The project is headed up by Enrico Chieffi, long-time CEO and current Vice President of Nautor's Swan. Chieffi is also the driving force behind the Finnish-built and conceptually very similar ClubSwan 125, whose launch has been postponed until spring 2021. With the 80, the Finnish shipyard wants to establish its own class under Italian management, as it has already done with the ClubSwan 50 and most recently with the 36, which introduced the foil and is also not built in Finland. Persico has now been chosen because the shipyard from the north of Bergamo laminates the monohull foils for the Italian America's Cup syndicate Luna Rossa, among others.
Like its sister models, the ClubSwan 80 was designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian. The Argentinian designer fitted the carbon fibre mast with just two pairs of spreaders and positioned it almost centrally on the deck. The stern is six metres wide. An upwind sail area of 440 square metres is offset under water by a twin rudder and swing keel, the draught of which can be reduced from 6.30 metres to 4.50 metres. The C-shaped foil is similar to that of the ClubSwan 36 and moves through the hull to leeward.
Nevertheless, the project team focused on simple handling for the 18.2 tonne carbon racer: the gennaker is recovered via a trumpet in the carbon hull and the pod drive unit and bowsprit retract automatically. In this context, Nautor's Swan speaks of manageable running costs. It is important that the performance of the owner-steersman determines the positioning.
If the Finnish brand has its way, three ClubSwan 80s will already be sailing against each other in the 2022 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. A 60-foot ClubSwan model is also in the design phase.
Sören Gehlhaus
Stellvertretender Chefredakteur BOOTE EXCLUSIV
