Throw it out there
That was the design philosophy that won the last America’s Cup and the exact same approach is driving Nautor’s Swan’s spectacular new Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed ClubSwan 36
What has 36ft, a reverse sheer like a narwhal’s back, a dreadnought bow and chamfered shoulders, nine-foot draught, whale fin rudders with front- edge tubercles, a five-degree raked and fully adjustable HR40 carbon mast, a transverse sliding C-foil that jabs out of its topsides like extendable fangs – and no accommodation whatsoever? The new ClubSwan 36 looks breathtakingly extreme. Its vital stats – SA/D of around 50 and ballast ratio of 47 per cent – promise interesting performance. And that’s without counting the tonne or more of dynamic lift that the foil generates on a broad reach with 15° of heel. Hard on the wind and heeled a bit further, that same foil produces so much sideways force that you’re looking at negative leeway. Judging the right moment to tack, to lay a windward mark without overshooting it, requires you to recalibrate one of the basic instincts of sailing.
The Heritage
It’s easy to forget that this rocket ship isn’t a one-off. It’s the latest move in a long and very successful design evolution by a major production boatbuilder – a marque with a peerless heritage in racing. The Swan that started it all back in 1967 and won every race at Cowes Week the following year was also a 36. Nautor’s new 36ft one-design might seem a far cry from that classic racer- cruiser and in most respects it is, but to compare them like that would be missing the point.
The original Swan 36 was 64 SEAHORSE
groundbreaking technology in its day and subsequent Swans won the Admiral’s Cup, the Whitbread and more. Fifty-two years on, the way we sail and the boats we race may have changed but the same enthusiasm and belief in innovation that created the original 36 are still driving the development of the latest ClubSwan yachts, which are still state-of-the-art racing machines.
In recent years the introduction of highly successful ‘owner-driver’ one-design classes – the Swan 45, ClubSwan 42 and ClubSwan 50 – has propelled Swan to a new level, with an impeccably managed regatta circuit (and social programme) designed to foster fierce but friendly international competition. Annual leagues of regattas in the Med and now also in the Baltic lead up to the biennial Nations Trophy world championship regatta.
The ClubSwan 50 was a bold move away from the traditionalist’s ideal of Swan and the new 36 is a big leap further in the same direction: moving with the times, away from the 20th century focus on Corinthian ocean passage racing and towards the short-and-sweet, fast-paced inshore regattas that are more attuned to the lifestyles of today’s amateur sailors.
The Design Team
When Nautor commissioned Olin Stephens to draw the original Swan 36, back in the mid-1960s, they picked the world’s pre-eminent yacht design team. Five decades on, Nautor vice president Enrico Chieffi
Above: it’s a Swan alright, but not as we know it... the radical new ClubSwan 36 is the latest step – more of a big leap, really – in Nautor’s five decades of yacht design evolution from the S&S designed ocean racing Swans of the 1960s to the cutting-edge inshore racers that define the ClubSwan marque today. Despite their differences, all racing Swans share a common heritage. The first foiling ClubSwan is designed to skim rather than fly,
which Nautor says will
allow amateur crews to enjoy safe sailing at 20 knots plus...
assembled a “dream team” to design and develop the ClubSwan 36, adding his own Olympic and America’s Cup experience to the mix. Juan Kouyoumdjian was briefed to design a yacht akin to a modern supercar, with a delicate balance of top performance and impeccable handling. Giovanni Belgrano was drafted in as principal engineer, bringing a lifetime of experience at the cutting edge of marine composites to the project. Four- decades experienced engineer Hervé Devaux developed the rig. Juan Pablo Marcos, a naval architect and professional grand prix sailor, worked closely with Juan K’s team to perfect the deck layout and ergonomics. The result of all this talent, project- managed by Nautor’s ClubSwan product line leader, Philippe Oulhen, is a truly remarkable boat.
The Hull
In essence, it’s more like a large, high-performance dinghy than a small yacht. Juan K’s design has a fine entry with an inverse bow and is chamfered at the shoulders to save weight, reduce aerodynamic drag and lower the centre of gravity. There’s minimal rocker and a flat run aft to broad, powerful, hard-chined aft sections. The large cockpit is open at the stern. The deck-stepped mast is just a little way forward of the ultra-high aspect keel fin and almost directly above the C-foil, which exits the hull just above the waterline on both sides.
With the C-foil deployed, the boat
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