input not just from the owner but also the yacht’s captain and often a team of consultants, too. However, the shipyard’s 250-plus workforce and the highly skilled freelance contractors that work alongside them are not confined to a single division within the company. Instead, their individual skill sets are deployed across the divisions as needed. There’s an interesting dichotomy in the success of the ClubSwan division being built on restricting owners’ options with strict one- design rules to ensure more closely matched racing, while within the same shipyard Maxi Swan is focused on giving owners as much choice as possible. ‘Our inspiration for the ClubSwan 80 is that the world of racing at maxi size is getting a bit tired,’ Pomati says. ‘Why can’t it be owner-driven with super performance but on a controlled budget? In a one-design class, racing is much more about training and teamwork, the owners improving their skills race after race.’ Nautor’s approach, with one- design racing and semi-custom performance cruising divisions, was born out of the frustrations of Swan maxi owners 20 years ago, when it took weeks to transition their yachts between cruising and racing modes. And it echoes the strategy of a highly successful carmaker, Pomati explains. ‘You don’t buy a compromise car when you buy a Ferrari,’ he says. ‘You buy a GT to drive around the Côte d’Azur or a sports car to compete in the Ferrari Challenge.’
The ClubSwan 125, however, is a yacht that to some extent straddles the gap between the two divisions. ‘A one-design class at that size is almost impossible,’ Pomati says. ‘The 125 is not trying to do that, it is designed to take line honours in
Top left: the new Juan K- designed ClubSwan 80 promises super-high performance in a maxi-size one-design class for
owner-driver skippers. It’s a logical pro- gression from the C-foiling ClubSwan 36 but it’s also a big step up. Above left: the real revo- lution in Maxi Swan design over the last 15 years is how the yachts’
interiors have changed
from offering practical
accommoda- tion for very large racing crews to being
luxurious retreats for owners with a few privileged guests.
Above right: viewed from this angle, the design DNA shared by the ClubSwan 36 and the new ClubSwan 80 (pictured) is obvious
major ocean races. It is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience at the cutting edge of technology and innovation – we are learning a lot from that project.’ And that learning is of course driving innovation in the Maxi Swan division.
ClubSwan’s focus on racing yacht development gives Maxi Swan more freedom to innovate in different ways and it, too, is growing as a result. A significant number of its new clients are ex-motor yacht owners, crossing over to sailing yacht ownership now that a sailing maxi can finally offer the levels of comfort and luxury that they require – and also because sailing offers another type of experience. ‘Some of our owners also have a big motor yacht,’ Pomati says. ‘They tell me the difference is that on their sailing yacht they feel at home; on their motor yacht they feel like a guest in a five-star hotel.’ A lot of Maxi Swan’s recent innovations have been in step with developments in the motor yacht industry. The current models’ hull speed under power is comparable to that of many large motor yachts so delivery passages between ports take the same amount of time. You’ll find the same sort of beach club area on the stern of an anchored Maxi Swan that you’d expect on a megayacht. ‘But the big revolution is under the deck,’ Pomati says. Indeed, the interior of a Swan 98 or 120 has the same open-plan spaces, flooded with natural light, as any high-end motor yacht. On deck, too, a lot more thought has been given to creating an enjoyable, relaxing space for the owner and guests to use while the yacht is at anchor.
The recently announced Swan 88 is a ground-breaking design and a significant step in Maxi Swan's new direction, heralding a completely new way to live on board. Its innovative
coachroof has an integrated sprayhood and bimini while the deck offers four different living spaces for owners and their guests to enjoy. Down below, the high-volume interior makes the best possible use of all available space and is filled with natural light.
That said, a Swan wouldn’t be a Swan if it didn’t sail remarkably well and the current Maxi Swans have the performance to beat most of the fleet at any superyacht regatta. The major change in naval architecture over the past 15 years, Pomati explains, can be seen in the yachts’ waterlines. Far more emphasis is now given to ensuring good performance in light airs, which dramatically increases the owners’ enjoyment. The new hull shapes have much greater form stability so they sail upwind with less heeling, increasing passenger comfort. And there is an increasing convergence between luxury sailing yachts like Maxi Swans and the new breed of explorer motor yachts, which are both aimed at similar people. ‘But it’s not us versus them,’ Pomati says. ‘We are all bringing people to sea and there is space in the market for us all to grow.’ So what does the future hold for Maxi Swan? Despite the ground- breaking development of the ClubSwan 36 C-foiler, we’re unlikely to see a DSS-foiled Swan superyacht in the near future. That technology is not yet appropriate for a semi-custom yacht of this size, Pomati says. Electric drives, on the other hand, are definitely coming and Swan is leading the way, working in partnership with BMW and Torqeedo. Smaller Swans are already available with e-drives and we could soon see a Maxi Swan with hybrid propulsion. ‘We are working on it,’ Pomati says. ‘It is the future, for sure.’
www.nautorswan.com
q SEAHORSE 69
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