June 11th, Juan Kouyoumdjian and his team, in collaboration with Nautor Swan and its Chairman Leonardo Ferragamo, presented the new ClubSwan36: a sailing yacht they claim is at the forefront of innovation “featuring the classic racing styles of the brand”.
The ClubSwan36 concept was unveiled in Saint-Tropez during the Rolex Giraglia regatta 2018. The fourth one design product from Nautor Swan is designed by the Juan Yacht Design architectural firm, who have collaborated with the Finnish brand since 2015.
“Sailing is experiencing an historic moment,” commented the French-Argentine architect during the presentation of the project. “Our discipline is being redefined and one can see that within the most prestigious races such as the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race.
“The ClubSwan36 offers a sailing style which combines performance and innovation at racing regattas. The technical characteristics of the ClubSwan36 allow amateur sailors to control the sailboat in any conditions. Meanwhile the more experienced teams can also find their sweet spot since this boat is very interesting to handle.”
In the round, the ClubSwan36 is a fusion of an Olympic dinghy and a cutting edge keelboat. The carbon rigging is set on a modern foiling hull, equipped with mobile foils that create the vertical force, therefore lifting the sailboat without completely leaving the water. With a flexible mast that offers ample opportunities for adjustment, a rotary curved foil which allows for different lateral and vertical forces to be applied with great lightness (2 tons 50), this yacht knows how to satisfy both amateur crews and the most advanced sailors.
Philippe Oulhen, who is in charge of the ClubSwan range of products for the Juan K firm, is very excited about managing this project. When one combines the talent of a talented design agency, with a boatbuilder like Nautor Swan and a well-run organisation such as ClubSwan, the result can be nothing short of remarkable. “We are all very focused on balancing the technical, commercial and human components. It’s a very interesting task to manage,” affirmed Philippe Oulhen during the presentation at the Nautical Society of Saint-Tropez. “Through the organisation of the ClubSwan events, we noticed that the appetite for customised regattas for our clients is getting stronger and stronger.”
When a ClubSwan36 is sold, the owner gains access to a circuit of regattas for the class which offers informal races in exceptional locations; and the ClubSwan36 project was certainly launched in order to reach a wider audience. The Italian Leonardo Ferragamo also hopes to grow the Nautor Swan family through creating world class events, culminating in the pinnacle of the Nations Trophy 2019.
