former when sailing the first to launch out of Tuscany in June.

The 55 has good form stability and long, low lines. The central portholes are standard, the fore and aft ones are options. Photo: Nautor Swan/Maurizio Paradisi

We sailed Alegher from Scarlino, Swan’s Med base resort, 100km south of Pisa. Thankfully, the frustrations of a breathless morning evaporated as quickly as the forecasted breeze filled in during the afternoon – it went from a vacuum of glassy seas to a Force 4 south-westerly in less time than it took to trim accordingly.

The Swan 55 responded by heeling over, accelerating on to its full waterline before remaining on a consistent angle. Indeed Swan confirmed that Frers designed the boat to minimise heeling to around 20° and that this is the optimum heel angle for theSwan  55’s hull, to give maximum power going upwind for minimal drag.

Frers designed recesses in the hull for the rudders to work best at this angle too, where the windward rudder is almost clear of the water and the submersed rudder is near vertical. “These are family boats so we want to minimise heeling,” explained Swan’s Vanni Galgani, adding that part of the righting moment is given to the hull, not just the keel. That said, the angle was enough to employ the large foot braces at the helm, and I needed to keep a firm grip on the sturdy deckhead handrail when moving forward below decks. However, the consistency the Swan 55 went on to demonstrate in speed, feel and heel is a real asset of the boat – it points to reliably fast yet comfortable cruising.

An aluminium rig comes as standard, but most owners at this size choose carbon, including the owner of the test boat. Although a cruising sailor he also chose a racing-style flat boom instead of a more typical V-boom and a self-tacking jib as opposed to the standard 110% genoa.

A sporty yacht to helm from the quarters, the 55 has a smart winch and running rigging layout. Photo: Nautor Swan/Maurizio Paradisi

A small jib makes for an unorthodox combination with an inner staysail too and suggests pointing upwind and reaching with furling sails are more the target.

Sailing upwind in 11-15 knots wind and a building swell, the Swan 55 averaged 7-7.4 knots at 26° to the apparent or 40° to the true wind. The 80% jib and sheets which are run through longitudinal tracks well inboard on the coachroof helped it to point high – that said, tacking angles were tricky to calculate as we mostly gybed through tacks due to the inner forestay being rigged and a teething issue with the jib furler.

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Keeping it clean

Neat sheet angles and leads help define the deck design. The coamings are brought aft which, importantly, gives a dry perch for the helmsman and some cockpit protection. And as these coamings also widen aft it helps provide the same width cockpit as the 58. The increased space also allows for six clutches each side, while tunnels for the jib sheets lead neatly through the coachroof to help keep the decks very clean.

Nautor has employed a tried and tested winch layout, two each side for handling the headsail sheets and running rigging and a central mainsheet winch. All are the same size (allowing for cross-sheeting), all powered as standard and within reach of the helm. Yes, it’s a similar layout on the Swan 58, but the Swan 55 really does feel that much more manageable, with the winches slightly closer, and the freeboard, displacement and loads all lower.

New folding transom design. Photo: Nautor Swan/Maurizio Paradisi

A captive mainsheet is an option, but I think the winch on a plinth setup, another trickle down from Swan’s larger range, works well. The electric winch for the sheet together with a powerful vang helps give good control, while the plinth provides a bracing point between helm pedestals. The blocks for this have been repositioned forward on subsequent builds to prevent the sheet fouling the pedestals.

In the lighter breeze the helm felt neutral, as could be expected with large, twin rudders, but pointing or reaching with the true wind in the teens, it came to life with a nice level of feedback through the Jefa wire steering. While beating and fetching, enjoying a sail out towards Elba island, I couldn’t help but look forward to a kite run back downwind. However, this being an owner’s boat, and with the wind and waves still rising, we were unsuccessful in our pleading to let us use the big sail.

The wind increased to 18-20 knots, which gave us a sporting yet comfortable reach home under white sails. The log varied from 8-11 knots depending on the waves, averaging 9.5 and nudging 11.5 knots on quick surfs.

It was fun, dependable mid-displacement performance cruising, but we were slightly underpowered with the small jib, which lacked enough drive forward to ride the waves for any period.

The performance option of the Swan 55 has the same mast, but with a larger crane for a semi square-top mainsail and a longer bowsprit (the righting moment therefore stays the same). Frers has lowered the bowsprit a few inches below the stemhead, an aesthetic tool designed to help reduce the appearance of freeboard. It gives the option to mount a hydraulic Code 0 furler, while the sail locker is long enough to store these offwind sails. This space is very handy although the opening on the test boat is too restrictive – it has been improved on future boats to make it easier to get furling sails in.

Transformer tables give access through the cockpit yet lower to give full sunbed options. Photo: Nautor Swan/Maurizio Paradisi

Those after added performance can also choose a 3.4m T-keel. The test boat carried the standard 2.5m T-keel, where a shallow 2.1m L-shape is offered to help appeal to the US market, plus a 2-2.85m telescopic option which takes no interior space.

In terms of maximising deck space at rest, Swan has some trump features. The Swan 55 boasts its first double hinging transom, a maxi yacht-style feature which gives access to the tender garage while more than doubling the traditional amount of space aft. This also necessitates an open transom design which, although not ideal for ocean sailing, does have triple height guardrails and a central pushpit stand.

The wide cockpit with its L-shaped benches makes for a large social space. The benches are shallow enough to make the raised backrest cushions a must tick option and place a reliance on the large sprayhood for added protection. This has removable sides/panels and can become part of the bimini, plus there’s a huge boom awning option to give full cockpit sun protection.

Switchgear is all neatly housed behind a door on a bulkhead locker near the companionway. Photo: Eva-Stina Kjellman

Adaptable layout

The interior is calm, spacious, comfortable and exudes quality. While the layout choices include three cabins, two or three heads, plus a utility cabin, the clever part is in offering different uses or orientations of multiple areas to allow owners to adapt a production yacht to suit their needs without Nautor needing to customise each hull.

So as well as the options the excellent aft port utility cabin brings, you can choose various chart table formats and different guises for the layout of the two cabins forward of the mast.

It is certainly rare for a yacht of this size to offer two forward cabins, with one being the master, but unique is the option to do away with the guest cabin, remove its dividing bulkhead and create one ‘supersuite’. This could include a desk, a walk-in closet or a TV lounge with a convertible sofa berth.

The utility cabin aft will appeal to long-term cruisers, as it can be used to stow bikes and water toys, a workbench etc as standard. Alternative options include a single berth, with or without extra heads, and a separate entrance from the cockpit for a paid hand. Of the 12 boats sold so far all owners have opted to have a berth here. The test boat also had a rail aft for wet weather gear/spare warps, a small drawer fridge below the berth, a 5kg washer-dryer and a work surface inboard above the generator. The only downside is a lack of standing headroom.

Choices for the starboard side saloon include a small chart table forward with 2.5m-long berth as per the test boat, a central chart table with two armchair seats either side, or a conventional chart table. While the test boat format provides the option of a pilot berth, the downside is a compact navstation area, particularly if you’re wanting to use this as a desk as well. A valuable feature is the deep drawers below, complete with locking pins to secure them at heel.

Eight can sit around the saloon table, up to 11 including the sofa berth, yet the table is cleverly designed not to monopolise that space: it can be compact for access when you need, yet extends, swivels and flips to double in size.

The L-shape galley layout also works well, a practical format thanks to the inboard sink area providing extra worksurface and providing some bracing side to side and fore and aft. Stowage space, both cold and dry, is good throughout (particularly if you don’t choose the huge dishwasher forward as per the test boat), and there are customised fittings for all of the cutlery and crockery. However, there’s only a small single bin.

The spacious aft starboard ‘VIP’ guest cabin is larger even than aboard the 58 reportedly, with tall headroom, good light and stowage in a full height locker outboard. It can be a twin, a twin which converts to a double (arguably most practical), or a fixed double and can have ensuite access as an option.

Interior style and tone is all set by Misa Poggi, from the lines that all flow forward to the multiple ‘mood’ options. The variety of oak finishes and upholstery colours really give a different look and feel. Photo: Eva-Stina Kjellman

Swan has been clever to include both an aft heads and separate shower, despite the narrow doorway. It’s a little tight to get into the shower but it is full height with a tall hanging locker outboard. Meanwhile, the shower stall forward of the navstation is excellent, nice and light with a practical seat. Having a connecting heads and shower allows all crew to use a proper shower while not invading the owner’s space or privacy – a downside is the multiple doors that can swing into each other.

And while a forward owner’s cabin tends to feel like a bit of a compromise on a cruising yacht of this size, it’s a layout and concept many people will choose, particularly for Med sailing and aft berthing. Swan has also made it feel as large as possible, with a nice open entrance area, masses of natural light and a low berth which can be a double or split into V-berth twins. Stowage is a little limited here for bluewater cruising however.

Good natural light and a practical layout to port for the saloon and galley. Photo: Eva-Stina Kjellman

The forward guest cabin is also surprisingly spacious with good light, headroom and stowage, though the two opening hatches are small.

For a €2m yacht, there were a few unexpected niggles on this first hull that needed addressing or have since been changed: the main engine room access needed improvement, some doors or drawers fouled others, and while the grain of the veneer is expertly matched, it had already scuffed and worn in some high use areas.

Forward owners’ cabin suits stern-to mooring in the Med. Photo: Eva-Stina Kjellman

That said, the big ticket items are impressive: the engineering and quality of installation stand out. Electronics are controlled from one panel on the bulkhead by the companionway, neatly segregated into 24V and 230V switch panels, with the breakers and battery switches further below. A well insulated engine bay (more learnings from Nautor’s large yachts) contains a powerful Yanmar 110hp as standard, plus a 3.5kW genset further aft. The latter is enough to run aircon, but induction cooking would require a larger unit.

Soleboards lift on suckers and reveal stowage wherever possible, tanks central below the saloon and plumbing below the galley. Robust TruDesign through-hull fittings are used with softwood cones tied to all seacocks. The sole is supported by an aluminium grid, which is independent of the structure and allows cable runs to be kept out of the bilge, while studs and foam lining help prevent the boards from moving and creaking.

Twin berths can join to become a double in the VIP cabin aft. Photo: Eva-Stina Kjellman

The build is very much like the 58, using glassfibre with carbon reinforcement up to the sole and on top of stringers, Vinylester resin and Corecell foam sandwich (including the three watertight bulkheads). The standard boat is finished in white gelcoat, any other colour is painted.

However, in an issue where we are championing new, more ethical boatbuilding practices, green options and renewable energy from big production yards, these still appear to be missing on the options list with Swan.

Those building yachts designed for the bluewater are typically and rightly cautious about fitting new technologies. Nautor’s neighbour Baltic Yachts is already advanced with hybrid propulsion, regeneration and using natural fibres, so with the Finn’s boatbuilding skillset, you can be assured Swan will find solutions – it’s just surprising it’s not ahead of the curve here.

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To stand at the windward helm of a Swan 55 powered up at heel is a rich, rewarding experience. This model offers a pleasant blend of sailing: a predictable nature for cruising yet a sporty enough spirit for performance sailing. Such a Swan should arguably be the ultimate fast bluewater cruiser, something Nautor pitches this model as, and while there are features which help that argument there are others which equally suit coastal Med sailing. However, Nautor has a storied history in doing just this – yachts which are as at home port hopping the Côte d’Azur as they are crossing the Atlantic or coastal racing with friends. The 55’s looks and long, low lines are certainly alluring and arguably more elegant than Swan’s recent crop, perhaps in a respectful nod to the timeless 54. And yet it boasts so much more space than the 54, particularly aft and on deck, while the 58 which only launched two years ago feels a much bigger boat, one on the limit of and perhaps better suited to, needing a paid hand. Yes, the deck space afforded by the large cockpit and beach terrace is an obvious draw, but some of the features that will be valued most highly on this Swan 55 are the customisable layouts below, particularly the aft utility cabin, plus the accessible stowage and access to systems. In short, the 55 offers ‘premium cruising’, Swan style.