Arguably the most eagerly awaited new yacht of modern times, the radical ClubSwan 125 is launched and sailingClubSwan 125Nautor\u2019s Swan announced it was to build a record breaker in 2018 and it\u2019s been a long wait living on the teaser renderings of its ambitious new ClubSwan 125.
\nAn early rendering of the ClubSwan 125 hinted at serious record-breaking performance
\nNow the black and yellow rocket ship, named Skorpios, has launched from Nautor\u2019s Swan\u2019s BTC in Pietarsaari and as you can see from the sail trial pictures, it is one powerful-looking performance machine.
\nPhotographs from the latest sail trials of the ClubSwan 125 don\u2019t disappoint \u2013 check out that sail area!
\nDmitry Rybolovlev, an international businessman and current president of AS Monaco Football Club, is the owner and lucky helmsman of Skorpios. The ClubSwan 125 is named after the Greek island owned by his family trusts.
\nRybolovlev has proved to be a capable racing helmsman already. Competing onboard his ClubSwan 50 (now renamed Sparti) he won the ClubSwan One Design World Championship in 2019.
\nRecord chaser
\nEnrico Chieffi, Nautor Group vice president and ClubSwan 125 project leader says this is \u201cthe flagship in all respects of our yard\u201d and describes how the brief changed from a fast inshore racing superyacht to a record breaking leviathan. \u201cThe boat has been developed to be very successful in offshore racing and attempting to beat the monohull records around the world.\u201d
\nThe first major test for the Swan flagship looks set to be the Rolex Fastnet Race this August. Bearing in mind that Skorpios has the draught of a small container ship at 7.4m, it could be a stressful event for her navigator. With an overall length of 42.6m including bowsprit,\u00a0Skorpios will overtake the Baltic Yachts built Nilaya as the biggest monohull ever to enter the Rolex Fastnet Race.
\nThe Skorpios team skipper is the former Spanish Olympic champion Fernando Ech\u00e1varri, who won the Tornado class at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
\nSkorpios is skippered by the Spanish Olympic Tornado gold medallist Fernando Ech\u00e1varri,\u00a0 a former Volvo Ocean Race skipper.
\nIn 2016, Nautor\u2019s Swan launched the innovative Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed ClubSwan 50, the first non-Frers Swan in four decades. It proved an instant success and became a European Yacht of the Year winner. But perhaps the even greater result of that partnership is the birth of this new supermaxi.
\nThe ClubSwan 125 shares some of the ClubSwan 50\u2019s aggressive design traits, including a mast stepped particularly far aft and raked aft, which, together with that extensive bowsprit, creates an enormous J area for furling foresails.<\/p>\n
The jib area alone is 413m2 and Skorpios can set almost 2,000m2 of sail, enough to cover seven and a half tennis courts. Her sail area to displacement ratio (over 65) is simply off the charts.
\nCrazy stats
\n\u201cDesigning a racing sailboat, able to reach a speed in the region of 15 knots upwind and that will always be faster than the wind speed downwind is something unique,\u201d enthuses Juan K.
\nThe cockpit cuddy, which looks like it was inspired by the X-Wing fighters on Star Wars, makes the Swan reminiscent of his iconic Volvo 70 design.<\/p>\n
The Argentinian designer says that in order to keep the displacement under 60 tonnes \u2013 which is ridiculously light for the ClubSwan 125\u2019s length \u2013 they opted for a canting keel. This allowed the team to achieve the necessary righting moment with a smaller bulb to keep weight down, he explains.<\/p>\n
Foil technology
\nA unique single, curved daggerboard or rotating C-foil with an asymmetrical profile was developed, an upscaled version of the ClubSwan 36 foil. This can be set on either side in a similar fashion to the DSS foil used on the 142ft Canova and was designed to create both sideways and vertical lift, as well as to reduce hull drag.
\nIt is hydraulically controlled and helps to get the boat out of the water when reaching, described as \u2018skimming\u2019.
\nThe ClubSwan 125 boasts enough beam carried aft to park a 28ft sportsboat across its transom. Twin rudders are used to keep control and because the ClubSwan 125 will always sail heeled.<\/p>\n
The rudders sport Juan-K\u2019s trademark sawtooth profile which he compares to the tubercles of a whale. These were first seen on Rambler 88 and are designed to limit drag when dipping in and out of the water and to prevent the blades from stalling.
\nSuch an ambitious project requires a formidable team. Project manager Bob Wylie, is responsible for the deck and sail handling of the ClubSwan 125. The deck gear comprises the latest Harken carbon and titanium products. \u201cIt\u2019s rare to see innovation in so many areas on one boat,\u201d says Peter Harken. \u201cWhat a rocket ship!\u201d
\nThe ClubSwan 125 Skorpios is owned by Dmitry Rybolovlev
\nOut-and-out racer
\nNautor\u2019s Swan used full race boat construction techniques including unidirectional prepregs, with Nomex and Corecell cores. The Finnish yard wanted the interior to reflect the state-of-the-art composite construction. The carbon-finished hull sides are left bare, the structures deliberately exposed.<\/p>\n
The keel, bulb, daggerboard and rudders were manufactured by Italian carbon specialist Eligio Re Fraschini S.p.A. The hull of this first ClubSwan 125 has been painted a gleaming black and wrapped with a yellow design that runs from the tip of the imperious bowsprit to the twin rudders aft and is echoed on the North 3Di mainsail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI truly believe the ClubSwan 125 will raise the stakes in the sailing world and set a milestone in the whole marine industry,\u201d thinks Juan K.
\nNautor Group CEO Giovanni Pomati describes Skorpios as \u2018a beast\u2019, while its president Leonardo Ferragamo says: \u201cThe project has been amazing and the opportunity to work together with the greatest boat builders, designers and technicians around the globe, was awe-inspiring\u201d.<\/p>\n
ClubSwan 125 specifications
\nLOA: 42.62m \/ 139ft 10in
\nLWL: 36.60m \/ 120ft 1in
\nBeam max: 8.75m \/ 28ft 9in
\nDraught (canting keel): 7.4m \/ 24ft 3in
\nDisplacement (light): 58,820kg \/ 129,675lb
\nBallast: 23,230kg \/ 51,213lb<\/p>\n
If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/p>\n
Yachting World is the world\u2019s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.<\/p>\n
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.<\/p>\n
The post The fastest monohull ever? Meet the ClubSwan 125 appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Arguably the most eagerly awaited new yacht of modern times, the radical ClubSwan 125 is launched and sailingClubSwan 125Nautor\u2019s Swan announced it was to build a record breaker in 2018 and it\u2019s been a long wait living on the teaser … <\/p>\n