Frers’ long tenure as Nautor’s principal designer shaped a boat that can race at Cowes Week while carrying an interior suited to extended cruising.
Design and Construction
The hull uses a glass-and-aramid hybrid fibre-reinforced vinylester laminate with carbon-fibre reinforcement. A high proportion of the fibres are unidirectional, providing superior strength and exceptional fatigue properties.
Structural partitions are made with Nomex honeycomb cores and carbon-fibre epoxy pre-preg, then bonded to the hull and deck. The stiffener flanges use unidirectional carbon lay-ups. Teak decking, with a nominal thickness of 9 mm, is vacuum-bagged to the composite deck mold.
The hull has a raked stem and a knuckle at the entry that sits slightly above the water. A short counter stern ends in an elegantly arced reverse transom, with a drop-down tailgate that serves as a swimming platform. The appendages comprise a fixed fin keel with a weighted bulb and an internally mounted spade rudder.
Displacement is 66,138 lb, including 23,920 lb of lead ballast. Beam is 17.52 ft, and the waterline measures 61.68 ft. The relatively narrow waterline beam gives up some interior space in the interest of performance.
Rig, Deck Layout, and Handling
The Swan 70 carries a masthead sloop rig with carbon-fibre spars by Offshore Spars and four sets of swept spreaders. A split hydraulic backstay eliminates running backstays, simplifying tacks and jibes.
A 110 percent jib flies on a carbon spar and boom. Its sheets lead to tracks mounted hard against the coachroof, leaving the side decks unobstructed while allowing tight sheeting angles. Control lines are kept nearly out of sight, a deck-layout choice that shows a clear influence from Wally Yachts.
During a casual day sail, Yachting’s testers reported precise steering, quick reflexes, and exceptional balance. The dual carbon-and-wood wheels take two turns from hard over to hard over. Both the deep rudder and keel have high-aspect-ratio shapes intended to deliver the best possible lift-to-drag ratio, contributing to predictable tracking.
In 11.5 knots of true wind at 33 degrees apparent, the GPS recorded 9.5 knots over the ground. Under cruising sails, while towing a dinghy and carrying stores and five adults, the boat nudged into double digits. The skipper estimated that the cruising sail plan cost a knot or two. Her light weight and shallow canoe body also encourage surfing downwind beneath the 4,572 sq ft asymmetrical spinnaker.
Accommodations
Nautor offered six interior layouts. A typical arrangement sleeps eight in four cabins: two forward cabins with bunk beds and two aft cabins with double berths.
At the companionway, a C-shaped galley to port includes a dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, double sink, and a navigation station opposite. Sharp corners were eliminated from the joinerwork for safety, and the dining table can be split for removal.
In one configuration, the aft cabin has its own companionway as well as a passage to the saloon. The first U.S. delivery, Strabo, placed the master stateroom far aft, with a centerline queen berth and upper-and-lower sea berths to starboard.
The forward guest staterooms are ahead of the saloon, and each has its own head. A removable panel between the cabins allows them to be combined into a single VIP suite.
To save weight, the furniture uses teak veneer over foam or Nomex cores, though some panels are laid over marine plywood. This construction is lighter than solid teak.
Design Trade-Offs and Survey Points
The foredeck has no bulwarks to help keep crew aboard when the deck is heeled, and the portlights are set high in the trunk-cabin sides. These are design choices rather than faults.
Teak decks and vacuum-bagged construction suggest that a careful survey of the nominally 9 mm deck for wear is prudent on any example.
Ownership
With only seven boats built, the Swan 70 is a rare, highly specified owner’s yacht. Its CE Category A Ocean certification and PHRF -60 rating confirm the design’s dual racing and bluewater-cruising intent.
The Verdict
The Swan 70 genuinely combines a grand cruiser with a regatta contender. Its carbon-reinforced structure and Frers hull deliver speed, balance, and precise handling, while the range of interior arrangements supports extended cruising. It rewards an experienced hand, though its performance-oriented proportions sacrifice some interior volume.
Pros
- Carbon-and-aramid hybrid structure with unidirectional fibres and pre-preg bulkheads
- Exceptional balance and quick, accurate steering from high-aspect-ratio appendages
- Six layouts, including ocean-certified cruising and racing configurations
Cons
- Relatively narrow waterline beam reduces interior space compared with beamier rivals
- No bulwarks on the foredeck to improve crew security
- Only seven built, limiting support and comparable sales data
