BoatsSwan 45

Swan 45

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 2001

A German Frers-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio.

Designed by German Frers, built by Nautor.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

See her sail

The Swan 45, on the water

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

Footage from American Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 27 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 27
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.84
LightHeavy

156 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 156
EasygoingPowered-up

25.1 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 25.1
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Draws more than ~98% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2285 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Swan 45, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Swan 45 is a 13.8-meter fractional sloop designed by German Frers and built by Nautor from 2001 to the present, featuring a fin with bulb and spade rudder hull. It displaces 9850 kg with a 2.8-meter draft. A Swan 45 competed in the ORC Doublehanded World Championship, where a Landmark 43 gained on it by maintaining a deep, fast angle with a gennaker after Sørgrunnsberget.3:26 A North Sails instructor-led online class uses the Swan 45 to diagram sheeting positions for jibs, reaching sails, and staysails at multiple track locations, illustrating sail geometry and optimal sail selection across wind angles and speeds.20:21

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 45 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
39.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
25.1
Displacement / length
156.1
Comfort ratio
27.1
Capsize screening
1.84
Hull speed
8.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1815
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 2001
Units built
50
Designer
German Frers
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.

Dufour Yachts 4413.91 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2024 Felci-designed fractional sloop balancing a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio with a spacious Ardizio interior
Dufour 44 - YES&NO, the cross-examinationfrom SVN solovelanet
J Boats J/4513.86 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance Alan Johnstone fractional sloop designed for fast, comfortable offshore cruising
Fast Cruising Sailboat J 450:55from Practical Sailor
Dufour Yachts 455 Grand Large13.76 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13.76-meter fractional sloop with a 2.01-meter draft, designed for high-volume cruising comfort
Greek Myths & Real Sailor Stories (Sailing La Vagabonde) Ep. 1178:17from Sailing La Vagabonde
Bavaria Yachts 4413.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2002-2004 production cruiser featuring a 13.93-metre hull and a balanced 19.84 sail-area-to-displacement ratio
FORCED to move a boat with NEWBIE SAILORS.from Sailing SV Cordelia
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45 DS13.75 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed deck saloon cruiser featuring a classic rig and an optional shallow draft keel
Sun Odyssey 45 DSfrom SVN solovelanet
Xp 4413.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13.88-metre performance cruiser featuring a deep 2.3-metre bulb keel and a high 23.91 sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Freshwater Captain from now on🫣 - XTrip Sailing Ep.22718:42from XTRIP 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 40 (Frers)A 12.27-metre performance cruiser produced through the 1990s, balancing a 2.15-metre draft with a 36% ballast ratioSwan 46A long-running 14-metre production cruiser with 81 hulls built between 1983 and 1997

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