Design and Construction
Ron Holland drew the Swan 391 in the early 1980s as a large masthead sloop. The Finnish yard OY Nautor AB built both the hull and deck in solid fiberglass.
Her IOR-derived profile features wide decks and a wedge-shaped cabin top, visual signatures of the rule-influenced era. The fin keel carries a lead bulb, and draft varies from about 2.20 to 2.30 meters depending on load—roughly 7.2 to 7.5 feet.
The 391 has a length-to-beam ratio of 3.21 and a ballast ratio of 36 percent. She carries 6,800 pounds of lead within a displacement of 18,900 pounds, yielding a stiff, purposeful platform. Wetted surface is about 45 square meters, while immersion is roughly 256 kg per centimeter.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead rig carries 72.8 square meters of sail area in the mainsail and jib. A sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 19.53 and a displacement-length ratio of 231 suit both acceleration and sustained passage speed. The theoretical maximum speed for a displacement boat of this length is 7.7 knots; under engine, the 391 can reach 8.1 knots.
Holland’s hull has proved itself on race courses throughout the world. The 1983 Swan 391 OxoMoxo won the Van Isle 360 in 2017 and later competed in the 2018 Vic Maui, showing the design’s enduring competitive relevance.
A capsize screening value of 1.88 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 28.4 place the boat firmly in the capable cruiser-racer band.
Accommodations and Cruising
Belowdecks, the Swan 391 has eight berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. Like most production yachts of her generation, she is finished in teak.
The model is known as a comfortable cruiser. The original owner of OxoMoxo, a cardiologist from Oregon, sailed the boat in the San Juan and Gulf Islands for more than 30 years. Freshwater capacity is 300 liters, while the stainless-steel fuel tank holds 180 liters, supporting extended coastal and offshore use without constant replenishment.
Engines and Ownership
Swan 391s were fitted with different engine options, commonly a 40-horsepower inboard Perkins 4.108 diesel or another Perkins diesel, driving through a shaft.
The original OxoMoxo was purchased through a Seattle broker and built to order. This is a reminder that many 391s entered service as semi-custom cruisers rather than spec boats. Doug Frazer’s 1983 example also shows the model’s longevity in private hands in the Pacific Northwest.
Known Handling Issue
One documented owner report describes a knockdown under spinnaker in 40 to 45 knots of breeze. The crew couldn’t free the kite from the headstay and right the boat promptly.
This is a handling caution associated with the masthead spinnaker setup rather than a structural defect. Even so, it carries weight for any buyer planning serious downwind sailing in strong air.
The Verdict
The Swan 391 is a scarce, well-bred Ron Holland design that can still win races four decades on while serving as a teak-finished cruiser for extended family use. Her IOR heritage gives her wide decks and a wedge-shaped cabin top, while the lead-fin hull rewards confident seamanship more than careless spinnaker work.
Pros
- Ron Holland design with global racing success and proven cruising comfort
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck built by Nautor, with a lead fin keel
- Eight berths, a galley, a head, and 300 L of water capacity for practical cruising
- Spirited performance: 19.53 SA/D, a 7.7-knot theoretical maximum, and 8.1 knots under engine
Cons
- The masthead spinnaker setup can be difficult to recover after a knockdown in 40–45 knots
- Only 52 were built, so individual history and condition vary widely
