"Odin" is Nautor's fourth maxi-swan to emerge from the 115-foot hull mould, so strictly speaking it is a product of platform construction. On its own, that doesn't sound very exciting at first. It becomes exciting when you take a closer look at the production method used by the renowned Finnish shipyard: Their flagship is based on distinctive, 35.20 metre long Germán Frers lines and is also highly customisable. For Enrico Chieffi, "Odin" is "the most technologically sophisticated yacht that we have ever built".
The Nautor vice president was convinced that the Supermaxi, confidently named after the Germanic father of the gods, would be even faster than her half-sister "Highland Fling". The two racer-cruisers - the emphasis is on the first word - like the much tamer "Shamanna" the abbreviation FD in the model name, which stands for flush deck. "Solleone", the 115 S (Semiraised Salon) by Nautor boss Leonardo Ferragamo, is the only 115 with a raised deckhouse and strong cruising genes.
The fastest Swan
The fact that the owner of the "Odin" had big regatta ambitions becomes clear as soon as you come on board. The harbour swell in Port Hercule makes you reach for the stern railing - which is of course made of titanium and comes from a 3D printer. In the unusually choppy water, the 51-metre-high carbon mast swings out alarmingly far. It's a good thing that the Monaco Yacht Show is surrounded by motor yachts and that "Odin" captain Paul Middelburg has that "there's nothing going on" smile on his face. "We only weigh 76 tonnes, 25 tonnes of which is ballast," says the American, who lives on Mallorca, proudly. This makes "Odin" over 25 tonnes lighter than a standard 115.
On the wind Middelburg and his five colleagues set a square top mainsail of 411 square metres and a 329 square metre genoa. On aft courses, the A2 spinnaker increases the sail area by 1140 square metres. The combination of radical lightweight construction and sail plan should result in godlike superiority on regatta courses.
The question arises as to why the Supermaxi was not on the entry lists for the Mediterranean classics? A year before the Swan was ordered, the first owner ordered a new J-boat. The almost ten metre longer sailing beauty was finished earlier than the fast Swan, and he fell in love with the J regattas with minimal handicap differences. He also likes the team spirit within the class. And as he wanted to take part in all J-meetings without exception, he was unable to join the maxi circus due to scheduling conflicts.
Owner's cabin? In progress
One consequence of the owner's ambition is the lack of a dedicated VIP cabin. It fell victim to the consistent ORC optimisation and the desire to only take part in regattas that do not last overnight. Behind the bow, where there would be space for the owner's area, is the sail storage area. "Living areas were considered secondary in the development," says Middelburg dryly in the clinically white bow section. For buyers who don't want to come to terms with the emptiness, deVosdeVries design came up with a proposal for a forward cabin solution. The Dutch design studio had already developed the interior of "Odin" and made provisions for it: All water and electrical connections are already in place. Only the insulation needed work. "The carbon laminate measures 16 millimetres on the outside and only 12 millimetres on the inside. In between, there is fifty millimetres of thick Corecell foam," explains the captain, who is literally demanding that the hull be tapped. No, that's not a problem yet. And yes, the hull does indeed sound very thin.
Behind the sail compartment is a cabin with a double bed, the one on the port side with a shower and the one opposite without a shower but with a carbon toilet. Here, a contrasting programme of dark wenge flooring and white-stained oak with a greyish shimmer on the walls, beds and cupboards can be seen. The owner wanted something new, but contemporary; the Finnish craftsmanship was to be expressed in any case. Nautor laid the oak veneer on carbon laminate just a few millimetres thick and arranged it in an upside-down pattern to create mirrored wood patterns.
The floor and parts of the lounge ceiling are adorned with wengé from Central Africa, which the Swan carpenters worked in a tangential cut. This emphasises the large pores with their fine cross bands and the grain. In the saloon, the handrails are vertical and the cabinet and table corners are rounded. The grey upholstery is all coarsely woven and blends in beautifully with the dining table surroundings. On the port side behind the lounge area, two steps lead down to the area that would originally have been reserved for the owner. Opposite is the galley, from which the three quarters for up to six crew members can be accessed via the mess and navi-corner.
The Swan 115 "Odin" has the trim of a pure racing yacht
A staircase brings the free watch to just in front of the carbon steering wheels and us to the most "technically demanding" part of the yacht, the rudder quadrant. This is a work of art made of carbon, titanium, Dyneema and precision hydraulics. The forestay also extends and retracts hydraulically by 36 centimetres.
The carbon mast - which presses on the hull with up to 110 tonnes - moves forwards and backwards by ten centimetres. Such trimming devices may be common in the TP52 racing circus, but hardly on yachts of this size. Not surprisingly, Middelburg sees "Odin" as "a thoroughbred racehorse with a carriage in tow". The lift keel hydraulically reduces the draught from 6.75 to 4.50 metres in three minutes. Behind it, the propeller and shaft fold up in a flooded shaft in front of the 312-kilowatt Cummins diesel engine, which can be observed through a viewing window. This "retractable propulsion system" from Ship Motion reduces drag under sail, resulting in higher speeds.
Captain Paul Middelburg and his lads were speeding through the Gulf of Bothnia at 24 knots in 20 knots of wind, three reefs in the main and a small genoa on the first day of the ferry trip from Finland to Mallorca. Middelburg considers a top speed of 35 knots to be realistic, but is unlikely to experience this because he is signed on to the J of the "Odin" owner.
Technical data of the Swan 115 "Odin"
- Length over everything: 35,20 m
- Waterline length:32,84 m
- Width:8,12 m
- Depth:4,50-6,75 m
- Mast height:51 m
- Displacement (IRC):76 t
- Material:Carbon sandwich
- Rig:Southern Spars
- Sail:North Sails 3Di
- Sail area (upwind):740 square metres
- Sail area (downwind):1,551 square metres
- Drive:RPS, Ship Motion
- Motor:1 x Cummins QSB 6.7
- Engine power:1x 312 kW
- Fuel:2.100 l
- Water:1.500 l
- On-board electronics:B&G, Sailmon
- Construction:Germán Frers
- Styling:Germán Frers
- Interior design:deVosdeVries
- Shipyard:Nautor's Swan, 2018
This article first appeared in BOOTE Exclusive issue 1/2019 and has been updated for this online version.
