Design and Construction
The Micro Cupper rules required built-in buoyancy and a retractable keel. The manufacturer describes the resulting boat as virtually unsinkable, with enough inherent flotation to remain afloat when swamped, even with three crew aboard.
The hull and deck use a half-inch balsa sandwich with 8oz woven rovings and 1½oz chopped strand mat. Before production began, the first Swift was built as a sheet-aluminium prototype with a chine hull.
The Swift 18 measures 18 feet overall and 16 feet 4 inches on the waterline, with a beam just shy of 8 feet. Displacement is about 1,520 lb, and the sail plan covers 199 sq ft. When raised, the lifting keel leaves only three inches exposed.
Production History
John Charnley Associates built boats 1 to 218 from 1982 to 1985, later trading as Swiftcraft at Shamrock Quay in Southampton. These boats had tapered masts.
The Charnleys sold the business in October 1985. It eventually passed to Honnor Marine in Totnes, Devon, which built roughly 35 to 40 boats in the 300 series. These had non-tapered masts and cost-reduced details, including different toerails.
Around 1988, Roger Marsh acquired the rights, moulds, and materials. He marketed the 400 series from Southampton, returning to the original hull layup weight and a tapered mast while retaining the moulded-in toerail. Only a small number were built, all finished in white with two-tone blue trim.
The moulds resurfaced in Norfolk in 2005, where Mike Cooper built his own 500-series boat.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop’s high-aspect rig gives the Swift 18 a racy feel. Owners report that, with a little ingenuity, one person can step the mast. A small, ready-made A-frame can also do the job in about fifteen minutes in reasonable wind.
In a Force 6–7, with two reefs in the mainsail, the boat stayed light on the helm, remained well balanced, and galloped along like a racehorse. A separate test in a Force 7 northerly also found the helm light and balanced. Owners describe the Swift 18 as very stable, safe, and forgiving, and report that it can motor onto a trailer for easy recovery.
A screw jack raises and lowers the keel—not the rudder. The kick-up rudder itself is screw-jack controlled through 45 turns each way.
Accommodation
Below, the Swift 18 provides straightforward sleeping space for two to three people. The large double forepeak berth tapers from 5 feet 6 inches to nothing over a 6-foot-6 length. It has an infill and a chemical toilet underneath.
Aft of it are two full-length settee berths, each 1 foot 8 inches wide, with storage underneath. The central galley has a two-ring cooker and a sink or bowl, and there’s room for a portable toilet.
Headroom is 4 feet 4 inches, providing sitting headroom in the saloon. This is a cabin for lying down and cooking rather than standing. A transparent forward hatch, angled to the deck, brings light below. The self-draining cockpit seats four.
Known Issues
Owners identify the keel winding gear as the Swift 18’s weak point. The screw-jack threads can strip, allowing the nearly 400 lb keel to break free and drop. The winding units were known to cause trouble, and at least one owner built a stronger replacement.
Verdict
The Swift 18 is a clever Micro Cupper that packs real sailing bite into a trailerable 18-foot boat. It’s quick and balanced, with built-in buoyancy intended to make it virtually unsinkable. The cabin offers honest overnight accommodation for two.
Its fractional rig and manageable mast-stepping arrangements suit regular trailering, but the keel winding gear is a serious weakness that demands respect and likely needs upgrading.
Pros
- Virtually unsinkable, with built-in buoyancy sufficient to remain afloat when swamped with three crew aboard
- Light, well-balanced helm and a racy, high-aspect rig
- Mast can be stepped single-handed or with an A-frame in about 15 minutes
- Lifting keel leaves only 3 inches exposed when raised
- Easy trailer recovery
Cons
- Screw-jack threads can strip and drop the nearly 400 lb keel
- Headroom of 4 feet 4 inches limits the cabin to sitting height
- Honnor Marine’s 300 series had a cost-reduced, non-tapered mast
