Nautor Swan, the Finnish yard with more than five decades of experience building yachts of this size, launched the current Frers design as a bluewater cruiser with an emphasis on fun rather than bare passage-making. The designer describes its hull as a new generation, developed with modern tools to study canoe-body behavior in all sailing conditions.
Design and Construction
The Swan 55 weighs 49,494 pounds, carries 16,600 pounds of lead ballast, and has a beam of 16.4 feet. Its displacement of 22,450 kg resulted from a thorough study of weight and the position of equipment aboard. The hull achieves the lowest possible displacement-to-length ratio for its size.
Frers gave the hull a powerful afterbody that attains maximum sailing length and low resistance when heeled. The bow sections are well rounded transversally, with a sharp entry angle that favors sailing performance and provides a comfortable ride when heeled.
Nautor builds the 55 much like its larger 58. Construction uses glassfibre with carbon reinforcement up to the sole and atop the stringers, Vinylester resin, and a Corecell foam sandwich that includes three watertight bulkheads. The sole rests on an aluminium grid independent of the main structure, keeping cable runs out of the bilge. White gelcoat is standard; any other hull color is painted.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The standard aluminium rig carries a 110% genoa, although most owners at this size choose carbon. A performance setup substitutes a semi square-top mainsail and adds a longer bowsprit and larger crane for light-air and downwind work. Frers placed the bowsprit a few inches below the stemhead to reduce the visual impression of freeboard.
The hull is designed to limit heel to around 20°, which the builder confirms is the optimum angle. Recesses in the hull allow the twin rudders to work best at that angle, with the windward blade nearly clear of the water.
Testers found that the 80% jib and inboard sheet tracks helped the boat point high. In 11–15 knots of wind, it averaged 7 to 7.4 knots upwind; reaching in 18–20 knots, it made 8–11 knots. The Jefa wire steering system provided good feedback. In standard form, the yacht proved pleasant to sail and easy to handle.
Accommodation and Deck Layout
Below, the Swan 55 has three comfortable cabins, two heads, and a separate shower box; a third head is optional. Two cabins lie forward of the mast. One is the master cabin, where the berth can be arranged either as a double or as V-berth twins. Stowage in this cabin is somewhat limited for bluewater use.
A utility cabin aft can stow bikes and water toys or convert into a crew cabin with its own entrance. It does not have standing headroom.
In the starboard saloon, a small chart table can be fitted forward with a 2.5-meter berth. The saloon table extends, swivels, and flips open to double in size. Misa Poggi set the interior style, with moods ranging from the standard Swan Soul to the optional Scandi Vision and Blue Genova.
Transformer tables are fitted in the cockpit and transom. The double-hinging transom—a maxi-yacht feature—opens onto a tender garage. The stern remains open, with triple-height guardrails and a central pushpit stand.
Early-Build Issues
Testing revealed several teething problems on the first hull, which have since been addressed or revised. The test boat’s sail-locker opening was too restrictive; later boats have an improved opening to ease furling-sail stowage.
The forward guest cabin’s two opening hatches were small, and the galley had only one small bin. Testers also noted that access to the main engine room needed improvement, some doors and drawers fouled one another, veneer scuffed in high-use areas, and the jib furler developed a transient issue. None of these problems was structural.
The Verdict
The new Swan 55 is a thoroughly modern performance cruiser that wears its bluewater brief lightly. Frers’ hull studies produced a low-resistance, well-balanced shape that stays nearly upright and remains quick across a wide range of wind speeds. Nautor’s construction and the flexible aft utility space also make long-term living practical.
The first-hull niggles were early-build issues, already addressed or revised. The open transom, meanwhile, is a conscious trade-off for the utility of the tender garage.
Pros
- Twin-rudder hull designed around an optimum heel angle of 20° for balance and low resistance
- Corecell construction with three watertight bulkheads and carbon reinforcement
- Flexible three-cabin-plus-utility layout with several interior moods
- Strong upwind and reaching speeds recorded in period testing
Cons
- Open transom is less suitable for ocean sailing than a closed stern
- Limited stowage in the forward owner’s cabin for extended cruising
- Early hulls showed access and fit-and-finish niggles, since improved
