- Nautor's new standardised classes
- ClubSwan 43 sophisticated cruiser
- Extra cruising bowsprit
- Two rigs for the ClubSwan 43
- Exciting look
- ClubSwan 43 sails like a dream
- Ergonomics for regatta sailors
- More comfort below deck
- Elaborate construction
- 1 million euros for ClubSwan 43
- The ClubSwan 43 in detail
- Equipment and prices
- YACHT rating of the ClubSwan 43
The brand is a legend in international yacht building and stands for elegance, quality and performance under sail like no other name. For decades, the traditional Finnish shipyard Nautor Swan has built up a rarely strong brand identity that is characterised by a sense of tradition and innovative strength in equal measure.
Nautor Swan not only stands for luxurious, seaworthy yachts, but has also established itself as one of the leading players in the one-design classes with its ambitious and ambitious ClubSwan programme. With its clear focus on yachting and the development of internationally strong one-design classes, the company under Italian management is also recognised as a leading designer on the global regatta scene, comparable to brands such as J/Boats or Melges Performance Sailboats in the USA.
Nautor's new standardised classes
The attractive Club Swan 50 and now also Club Swan 36 classes have developed particularly strongly in recent years. Both series are characterised by the high level of professionalism of the crews and are therefore sailed almost exclusively as a single class. Nautor now wants to fill the gap in between with the new Club-Swan 43, whose concept for the market as a whole should be broader than that of her sisters. Although the new boat is also being developed as a one-design class for the exclusive Club Swan regatta circuit, it is also intended to be a strong competitor for a broader base in ORC and IRC handicap regattas.
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However, Nautor Swan is confronted with a home-made luxury problem. Both the older ClubSwan 42 and Swan 45 models continue to enjoy great popularity as regatta boats, both as a standard class and in ORC and IRC. However, both models are no longer being built and will therefore have to make way for the new 43 sooner or later, ultimately also on the regatta course. At least that's the plan.
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ClubSwan 43 sophisticated cruiser
What's more, in addition to the purely sporty basic idea, the Finnish yacht builders also want to present their new ClubSwan 43 as a cruiser suitable for touring. This approach did not work with the larger ClubSwan 50 due to the high complexity of the systems and the purely regatta-oriented handling without alternatives. The smaller 43, however, is not much different. Her sporty concept is also tailored to the needs of a demanding regatta crew, at least as far as the layout and the extremely complex equipment on deck are concerned. Crews with little experience in handling regatta yachts are likely to be challenged, if not overwhelmed, with the ClubSwan 43, as are family sailors.
Extra cruising bowsprit
However, this is mitigated somewhat by some interesting options that the shipyard offers for easier handling. Instead of the very long bowsprit, a significantly shorter trunk is also available for touring, even with an integrated anchor bracket. The highlight here is that both extensions can be removed and swapped in a few simple steps, depending on how you want to use the boat. A very cool idea that is also technically perfect.
Two rigs for the ClubSwan 43
There are also variants for the rig and sail plans. For racing in the standard class, a mainsail with a square head is set on the carbon fibre mast from Axxon Composites and the rig is used with flying double backstays. For regattas according to rating (ORC/IRC) and for cruising, on the other hand, a conventional mainsail with a pin head is more favourable, not only in terms of measurement, but also because it is easier to handle. In this case, a mast boom can also be attached to the masthead and a single permanent backstay can be run in the centre.
Exciting look
The design for the ClubSwan 43 is once again the work of Juan Kouyoumdjian, Nautor's long-standing partner in the development of the ClubSwan programme. Typical of his signature are the exciting lines with the full bow, the strikingly negative deck step and the pronounced waterline aft. The almost V-shaped bulkhead at the stern, the hard-set chines and the projecting hull sides with concave curvature create an exciting look, but are also useful for high dimensional stability when heeling.
ClubSwan 43 sails like a dream
Steering the ClubSwan 43 is simply a dream. The design sits beautifully on the rudder, especially upwind, and can be steered perfectly on the wind edge with a pleasantly light rudder pressure. The helmsman can easily and almost playfully work his way up to the full performance potential. When tested in winds of between ten and twelve knots, the boat runs at 7.4 knots at an angle of just 40 degrees to the wind.
The Swan is also very dynamic, especially on courses with the 180 square metre top gennaker. With a lot of steering effort, the yacht can be actively steered like a dinghy. Pressure is immediately converted into speed. The boat easily reaches double-digit values on the log, even in medium wind speeds.
Ergonomics for regatta sailors
The design of the cockpit with the helm stations mounted far forward and the position of the winches and fittings correspond to a layout that active regatta sailors would want. A total of eight winches from the high-quality Harken Performa series are available in the cockpit, with one winch each exclusively for the genoa and mainsheet guides as well as for the backstays. The trim lines, halyards and sheets for the gennaker are operated via the two winches on the side of the companionway.
Efficient headsail trim is ensured by transversely mounted centreboard tracks with flying sheet rings that can be adjusted three-dimensionally in all directions, even under full load. All fittings on deck are of the highest quality and best workmanship. And all components, such as those on the test boat, are part of the uncompromisingly regatta-compatible basic equipment from the shipyard.
The short dents in the cockpit give the mainsheet trimmer enough space to work well on the winch. However, he still lacks footrests for a good grip in heavy heeling conditions. Once the sails have been trimmed, the active crew also pushes on the high edge upwind. The so-called "hiking", i.e. the extreme riding out with the upper body over the railing wires, is made easier by the absence of a foot rail and the bevelled chamfer on the hull-deck connection. However, only regatta sailors will be happy about this. For cruising, both the foot railing and handrails are missing for greater safety.
The measured values in the test of the ClunSwan 43
More comfort below deck
So while the cruising requirements on deck of the ClubSwan 43 seem to be of little importance, the topic below deck is given all the more importance by the shipyard. As well as their excellent sailing characteristics, Nautor Swan boats are known for their beautifully built, modern and very cosy interiors. The new Club Swan 43 is no exception. The open, attractive interior design comes from the pen of designer Lucio Micheletti, who is primarily active in the larger luxury yacht business.
The general layout remains conventional with two cabins aft and a large owner's cabin forward. The berths are large enough for two people and the sofas in the saloon can also be used as additional berths. This means that up to eight people can sleep comfortably on the boat. However, the foredeck is not separated from the saloon and there is no bulkhead as standard. And there is only one wet room, which is also quite small. The comparable yachts of the competition, however, define a class standard with two toilet rooms and usually also with a separate shower.
Elaborate construction
The shipyard attaches great importance to maximising weight savings when fitting out the interior. The furniture components are largely made from lightweight composite elements. However, storage space in cupboards or drawers is in short supply on board.
The Club Swan 43 is being built at the Nautor shipyard in Pietarsaari, Finland. The hull and deck are GRP sandwich constructions with a foam core and epoxy resin, which are manufactured using a vacuum infusion process. The hull is reinforced with carbon fibre inserts in areas subject to high loads. The very slim keel sits in an approximately 30 centimetre high recess in the hull and is held in position by just two keel bolts. The fin can be easily removed for transport, as can the rudder blade.
1 million euros for ClubSwan 43
Looking at the price list is painful: the ClubSwan 43 will cost a good one million euros. Although the price includes 19 per cent VAT, it does not include sails and electronics, both of which are expensive items on a performance boat. Even taking into account the good build quality and the high-quality basic equipment with carbon fibre mast and top fittings, this is a lot of money for a boat with a hull length of just thirteen metres. At the same time, Nautor's unusually self-confident pricing policy means that there is no direct comparison with the competition.
But: Nautor does not want to position its yachts as alternatives, but rather as an exclusive platform for individualists who do not shy away from higher costs - also in order to be part of the exclusive Swan World. The ClubSwan 43 is exciting and attractive as a racer. It remains to be seen whether this will be enough for rapid class development and international success. However, the attempt to offer high performance as well as strong touring capability also brings with it the potential for disappointment.
Competition from ClubSwan 43
The ClubSwan 43 in detail
Technical data of the ClubSwan 43:
- Design engineer: Juan Kouyoumdjian
- CE design category A
- Hull length 13,19 m
- Total length 14,65 m
- Waterline length 13,10 m
- Width 4,25 m
- Draught/alternative 2,80 m
- Mast height above WL 21,50 m
- Theor. torso speed 8.8 kn
- Weight 7,5 t
- Ballast/proportion 3,25 t/43 %
- Mainsail 65,4 m²
- Furling genoa (103 %) 54,1 m²
- Machine (Yanmar) 21 kW/29 hp
- Fuel tank (plastic) 140 l
- Fresh water tanks (bags) 300 l
- Holding tank (plastic) 50 l
- Batteries AGM 1x160 AH + 1x44 AH
Hull and deck construction
GRP sandwich construction, built with vacuum infusion with foam core and epoxy resin
Equipment and prices
Base price ex shipyard:
1.011.500 €
Standard equipment included:
Engine, sheets, railing, navigation lights, battery, compass, cushions, galley/cooker, bilge pump, toilet, fenders/mooring equipment, fire extinguisher, electric coolbox, holding tank with suction
For an extra charge:
- Sails (main and genoa): 44.340 €
- Sailing dress: 2.500 €
- Anchor with chain: 3.150 €
- Antifouling: 9.930 €
- clear sailing handover: 19.510 €
Price ready to sail:
1.090.930 €
Guarantee/against osmosis:
2/2 years
Surcharge for comfort equipment
- Hole points: incl.
- Traveller with line guide: incl.
- Electric windlass: 1.500 €
- Tube kicker: incl.
- Backstay tensioner: incl.
- Jumping cleats: incl.
- Sprayhood: 6.540 €
- Teak in the cockpit: 15.830 €
- VHF radio: Navigation Pack
- Log and echo sounder: Navigation Pack
- Wind measuring system: Navigation Pack
- Navigation Pack: 34.330 €
- Autopilot: 9.880 €
- Charger: incl.
- Shore connection with RCD: incl.
- 230 volt socket (one): incl.
- 12-volt socket in the sat nav: incl.
- Heating: 10.350 €
- Pressurised water system: incl.
- Hot water boiler: incl.
- Shower WC room: incl.
- Cockpit shower: 1.310 €
Comfort price:
1.170.670 €
Included in the price:
Carbon fibre mast (Axxon) with integrated mast hydraulics, PBO shrouds, carbon main boom
Sail:
The sails are not included in the basic price. A set of racing sails (main and genoa) costs around 45,000 euros. Gennaker and code zero are available at an additional cost.
Machine:
The three-cylinder built-in diesel (Yanmar 3YM30AE) with an output of 29 hp is standard. No alternative is planned. Plus Yanmar SD25 saildrive and two-blade folding propeller from Gori.
Deck equipment:
- 2 x winches for Backstagen 46.2
- 2 x secondary sheet winches 46.2,
- 2 x primary sheet winches 50.2
- 2 x latch winches 46.2.
- All winches are from Harken (Performa line). The fittings are also predominantly from the manufacturer Harken.
As of 12/2024, how the prices shown are defined can be found here!
Shipyard:
Oy Nautor AG, Nautor Swan; 68600 Pietrasaari (Finland) www.nautorswan.com
Distribution:
Nautor Swan Germany; Hamburg; www.nautorswan.com
YACHT rating of the ClubSwan 43
Nautor is adding another very exciting new development to its exclusive ClubSwan sports programme. As a pure racer, the ClubSwan 43 fully fulfils the performance expectations. The bridge to a cruising boat, on the other hand, seems to have been missed.
Design and concept
Attractive, innovative design
High-quality construction
Convincing as a racer
Too complicated as a cruiser
Sailing performance and trim
High performance potential
Efficient trimming devices
Layout for team sports
Not suitable for one-handed use
Living and finishing quality
Loft-like living ambience
Expansion in flexible modules
No second wet room possible
Hardly any storage space for touring
Equipment and technology
Top equipment ex shipyard
High-quality control unit
Easily removable keel
Little safety on deck
