The new design direction will be followed next by the 88 and 128, according to Vanni Galgani: "As always with Swan and Swan Maxi Yachts, we are evolving but not revolutionising, that's what we have ClubSwan for. The new Maxi models take the best from the current 98 and 120 and are in line with the existing models. On the design side, the volume distribution in the hull has been improved and the mast has been moved aft as part of the consistent redistribution of the sail area. This also brings advantages for the entire interior as well as for the deck." Since 1980, the Argentinian and his design team have been shaping the Swans of the Cruising line, which starts at 48 feet. Frers Senior has designed a total of 30 different maxi models for the Finnish shipyard with Italian management.
Nautor product manager Vanni Galgani calls the Argentinian "Master of the Maxis". And rightly so. For the 108, however, Frers Naval Architecture & Engineering from Buenos Aires received design support from Milan-based studio Micheletti + Partners for the first time. Architect Lucio Micheletti, who earned his design spurs in the automotive segment and has already worked for shipyards, created a dynamic crack that is visually elongated by the flat superstructure and the seemingly floating coaming. In addition, the deck is more pronounced and the freeboard is lower than on previous models. And Micheletti even brought back a Swan signature that had disappeared in the meantime: the smooth transition from transom to bulwark in the form of a half-arch.
For more propulsion through the foresails, the carbon mast of the Swan 108 was moved to the coachroof, through which the foot reaches onto the hull structure. Nautor uses Sprint technology from the Swiss composites group Gurit for laminating. This also involves prepregs, i.e. fibres pre-impregnated with resin, which have to be stored deep-frozen, processed individually and precisely and only harden in a vacuum at an elevated temperature. But unlike conventional prepregs, the carbon fibres completely enclose the inner layer of epoxy resin. This gives the Swan 108 a displacement of 83.9 tonnes, of which 28.6 tonnes are accounted for by the keel. This is offset by an upwind sail area of 648 square metres. Thanks to the new positioning of the bowsprit further down, A-sails can be sailed with longer leeches that catch more wind.
Another new feature is the two-part platform at the stern. The bathing platform is formed from the folded-down transom and part of the aft deck. The result is easier access to the tender and a 15 square metre area that Nautor confidently calls a beach club. At the top, a step separates the sunbathing area from the working cockpit. There are a total of four cabins on board, one for the owner in the bow and three for guests. The crew of up to five is accommodated aft. The shipyard's in-house team and Italian architect Misa Poggi were involved in the interior design. She says:
Space, light and room are the three parameters I see for a Swan. For the 108, I combined different colours and fabrics to create a harmonious yet varied interior"