Swan 66
2007 November 7
November 2007
Performance cruiser
Like a Swan" has almost become an accepted industry definition of quality in both design and construction. Over the years we can see a long series of designs that set the aesthetic standards of the day. The edge deck that is commonplace on almost all performance-oriented production models today was first used by Nautor's Swan back in the early 1970s. This new Swan is a wonderful example of just what you can do within a "performance cruiser" parameter when you have 66 feet of LOA to work with combined with the design talents of German Frers.
This is a very handsome design with relatively high freeboard that stays high to the transom. The sweeping line of the cabintrunk merges into the long cockpit coamings, giving the deck a very clean and uncluttered look. The nearly masthead rig is tall but not overly so with an SA/D of 18.82, if I use the "loaded" displacement figure they provide. The headstay is pulled back from the stem about 20 inches and the asymmetrical chute will tack to the stem. The chainplates are outboard and the sweep angle to the spreaders is 23 degrees. No overlapping headsails will be used. The sailplan shows a provision for a high-clewed staysail. I wonder if that clew height is in order to have the staysail sheet to the short jib tracks located on the outboard edge of the cabintrunk? The roach of the main just barely overlaps the backstay. The mast and Park Avenue-styled boom are both carbon fiber. There is no mainsheet traveler.
This is not a light boat by today's standards, with a D/L of 187, again using the "loaded" displacement. The press release says, "The hull shape is designed as an intelligent balance between speed and space." I think all designers would like to say that. The L/B is 3.73, indicating a boat on the narrow side of moderate. The stern shows those signature Swan/Frers radiused corners to the top of the transom. The stern is broad, but not overly so, and the bow is not fine compared to current racing models. In profile there is considerable rocker to this design as you would expect with that D/L and the forefoot knuckle is raised well above the DWL. Note how far forward the deep rudder is, and the interesting "bent blade" planform with the leading edge kicking forward about 18 percent of the way down from the root. You can get a shoal draft version with a daggerboard or lifting keel drawing 14 feet, 1 inch board down and 5 feet, 11 inches board up. This model comes with twin rudders. The deep draft "regatta" model draws 12 feet, 6 inches.
There are two layouts offered for the 66. One has the owner's stateroom aft and the other has the owner's stateroom forward. There are a variety of stateroom and berth layouts that I think may be interchangeable. No worries though. You will be very comfortable on either version. With the owner's stateroom aft you can get two double staterooms forward plus crew's quarters. Each stateroom has its own head. With the owner's stateroom forward you get a huge galley aft that runs alongside the cockpit well. This version also has room aft to stow the dinghy in a garage under the cockpit sole.
The Swan 66 is built with a sandwich layup in the topsides but a solid layup below the waterline to improve durability. The deck is a carbon fiber sandwich. There is tankage for 211 gallons of fuel and 264 gallons of water.
I like the way the fixed ports in the hull echo the windows in the cabintrunk. The deck has a low bulwark. The drawings do not indicate any handrails on the deck. The cockpit is huge and features twin wheels, long seats and high seat backs, perfect for cruising. I'm sure the entire anchor roller mechanism with anchor deploys from the flush well forward. I like this design.
Performance cruiser
Like a Swan" has almost become an accepted industry definition of quality in both design and construction. Over the years we can see a long series of designs that set the aesthetic standards of the day. The edge deck that is commonplace on almost all performance-oriented production models today was first used by Nautor's Swan back in the early 1970s. This new Swan is a wonderful example of just what you can do within a "performance cruiser" parameter when you have 66 feet of LOA to work with combined with the design talents of German Frers.This is a very handsome design with relatively high freeboard that stays high to the transom. The sweeping line of the cabintrunk merges into the long cockpit coamings, giving the deck a very clean and uncluttered look. The nearly masthead rig is tall but not overly so with an SA/D of 18.82, if I use the "loaded" displacement figure they provide. The headstay is pulled back from the stem about 20 inches and the asymmetrical chute will tack to the stem. The chainplates are outboard and the sweep angle to the spreaders is 23 degrees. No overlapping headsails will be used. The sailplan shows a provision for a high-clewed staysail. I wonder if that clew height is in order to have the staysail sheet to the short jib tracks located on the outboard edge of the cabintrunk? The roach of the main just barely overlaps the backstay. The mast and Park Avenue-styled boom are both carbon fiber. There is no mainsheet traveler.
This is not a light boat by today's standards, with a D/L of 187, again using the "loaded" displacement. The press release says, "The hull shape is designed as an intelligent balance between speed and space." I think all designers would like to say that. The L/B is 3.73, indicating a boat on the narrow side of moderate. The stern shows those signature Swan/Frers radiused corners to the top of the transom. The stern is broad, but not overly so, and the bow is not fine compared to current racing models. In profile there is considerable rocker to this design as you would expect with that D/L and the forefoot knuckle is raised well above the DWL. Note how far forward the deep rudder is, and the interesting "bent blade" planform with the leading edge kicking forward about 18 percent of the way down from the root. You can get a shoal draft version with a daggerboard or lifting keel drawing 14 feet, 1 inch board down and 5 feet, 11 inches board up. This model comes with twin rudders. The deep draft "regatta" model draws 12 feet, 6 inches.There are two layouts offered for the 66. One has the owner's stateroom aft and the other has the owner's stateroom forward. There are a variety of stateroom and berth layouts that I think may be interchangeable. No worries though. You will be very comfortable on either version. With the owner's stateroom aft you can get two double staterooms forward plus crew's quarters. Each stateroom has its own head. With the owner's stateroom forward you get a huge galley aft that runs alongside the cockpit well. This version also has room aft to stow the dinghy in a garage under the cockpit sole.The Swan 66 is built with a sandwich layup in the topsides but a solid layup below the waterline to improve durability. The deck is a carbon fiber sandwich. There is tankage for 211 gallons of fuel and 264 gallons of water.
I like the way the fixed ports in the hull echo the windows in the cabintrunk. The deck has a low bulwark. The drawings do not indicate any handrails on the deck. The cockpit is huge and features twin wheels, long seats and high seat backs, perfect for cruising. I'm sure the entire anchor roller mechanism with anchor deploys from the flush well forward. I like this design.
Comments