Nautor's Swan cancels its sails

The Italian-managed brand is going its own way with its engine premiere and is staying close to the sailing models both conceptually and in terms of design. Firstly, there is a pronounced overhang in the stern, which is rather unusual for engine formats. Three Mercury outboards, which protrude almost one metre into the centre of the hull, make this elegantly raised appearance possible. The power units - Nautor envisages models from 149 to 224 kilowatts each - leave space aft for a three metre wide hydraulic platform, which is lowered for bathing and raised for boarding. It was precisely this level of innovation that Leonardo Ferragamo had in mind when he decided to get involved in the project. The Italian fashion entrepreneur, who has owned Nautor's Swan since 1998 and is a committed Maxi owner, says of the genesis: "I have been thinking about it for many years, but always resisted the temptation until we felt that we had something special and unique to present."

Another striking visual feature is the low freeboard, which is concave along almost the entire length of the hull and extends below the deck - reminiscent of the ClubSwan 50, especially at the stern. The lines for the 13 metre Swan Shadow were provided by Jarkko Jämsén, who worked with designer Juan K to shape the 50-foot unit class. "We wanted to create something sporty and fun without neglecting the elegance that customers expect from a Swan," says Jämsén, who comes from Finland and runs his studio in Monaco, describing his design approach.

The third pillar of the development team is project and sales manager Roy Capasso, who worked for 16 years for Baia Yachts, his father's motorboat shipyard. "The Swan Shadow was developed to fill the gap of a true multi-purpose yacht." Capasso is alluding to the deep-sea fishing version with a fighting chair in front of the engines and various rod holders on the tower, which is mounted on the T-top. More important for the European market is likely to be the saloon tender version, which relies on a longer roof that lowers four telescopic legs and creates a seating area for six people protected by glass panels. Nautor describes the primary target group as "discerning owners of motor and sailing yachts who are looking for a tender for their mother ship."

The 13.23 metre long and 4.30 metre wide Swan Shadow is manufactured in Italy to Nautor standards and comes as standard with a T-top, bow lounge, open stern section for additional sails or provisions and a double cabin in the bow, which is accessible via the helm station. Five units are to be launched in the summer, with a customer event planned for November. When asked which Swan owner triggered the development of the Shadow, Leonardo Ferragamo refers to himself during the virtual press conference and adds with a smile: "But I'm not getting build number one, I'm content with the prototype."