Nautor Swan, the relaunch continues and the new sailing ships arrive

One year after the Sanlorenzo Group acquired a 60% stake in Nautor Swan, the historic sailboat shipyard, the corporate turnaround plan implemented by the majority shareholder, in agreement with Leonardo Ferragamo, who will continue to hold a 40% stake until the first half of 2028, is taking shape. The brand will launch three new product lines and expand its Italian operations (adding to its Finnish headquarters). An agreement has been signed with Mast Italia for the sale of the business unit, which includes an industrial warehouse (formerly Cantieri Giannetti) in Viareggio.

Massimo Perotti, owner of Sanlorenzo, explains the strategy applied to Swan. "I'd say," he says, "we're restructuring the company (whose turnover is around €100 million, ed. ) in the right way, cutting procurement costs in Finland, which were very expensive, and implementing a significant synergy with Sanlorenzo that allows us to save money. Other cuts concern corporate costs in Italy, which have been reduced because services are provided by our group, at much lower rates than under the previous management."

Regarding the products, Perotti adds, "The first new addition," he states, "is a 73-footer (about 22 meters) that will join the Swan Classic range, which currently includes the 51, 55, 58, 65, and 80. It will be designed by German Frers, complete the current series of classic boats, and will be on the market in 2027. At the same time, we are working with German designer Rolf Vrolijk on a new line called Swanscape, a portmanteau of the words Swan and escape."

In practice, Perotti continues, "these are boats that are normally defined as blue water: they are used for round-the-world trips and for offshore cruising, and therefore have a bit of superstructure; they are not racing boats nor do they have the streamlined design typical of the classic Swan. The logic, if we want to make a comparison, is similar to that of a few years ago, when, in the motor yacht sector, we launched explorers and other shipyards launched expeditions. In sailing, we invented the name escape, because we liked to evoke that concept. In short, these are boats that sailors will use for long voyages. The first of the new line will be a 24-meter (80-foot) vessel, called Swanscape 24, which will be on the market in 2028. Then we will build a 65-footer (about 21 meters) and a larger boat, the dimensions of which we haven't decided yet."

The third product line, says Perotti, "is what we've named Swan Alloy: aluminum boats 44 meters and up." Previously, the plan (see Il Sole 24 Ore, March 20, 2025) was to open this new range with a 42-meter model. "But," the Sanlorenzo owner specifies, "it has become a 44, designed by Malcom McKeon, with interiors by Christian Liaigre. They are both great sailing boat experts, with whom we are developing this first aluminum Swan. I believe there is a strong market in the sector, which will grow in the future. It will also be the first hull not built in Finland, partly because the Finns, who are very good at carbon construction, are not experienced in working with aluminum. We have therefore decided to have the first hull built by a top Dutch supplier, which also produces for Royal Huisman and Vitters, historic Dutch shipyards. We'll have significantly higher costs than we would have in Italy, given the aluminum workmanship, but we want to start with a very high-quality boat. We expect it to sail at 16-17 knots, so it won't be a super-performance boat, but it will be comfortable, while still offering a certain speed and sportiness typical of the Swan brand."