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 Berthon International

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 Masthead Sloop designed by Ron Holland and built by Nautor from 1980 to 1985. It measures 12.8 meters LOA, with a 4.0-meter beam, a 2.4-meter draft, and a displacement of 9979 kg. The hull features a fin with a spade rudder. Berthon International, a yacht brokerage, lists the Nautor Swan among the brands it handles for international sales and deliveries.1:37 In a comparison of racing performance, several Swan 42s placed higher than a Clubswan 43 in the ORC European Championship in Spain.51:02

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Swan 42 on video

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
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
Moody or Beneteau? - Episode 122 - Lady K Sailing8:54from Lady K Sailing
Moody 41912.73 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bill Dixon-designed masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, built for offshore stability and available as a centerboarder
14. Inside the Market - Yacht Sales Insights & Trends for February 2026 - Berthon International Y...10:11from Berthon International
Hinckley Yachts 42 Competition12.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented masthead sloop by McCurdy & Rhodes, built on the proven hull lines of the Hinckley Sou'Wester
[OFF MARKET] Hinckley Sou'wester 51 Competition (MOMENTUM) Sea Trial, with Owner - Berthon Int.0:08from Berthon International
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
C&C Yachts Landfall 4312.83 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA robust masthead sloop from C&C designed for comfortable cruising with a skeg-mounted rudder and moderate draft
Shake Down SAIL to Beckwith Island & Kill the Macoui [E272]12:10from Wildly Intrepid Sailing

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

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Swan 42, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Swan 42

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue