BoatsSwan 42

Swan 42

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1980–1985

A 12.8-metre cruiser with a 2.38m draft and a 41% ballast ratio, built for offshore speed and stability

Designed by Ron Holland, built by Nautor.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Swan 42, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from SEILmagasinet

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 31 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 31
CoastalBluewater

1.85 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.85
LightHeavy

254 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 254
EasygoingPowered-up

16.4 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.4
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 42%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Draws more than ~93% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2639 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Swan 42, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Swan 42 is a 12.8-meter masthead sloop designed by Ron Holland and built by Nautor from 1980 to 1985. It features a fin keel with a spade rudder and displaces 9979 kg.47:48 A Clubswan 43, with a 7.5-tonne displacement and a 30-hp engine, reached 9 knots in a 15-knot sea trial, but Swan 42s outperformed it in ORC European Championship results.46:14

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
41.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.4
Displacement / length
253.7
Comfort ratio
30.9
Capsize screening
1.85
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1567
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1980–1985
Units built
38
Designer
Ron Holland
Builder
Nautor

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Pearson Yachts 41912.73 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-lived 1970s production run designed for the charter trade, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal draft
We're Cutting Off our Keel (Part 2 of 4) | Step 4492:26from Sailing Uma
Pearson Yachts 424 Ketch12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead ketch featuring an aft cockpit layout and a 1.6-metre draft for versatile coastal and offshore cruising
The MIGHTY But CHEAP Pearson 424from Practical Sailor
Moody 4212.74 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead ketch offered with a center cockpit and an optional inside steering station for all-weather cruising
The refit continues [Ep. 136]0:36from Sailing Supernova
Valiant Yachts 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed offshore cutter featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a heavy displacement hull for blue-water stability
The SECRET to DEALS on BOATS14:02from Be The Captain
Passport Yachts 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Stan Huntingford-designed cutter featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stable, heavy-displacement hull for offshore work
REUNITED! These Brothers Sailed Around The World For 10 YEARS Together! Sailing Vessel Delos Ep. 4130:04from Sailing SV Delos
Sirius 40 DS12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.9-metre fractional sloop built since 2015, offering a deep 2.3-metre draft for performance and stability
Sailing West in the English Channel Isn’t Easy Ep 493:51from Sailing Northern Brees

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Swan 371A Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop built by Swan, balancing a stiff fin-keel hull with a comfortable cruising layoutSwan 391A Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop built for performance, featuring a stiff fin-keel hull and a 2.19m draftSwan 39A Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop derived from the legendary IOR racer IMP, offered in both racing and cruising layoutsSwan 43 (Holland)A Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop, often called the 432 to distinguish her from the earlier S&S modelSwan 41A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop designed for offshore stability with a high comfort ratio and skeg-mounted rudderSwan 441A short-lived 1979 production masthead sloop featuring a spade rudder and a balanced 1.98m draft for cruising

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