The name of the almost 39-metre-long Swan could hardly be better chosen up here in Finland, around 200 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle. It is a few days after midsummer, the longest day of the year, and midsummer here obviously means: "Be Cool." The thermometer reads four degrees Celsius at 8.30 in the morning on the deck of the second largest Swan ever built.
"At 42 metres in length, our largest yacht is the Swan 131 'Aristarchos', which we delivered back in 2006," explains Nautor CEO Giovanni Pomati as we watch the crew prepare the ship, named after a blockbuster starring Uma Thurman and John Travolta, for departure. When asked what the name is all about, the managing director of the shipyard, which recently became part of Sanlorenzo, explains: "The owner is a passionate cinema fan and his second ship, a Clubswan 50, is called 'Django', after a Tarantino film."
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The difference between the one-off "Aristarchos", which was launched 19 years ago, and the new flagship is the positioning. The new 38.98 metre model crowns Nautor's current maxi line, which includes the Swan 88, 98 and 108, all of which were designed as semi-custom yachts. Production largely follows the rules of series boat building, only the degree of personalisation is many times higher.
Swan 128 by far the largest Nautor-Maxi
With a length of 38.98 metres and a displacement of 136 tonnes (fully loaded), "Be Cool" is by far the largest maxi in the portfolio. "The owner previously had a Swan 98 with an owner's cabin in the stern and originally intended to switch to a motor yacht," Giovanni Pomati explains frankly. But then he saw the Swan 120 "Audrey the First" with a master suite in the bow and was thrilled. He wrote to the shipyard and asked for a Maxi-Swan in the style of the Swan 108only bigger. The 108 marked the start of the conversion of the Maxi series, for which Milanese architect Lucio Micheletti gave the 36-metre slup a dynamic touch and brought back traditional curves. The development of the new
The development of the new giant was a major challenge for the shipyard and design team due to its technical complexity and sheer size.
Germán Frers was responsible for the construction of the Swan 128. Of course, the Finnish-Argentinean pact has existed for over 40 years. The deck and superstructure were designed by Micheletti+Partners, who further developed the design language introduced on the Swan 108 and focussed on a perfect balance of volume, shapes and details. The interior design was created by Misa Poggi in collaboration with the shipyard's own design and product development team. Here too, the Swan 108 served as a source of inspiration. The interior layout of "Be Cool" was designed around the precise wishes of the experienced customer. Special attention was of course paid to the owner's area, which takes up a large part of the foredeck and is free of structural restrictions.
Three levels with natural light
Behind it on the port side is a large guest suite, opposite which is the dining table for up to eight people. The tweed pattern of the upholstery runs through all the interior spaces and sets accents in different patterns, textures and colours. "Here, too, we worked closely with the owner and his wife," reveals Heini Gustafsson from Nautor's interior team. The result is an elegant blend of traditional styling and modern elements, enhanced by an interesting interplay of materials that creates a lively effect.
A three-step elevated saloon with cosy seating and lounge areas on both sides is located aft and is accessible from the guest cockpit via an extra-wide companionway. The living area benefits from three levels of natural light and offers panoramic views thanks to large windows. A TV is hidden behind a mirror, which also stretches the room. To starboard next to the companionway, a corridor leads to the crew area, which is located behind two further guest cabins. The crew of five lives aft in three double cabins, with the impressively large galley, mess and impressively sized navigation corner cleverly distributed in between. The tender garage in the wide stern is accessible when the transom opens and transforms into a bathing platform.
Swan 128 flies between six and twelve knots TWS
"Be Cool" perfectly embodies the concept of a sporty cruiser - a yacht designed for both extended cruising and international maxi racing, without compromising on its core characteristics. The twin rudder system ensures optimum control even at high speeds and provides precise feedback. The moderate heel angle of around 20 degrees in ideal conditions increases comfort on board under sail and allows easy utilisation of all areas of the yacht. With an upwind sail area of 845 square metres, the sail plan promises impressive distances and high VMGs even in lighter winds, while remaining easy to control in demanding conditions.
During the extensive test run on the Gulf of Bothnia with light winds of between six and ten knots, the beautifully shaped 39-metre Sailmon showed what it is capable of. With six knots of true wind and an angle to the apparent wind angle (AWA) of 30 degrees, the extra-large Sailmon displays on the mast showed a boat speed of seven knots. "Between six and twelve knots TWS is her 'happy place', this is where she really flies," revealed Captain Luca Sera, who was still familiarising himself with his new workplace together with the rest of the crew a few weeks after delivery.
The lack of a cutter rig is unusual for a maxi yacht. "We can only set one headsail on the 58 metre Southern Spars mast, either a gennaker, genoa or staysail. To avoid having to use backstays, the owner also decided against a square-top mainsail. Instead, he asked the riggers for a three metre higher mast in order to achieve the same sail area," reports project manager Kim Sundquist. The bowsprit was also cancelled at his explicit request. Five crew members will work permanently on board "Be Cool", although not all hands need to be on deck for sailing thanks to the self-tacking jib and sheets that run on captive winches. "We don't normally install a self-tacking jib on our models," Sundquist explains. "However, the owner insisted on this in order to maximise sail handling when cruising." At eight knots TWS, the 136 tonnes with mainsail and genoa briefly accelerate to over ten knots in the middle of the still lousy cold Baltic Sea in front of the Jakobstad shipyard, causing the crew in the cockpit to cheer.
Dominance of titanium
In order to maximise sailing performance in the light winds that prevail off the Costa Smeralda in summer, the owner opted for a rig package that was as light as possible. Southern Spars laminated the carbon mast and furling boom, while Future Fibres supplied the ECSix cables for the standing rigging. Stainless steel components are only used where necessary, with titanium dominating the deck fittings. The furler professionals from the North German company Reckmann not only supplied three furling systems for the gennaker, genoa and staysail, but also halyard swivels made of titanium, which ensure a significant weight reduction in the upper section of the rig. "Where they are most useful," reveals Maxi expert Philip Demler, who supervised the Swan 128 for Reckmann. "These swivels combine compact dimensions with the ability to withstand extremely high loads." For example, the upper swivel of the gennaker furler specially developed for "Be Cool" weighs just 14 kilograms with a maximum working load of 50 tonnes.
The furler recessed into the foredeck enables the use of a halyard swivel, makes the free-flying swivel obsolete and allows the captain to tension the stay and luff towards the deck. "We have been manufacturing furling systems for the largest yachts in the world since 1980, which are usually designed and manufactured explicitly for a project and a specific requirement. This order was therefore no great challenge for us. The system works perfectly and at high speeds, which is a huge advantage with the large sail areas of today's maxi generation," says Philip Demler.
A Swan for Tom Cruise
As "Be Cool" turns into Högöfjärden between the islands of Örarna and Mässkär in the direction of the shipyard dock, the conversation naturally turns to Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise, who caused a sensation in the tranquil Finnish coastal town of Jakobstad a few weeks earlier. He landed with his private jet at the nearby Kronoby airport and then visited the Nautor halls. As befits the "Mission Impossible" hero, he travelled there by helicopter - which he flew himself. It is now certain that the 60-year-old fitness fan ordered a Swan 108. As you would expect, Giovanni Pomati simply said: "No comment!"
It will now be interesting to see what Cruise will call his new 36-metre sloop. The secret will be revealed at the latest when the boat is launched next spring. Cruise, a sailing novice, will certainly be able to pick up some yachting tips from the "Be Cool" owner at the upcoming Swan Cup in Porto Cervo. After all, the two obviously share more than just a passion for film.
Technical data of the Swan 128 "Be Cool"
- Length over everything: 38,98 m
- Waterline length: 35,94 m
- Draught (telescopic keel): 6.70 m / 4.40 m
- Displacement (empty): 122,8 t
- Displacement (full): 136,2 t
- Ballast: 39,5 t
- Staysail: 369 m²
- Genoa (ORC): 402 m²
- Gennaker: 1.180 m²
- Mainsail (ORC): 444 m²
- Mast: Southern Spars
- Mast height: 58 m
- Standing crop: Future Fibres
- ECSix Furler: Reckmann
- Winches: Rake
- Design: Germán Frers, Micheletti & Partners
- Interior design: Misa Poggi, Nautor
- Shipyard: Nautor Swan, 2025
