Nautor Swan 48, MIDNIGHT SWAN

Broker’s Comments

The Nautor Swan 48 is an iconic class that embodies all the qualities for which Nautor is renowned: intelligent design, superb build quality, exhilarating and rewarding sailing performance, comfortable fast cruising, and the potential to participate in regattas. This class has proven to be immensely popular, with over 60 hulls currently navigating the waters. MIDNIGHT SWAN, designated 48/227, was delivered to its current owner in 2021. It boasts a comprehensive specification for cruising and an impressive sail wardrobe featuring 3Di Ocean sails from North. Its owners are experienced sailors who prioritize performance and have previously owned several race boats. It was imperative for them that MIDNIGHT SWAN be fully equipped for two-handed sailing while also being suitable for regattas, a requirement it has met admirably. The yacht is in virtually new condition, with some mattresses and bedding still in protective coverings. And, of course, a Swan is a Swan.

Builder’s/Manufacturer’s Comments

For Nautor’s Swan, 48 is a magic number. One of the most iconic Swans ever was born in 1971 under this number: the mythical Swan 48. Designed by the best yacht designer of that time, indeed one of the best of all times, Sparkman & Stephens of New York, this iconic yacht won some of the most prestigious offshore races, like the Bermuda Race and Transatlantic Race and achieving selection for the Admiral’s Cup – the “Formula One” race series of that time.

However, racing was not the main purpose of the boat: like any Swan, she was born to be a perfect family cruiser, capable of sailing around the world in total safety and comfort. Quoting from the original brochure: “With many international races behind her – the Swan 48 is keeping up an irresistible challenge as top-class ocean racer. With the speed of a bird of prey, she combines the luxury and grace which make her the swift, smooth-going Swan of tomorrow. The Swan 48 is equipped to the highest professional standards and the woodwork has the class given it by the Nautor specialists, men who have learnt their crafts around the Gulf of Bothnia, where woodwork and shipbuilding skills are traditional. The unique design and professional skills behind the Swan 48 make her the complete ocean cruising racer.” To prove this, 46 units were sold during five years of production.

Following the same principles, in 1995 German Frers designed a new Swan 48 with the same level of grace and performance as the original one: another shining success, with 57 yachts built, now becoming beloved and highly regarded yachts on the brokerage market.

Today, almost forty years after the original one, it is time for another mythical Swan 48.

Sales Video

Designer’s Comments

German Frers, Architect:
Like every design coming off our drawing board, the new Swan 48 has been designed with heart and passion, but rather than acting only on the flash of a moment of inspiration, this new Nautor model is the result of a rational brief, based on a market analysis and the experience of the builder, agents and designers, coordinated by the Nautor Project Line Leader. One can safely say the Swan 48 is a new model created by the work of a team of experts, and she offers the best equipment and material specifications and solutions available in the market. The equipment and tanks are low in the bottom of the hull and close to the longitudinal centre of buoyancy. The angle of positive stability is in the order of 120 degrees.

The displacement reflects the quality of the construction and the equipment dedicated to providing best comfort on-board. A yacht that will be safe, a pleasure to sail, will have an easy motion at sea due to the form stability and moderate ballast of the three keel options available, standard, shallow and racing. Following the latest larger models, the new design shows no distortion in the stern sections, the deck beam has been carried all the way back to the transom in combination with a twin rudder arrangement. Positive control shallow rudder draft and extra sailing length are some of the advantages of this design. A well-illuminated, massive interior volume where every one of the three cabins and two toilets that include separate showers has been carefully developed in detail by the interior designer.

On deck, there are separate areas for relaxing and sail handling. All halyards and sails are controlled from the cockpit and the tails stowed in dedicated bins. Protection from the elements is given by the spray hood mounted in combination with the bimini. The lazarette is large enough to accommodate and stow a fully inflated 2.80-metre tender. For sailors interested in racing at the Corinthian level there is a performance package offer available from Nautor, including a racing keel, a square top mainsail, carbon fibre mast and rigging, long bowsprit, upgraded deck gear together with recommendations to remove some of the cruising-oriented equipment like the gen set.

Misa Poggi, Interior Designer:
Working on the interior of a Swan yacht means creating a special atmosphere for on-board comfort and contentment and a reciprocal enrichment beyond the practicalities of place, function and space, always involving Finnish passion for excellence.

The process for producing a sense of intimacy combined with the necessary seamanlike features is a multi-faceted one that enriches itself thanks to the collaboration of the great expertise of the Nautor’s Swan team, our technicians and, of course, evaluating the dreams of Swan enthusiasts.

The atmosphere on-board and its energy are determined by the relationship between spacial elements and materials.

Nautor’s Swan materials are chosen carefully and tested by the whole team to guarantee their best performance in all the challenging areas of the sailing context.

Owner’s Comments

Although we have owned many yachts in the past, MIDNIGHT SWAN was our first Nautor Swan. We purchased her while she was in build, and we were able to upgrade the specification significantly, including the sail wardrobe, a folding saloon table, central heating (we wanted to use her in the UK, after all!), additional refrigeration, and many more detailed updates.

MIDNIGHT SWAN is UK VAT paid as we purchased her for UK two-handed sailing, and she has performed extremely well. Her modest size makes her welcome in UK ports, and she sails quickly and is very well balanced. She is a very stable platform, and we have never found the need to bring additional crew on-board. Her twin rudders have proved to be a very big plus.

The build quality of the Swan 48 is everything that you would imagine; MIDNIGHT SWAN looks good behind the scenes as well. Her lightwood interior makes her light, bright, and airy below.

We have much enjoyed our ownership of MIDNIGHT SWAN, and we are only putting her on the market as we have decided to do more sailing in the Mediterranean, and we already have a yacht there. This means that MIDNIGHT SWAN will not have the use that she deserves in our hands, so we have reluctantly decided to put her on the market. She is a fantastic yacht, and we are sure that her next owners will have as much good sailing and fun aboard her as we have.