rudder the huge main and the aft-swept Southern Spars carbon mast induce a tendency to luffing up which could not be fully trimmed away. So the feeling on the helm was of a big and rather manly boat – somewhat surprising given the light construction. No doubt rig tuning will have a great effect on overall performance.
windward. It was rainy, with little wind, usually not the stuff for wide, beamy twin-rudder boats. And yet Juan K’s carbon weapon effortlessly feathers away close-hauled at easily twice the speed.
So how does she do it? How does she feel? Is she worth her 935,000 euros ex-VAT ex-sails, a rather reasonable price in fact considering her stable?
true GRP classic, just like so many older S&S Swans which are quickly off the market when for sale. This summer Tarantellawas to be the brand’s ambassador in the Jubilee Regatta off Turku (Finland) and at the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo. Nautor bought her back more than 10 years ago and refitted her sensibly – deliberately not transforming her into a beauty case of a classic but leaving much of the original and some scars of half a century at sea. Maybe this is why today it seems so unlikely that back then, in her early years, she was hugely successful on the racecourses. Or is it just the stark comparison to the ClubSwan 50 that renders any similarity, any common traits unreal? Tarantella’s latest successor, the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed 50, is almost twice her waterline length (14m to 7.77m) and more than twice her power in terms of sail area to displacement ratio. Both of them represent the most advanced state of technology of their times which is in fact the only link between them – apart from the pointed arrow below the gunwale that became Nautor’s trademark. There are memorable pictures of these two icons together. One shows both of them launched during the company festivities in June, the other was shot two days before our sea trials. Nautor then took the 50 for a first outing while Tarantellasailed close by to
Above: the roomy, open cockpit and raceboat treatment of the aft side decks and open transom make for a very racy looking
racer-cruiser. Winches are kept well out of the way for cruising
comfort; note the primaries mounted where you’d normally expect pit winches. Meanwhile, go below on what is
evidently a performance yacht and you will find this (top) fresh and modern interior with enough open space for
both practical sail handling as well as post-race
conviviality…
To find out we spent three days at the yard, waiting for pressure – and for the workers to transform what looked like a construction site into a boat. When all tool cases were off, on the first day big sail bags with the latest North 3Di cloth came on. It was 4pm by then but sunset is at 11 here and sometimes you have better breeze in the evening. So no worries! Finland in summer is either – or. It can be tricky and variable and outright nasty within a few minutes. Or you get this Scandinavian high pressure that outshines anything. Unfortunately, we got some of the latter, three days of it, including the light winds typically associated with that: 10-12kt northeasterlies, slowly fading to 6. So as if to spare Nautor the first real test.
While this no doubt is much less exciting than some proper breeze and waves to play with, it actually is a much harder environment to shine in. Yet shine the ClubSwan 50 did, indeed. Once main and jib were on the locks, cunningham and sheets trimmed, running backstay on, she hardened up immediately. The massive sailplan makes her easily lean on her chine, reducing wetted surface and finding a nice groove. These were very early days in her development so speeds and angles are preliminary. But even so the performance is quite promising. At a bit over 80° tacking angle she clocked 7.7-8kt upwind in a mere 10kt of breeze. Though she does point higher, VMG will decrease quite quickly. It’s a trade-off that favours speed over angle. While reacting instantly to the
When easing the sheets and bearing away the ClubSwan 50 shows her true potential. She instantly converts to semi-planing mode at 90° TWA under main and jib only, almost matching wind speed at 9.4-9.8kt. With the big A3 up she just keeps building apparent wind, topping out at 12.5kt boat speed in 10-12kt true while behaving totally controlled, following every slightest turn on the wheel. You can pinch her quite a bit without losing grip on the rudder – a reassuring sign that she will do just as fine in 20kt of breeze and above. Cockpit layout as well as hardware worked reassuringly well. However, you have to get used to operating the primary winches from the bench or the side deck as they are positioned too high up on the coachroof to be easily accessible from the companionway where in heavy seas crew would be safer. A main sheet jammer on both sides would allow crew to free the main winches if need be. And the purchase for the traveller, neatly tucked away under the deck, takes quite a hand to operate even in the light airs off Pietarsaari.
So if you plan on joining the club of owners prepare your crew for some power workout and a few expertly drafted battle cards. Since the ClubSwan 50 is conceived first and foremost as a one-design class with no lesser than Jochen Schümann as president, expert handling will be positively beneficial as the class is fast growing. Without anybody having sailed yet, already eight boats had been sold when Nautor lifted the curtain in Turku for the first time. It’s a number that will rise quickly once owners get a hand on the wheel in coming months. Not least because of the beauty side of this beast: her stylish amenities down below. Though very different from the successful Swan 45 that debuted 15 years ago you can still go cruising comfortably with the 50 – and leave almost any other monohull far astern.
www.clubswan50.com
q Brought to you in association with
SEAHORSE 45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89