Oy Nautor Ab is a Finnish producer of luxury sailing yachts, based in Jakobstad. It is known for its Nautor's Swan range of yachts models. The company was founded in 1966 by Pekka Koskenkylä.
The designers Nautor has worked with four naval architects for its production sailing yachts. Nautor's custom division have also built Luca Brenta and Bill Tripp designs. Powerboats have been designed by Don Shead and Jakko Jamson.
1960s to 1970s - Sparkman & Stephens
The original designer Sparkman & Stephens had a long association with Nautor and were responsible for the first 775 yachts sold. These early designs combined a luxurious interior in a fiberglass hull with features that were then current in successful racing boats, such as the separation of the skeg-hung rudder from the keel. They won numerous races including Cowes Week in 1968, the Bermuda Race in 1972 by a Swan 48 ('Noryema VIII', the first non-USA yacht and the first production yacht ever to win that race), followed by even bigger success in 1974, when a ketch rigged Swan 65 by the name Sayula II won the first ever Whitbread Round the World Race. In 2016, this adventure was presented in a documentary film, The Weekend Sailor.
1970s to 1980s - Ron Holland
During the mid to late 1970s the designs from Sparkman & Stephens were not as successful on the race course. Ron Holland started his tenure as designer for Nautor's Swan in the late 1970s, creating six models of which 283 yachts were sold.
1980s to Present - Frers Design In the 1980s, Nautor's Swan entered a new era with the appointment of Argentinian Germán Frers as designer. Over 900 yachts have been produced so far. The yard has continued to stay with Frers, and the hull designs have continued to follow modern trends. However the Frers designs have moved away from its production cruiser/racer background into luxury high end larger cruising yachts.
2010s to Present - Juan Kouyoumdjian To mark a return to selling racer-cruiser sailboats and the company's 50th Anniversary, a design competition led to Nautor working with Juan Kouyoumdjian to create the ClubSwan 50.
Styling Additional architects have collaborated with Frers in terms of styling. Most notably Andrew Winch on the styling of the Swan 36 Frers and Swan 44 Mk I. Beiderbeck Design came up with the overall concept and interior for the Swan 105 which at this size is almost semi custom.
Ownership In late 1969 the assembly hall of the Nautor's Swan boat yard burnt to the ground, destroying a dozen hulls in various stages of production. As a result, Pekka Koskenkylä was forced to sell stakes of Nautor's Swan to Wilhelm Schauman Oy (UPM) in order to finance the rebuilding of the yard and to restart production.
From 1998 on, Italian businessman Leonardo Ferragamo and a group of investors have controlled and managed Nautor's Swan, continuing to push forward innovations and changes intended to place Swan yachts at the forefront of the international sailing world.
The Nautor yard Since the foundation of the company in 1966, a little over 2,000 Swan yachts have been produced, ranging from 36 to 131 feet in length. The firm employs about 400 staff, and an almost similar number of indirect staff.
The historical plant in Kållby, just outside Jakobstad, is dedicated to plug and mould fabrication and the lamination of all Swans' hulls, using an advanced and fully computerized milling machine to shape the moulds. Another part of the plant is dedicated to the assembly of the smaller size yachts. The Kållby plant also includes an in-door water facility to test the yachts prior to delivery.
In 2002, a new yard, close to the sea, has been opened in Jakobstad. The new yard is dedicated to the assembly of "Maxi" Swan Yachts, from the Swan 60 to the Swan 115.
The third plant is in Kronoby, close to Jakobstad, and it is here that expert carpenters work, dedicated to the hand-made preparation of the wood interiors, which have become a feature of all Swan yachts. A sample of the wood of each yacht is kept at the factory so that an exact replacement could be made if required.
In August 2012, a Swan 90S named Freya was the 2000th Swan to be built and launched by the yard.
Club Swan Club Swan is a non-profit organization whose members are present, past and future Swan yacht owners. The club house is located at the Segelsällskapet Yacht Club in Jakobstad, Finland. Leonardo Ferragamo is the chairman of the club. Among the honorary members are the former King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Pekka Koskenkylä, German Frers, Ron Holland and Lady Pippa Blake, wife of deceased Peter Blake.
The highlight of the racing calendar for Swan owners is the biennial "Rolex Swan Cup", held in Porto Cervo, Sardinia in association with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, which traditionally embodies "The Spirit of Swan" in its glamour and quality of sailing. Since 2013, a "Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean" regatta has been held at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's clubhouse in the British Virgin Islands. This event at Virgin Gorda is held on alternate years to the Mediterranean one. Two other well known biennial events have been the "Swan European Regatta", usually taking place in the waters of Cowes in association with the Royal Yacht Squadron; and the "Swan American Regatta" taking place in the waters of Newport Rhode Island, in association with the New York Yacht Club.
In 2017, The Nations Trophy was launched as a biennial event to promote Swan one design racing between nations. The regatta is open to ClubSwan 50s, Swan 45s and ClubSwan 42s. Various European and World Championships, between the individual one design classes, have also been incorporated into this competition.
The ClubSwan is a brand based yacht club that also organises and runs a series of annual cruising rendezvous and regattas. Together with helping promote develop the ClubSwan 36 and ClubSwan 50 and previously the ClubSwan 42, Swan 45, Swan 60 FD, Swan 601 and the "Swan Maxi Class".
Models Nautor Swan - Productions Yachts
Swan production yacht models are listed below: ModelVersionYearsDesignerBuiltRef. Swan 361967–1970Sparkman & Stephens90 Swan 36 Frers1988–1996Germán Frers55 Swan 371970–1974Sparkman & Stephens59 Swan 3711979–1986Ron Holland87 Swan 381974–1979Sparkman & Stephens116 Swan 39Racing1978–1979Ron Holland12Cruising1978–1980Ron Holland21 Swan 3911981–1987Ron Holland52 Swan 401970–1972Sparkman & Stephens51 Swan 40 Frers1992–2001Germán Frers58 Swan 411973–1977Sparkman & Stephens61 Swan 4111977–1979Sparkman & Stephens42 Swan 421980–1985Ron Holland38 Swan 431969–1972Sparkman & Stephens67 Swan 4311976Sparkman & Stephens32 ClubSwan 432024–PresentJuan Kouyoumdjian8+ Swan 43 Holland1985–1990Ron Holland28 Swan 441972–1975Sparkman & Stephens76 Swan 441Racing1978–1979Ron Holland5Cruising1979–1982Ron Holland40 Swan 44 FrersMk I1989–1994Germán Frers19Mk II1996–2002Germán Frers50 Swan 45 OD2002–2010Germán Frers50 Swan 46 Mk I1983–1989Germán Frers109Mk II1989–1997Germán Frers28 Swan 46 Mk III2004–2007Germán Frers25 Swan 471975–1984Sparkman & Stephens70 Swan 47-21976–1984Sparkman & Stephens10 Swan 481971–1975Sparkman & Stephens46 Swan 48 Frers1995–2003Germán Frers57 Swan 48-3 Frers V3 Mk.12019–2024Germán Frers60+ V3 Mk.22024–2026ClubSwan 502015–Juan Kouyoumdjian 28 Swan 511981–1985Germán Frers36 Swan 51 Mk22024-OnwardsGermán Frers5+ Swan 53 Mk I1986–1994Germán Frers50 Swan 53 Mk II2004–2015Germán Frers20 Swan 542016–2020Germán Frers Swan 551970–1974Sparkman & Stephens16Swan 55CC FrersCC1990–1996Germán Frers22 Swan 55 Frers 2021–PresentGermán Frers10+ Swan 561996–2006Germán Frers46 Swan 571977–1984Sparkman & Stephens49 Swan 57CC Frers1990–1997Germán Frers22 Swan 57 RS1996–2001Germán Frers10 Swan 582021–PresentGermán FrersSwan 591984–1990Germán Frers21Swan 601994–1997Germán FrersSwan 60 FDFD2009–2017Germán Frers10RS2009–2017Germán Frers1 Swan 6012004–2007Germán Frers6 Swan 611985–1990Germán Frers14Swan 62RS2001–2003Germán FrersFD2004–2006Germán Frers Swan 65Ketch 1972–1989 Sparkman & Stephens 41 Sloop Swan 65 Frers2018–PresentGermán Frers7 Swan 6511982–1991Germán Frers19 Swan 66FD2007–2017Germán FrersS2007–2017Germán Frers Swan 681991–2004Germán Frers24 Swan 702001–2005Germán Frers7 Swan 75FD2004–2012Germán FrersRS2004–2012Germán Frers Swan 761979–1981Sparkman & Stephens5 Swan 771992–2003Germán Frers10 Swan 782018–PresentGermán Frers5 Swan 801999–2004Germán Frees8 Swan 80 Mk IIFD2010–2016Germán Frers5S2012–2016Germán Frers Swan 82 S1999–2007Germán Frers7 Swan 80 Mk32024–PresentGermán FrersCONCEPT Swan 861988–1990Germán Frers3 Swan 882023–Germán Frers 0 Swan 902008–2015Germán Frers12 Swan 952017–2018Germán Frers 1 Swan 982020–Germán Frers 3 Swan 100FD2002–2012Germán FrersRS2002–2006Germán FrersS2002–2012Germán Frers Swan 105 RS2014–2016Germán Frers 1 Swan 1082023–Germán Frers 1 Swan 112 RS1999–2006Germán Frers Swan 1152015–2018Germán Frers4 Swan 1202021–Germán Frers 2 ClubSwan 1252021–Juan Kouyoumdjian1 Swan 1282025–Germán Frers0 Swan 1312006Germán Frers1 (CC = Centre Cockpit; FD = Flush Deck; RS = Raised Saloon; S = Semi-Raised Saloon; DH = Deck House) (Current Swanline in bold)
Nautor Swan - Custom Yachts
ModelLaunch YearDesignerLaunch NameNotesNautor 1021986Ron HollandGarudaNautor 762006Luca BrentaSilandra VNautor 782007Bill TrippValkyrieSwan 822008Germán FrersPolytropon IIThe Swan 82 hull with a custom deck and interior
Swan designed, managed, sub-contracted and marketed yachts
Swan production yacht models are listed below: ModelYearsDesignerNo BuiltBuilderRef.ClubSwan 282024-Juan Kouyoumdjian5+Built in SpainClubSwan 362018–Juan KouyoumdjianUnkBuilt in SpainClubSwan 422006–2013Germán Frers58Moulded in EstoniaAssembled Nautor FinlandVolvo Ocean 60 - Amer Sports One2001German Frers1Built by Composite Works (FRA)Volvo Ocean 60 - Amer Sports Too2001Bruce Farr1Built by Composite Works (FRA)ClubSwan 802022Juan Kouyoumdjian1Built by Persico (ITA)
Nautor Swan - Productions Powerboats/Motorsailors
ModelYearsDesignerBuiltNoteSwan Shadow and Overshadow2021 OnwardsJarkko JämsénPlaning DayboatSwan Arrow2024 OnwardsJarkko Jämsén ConceptPlaning CruiserNautor 391977–1978Sparkman & Stephens4MotorsailerNautor 401972Don SheadPlaning Cabin CruiserNautor 431976 – Sparkman & Stephens24MotorsailerNautor 471971–1972Don Shead7Planing Cabin Cruiser Nautor 501976–1978Sparkman & Stephens9Motorsailer
See also List of sailboat designers and manufacturers List of large sailing yachts Cult brand
References
External links