This is a substantial monohull by any measure: 34.54 meters overall, 28.16 meters on the waterline, with a 7.42-meter beam and 4.40-meter draft. Displacement is 110,000 kg, including 28,000 kg of ballast. Those proportions place the 112 RS firmly in the superyacht bracket, rather than among the cruiser-racers that made Swan’s name.
Design and Construction
Frers designed the 112 RS around the turn of the millennium, after two decades as Nautor Swan’s primary design partner following the Sparkman & Stephens and Ron Holland eras. At 113.3 feet overall, the yacht was unprecedented in scale for the yard. The production run of only five boats reflects how rarefied this part of the market was.
Built by Nautor Swan OY in Finland, the 112 RS established the template for the builder’s move into megayacht territory. The Swan 131 would later extend that direction rather than redefine it.
Rig and Sail Plan
The 112 RS carries a masthead rig of serious dimensions. The I measurement rises 40.80 meters, with a 12.10-meter J base. The mainsail has a 36.87-meter luff and a 12.90-meter foot, producing an area of 237.8 square meters.
For sailing downwind and reaching, the inventory includes a 712-square-meter gennaker and a 345.5-square-meter reacher. These aren’t casual cruising sail areas; they demand disciplined handling. Even so, the deck layout was conceived so that a modest four-person crew could manage the yacht, reflecting the ergonomic thinking Frers and the builder put into the design.
Accommodations and Ergonomics
The 112 RS is a luxurious yacht, but its accommodation planning was also explicitly shaped by ergonomics so that a modest four-person complement could operate it. That combination—a luxury finish and a lean working crew—sets it apart from pure charter barges and superyachts intended for a full crew.
Designing a 240,000-pound yacht around a small professional or owner crew reflects a brief in which self-sufficiency and manageable systems mattered as much as the saloon.
The Verdict
The Swan 112 RS is a landmark Nautor Swan: the builder’s first megayacht, its largest launch at the time, and a five-boat statement of intent designed by German Frers. It held the yard’s size crown until the Swan 131 arrived.
This is a genuine superyacht-scale monohull, with a powerful masthead rig and a crew-efficient layout. Built in Finland, it was intended for owners who wanted Swan refinement at lengths the yard had never previously attempted.
Pros
- Nautor Swan’s first megayacht and its largest model at the 1999 launch
- German Frers design with a masthead rig carrying a 237.8 m² main, 712 m² gennaker, and 345.5 m² reacher
- Luxurious accommodations planned around a modest four-person crew through an ergonomic layout
Cons
- Only five were built, limiting fleet support and comparable-market familiarity
- The 4.40 m draft restricts access to shallow cruising grounds
