ROLEX, NAUTOR’S SWAN and the organiser Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) will come together to present the Rolex Swan Cup 2016 in Porto Cervo, Italy, marking the 32nd year of their partnership.
ROLEX, NAUTOR’S SWAN and the organiser Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) will come together to present the Rolex Swan Cup 2016 in Porto Cervo, Italy, marking the 32nd year of their partnership. This edition will see a record number of 121 entries.
The competition comprises five days of racing in northeast Sardinia’s emerald waters and rocky outcrops, including the popular Long Islands Race around the Maddalena archipelago, and a host of social events designed to bring the Swan world together.
“The event embodies several values, especially those that come with the pleasure of owning a Swan,” explains Nautor’s Swan Chairman Leonardo Ferragamo. “Swan Owners have real passion and a noble approach which are characterised by the racing and the competitive spirit that shines through at the Rolex Swan Cup.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the first Swan. When Pekka Koskenkylä founded Nautor’s Swan in 1966 in Pietarsaari, Finland – a small town noted for its harsh winters – he was ambitious about building high-quality, high-performance sailing yachts anchored in hundreds of years of Finnish boatbuilding history.
Since then, Nautor’s Swan has produced more than 100 different Swan models, from the first design that measured some 11 metres (36ft) all the way through to 39.9m (131ft). All Swans carry the emblematic and unmistakable ‘arrow’ – indented in every hull – as its iconic sign.
The first Swan was the 36ft Tarantella. When built, she introduced a number of innovations for her time, several of which were aimed at improving steering stability, including positioning the rudder fully aft, separating it from the full length of the keel and thickening the aft section of the keel. The Swan 36 proved equal to more traditional wooden boats in general handling and safety with better performance under sail and improved living space.
The five classes of Swan yacht set to compete at the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo this year are: Maxi (18.29 metres and above), Grand Prix (18.28m and below), Classics (designed by Sparkman and Stephens), ClubSwan 42 and Swan 45. The Swan 45 One Design class will compete in its own World Championship.
There will be a splendid array of models, ranging from the very latest Clubswan 50, the most recent addition to the Swan performance one-design stable, to a contingent of no less than 37 Sparkman and Stephens designs representing the early years of the yard. Weighing in at the most imposing end of the scale are the Swan 115s Highland Fling, Shamana and Solleone, three of the four hulls launched since this new flagship line was presented last year.
Racing in their dedicated one-design classes will be nine Swan 42s, including 2014 winner Natalia, and of course the 16-strong Swan 45 fleet, battling it out for their World Championship. Among the 45s to watch will be Earlybird, a German boat owned by Nagel and Brandis and four-time winner of the World Champion title.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40 timepieces will be awarded to the winners in each class during the prize-giving ceremony at the yacht club.
