BoatsSwan 59

Swan 59

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1984–1990

A 17.88-metre fin-keeled cruiser featuring a deep 3.41-metre draft for stability and upwind performance

Designed by German Frers, built by Nautor.

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

See her sail

The Swan 59, 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 narrow beam gives 45 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 45
CoastalBluewater

At 1.66 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.66
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 250
TenderStiff

37% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 37%

A capable offshore cruiser with an easy motion when the sea gets up.

  • Heavier than ~94% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~99% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~87% of boats her size on file

Compared with 823 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Swan 59, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Swan 59 is a 17.9-meter masthead sloop designed by German Frers and built by Nautor from 1984 to 1990, featuring a fin keel with a spade rudder and displacing 28,304 kg. The final hull of the class, a 1990 Swan 59 named *Xanadu*, underwent extensive refits starting in 2019, including new teak decks, flush hatches, and a 2021 Volvo D4 engine with 700 hours. *Xanadu* also features a 2021 Fisher Panda 8.3kW generator, a 2022 B&G MFD, and a 2021 Klima air conditioning and heating unit.0:54 Deck handling is facilitated by a hydraulic headsail furler and electric sheet winches, and the vessel is equipped with a 24V La France Falcon electric windlass.3:26 Aboard *59° North Sailing*, Andy Schell owned a Swan 59 named *Ice Bear*, which he purchased impulsively.7:54

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Swan 59 on video

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Swan 59 may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
Displacement / length
249.5
Comfort ratio
45.3
Capsize screening
1.66
Hull speed
9.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2822
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1984–1990
Units built
21
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.

Ocean 6018.29 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Richard Rascoe-designed masthead ketch built for offshore stability with a high comfort ratio and deep fin keel
Morten Landmark // Owning and Racing a Volvo Ocean 603:56from 59° North Sailing
Gulfstar Yachts 6018.44 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA heavy-displacement cutter designed by R.C. Lazzarra for offshore comfort and stable, long-range cruising
Navigation Simplified - YACHTMASTER QUALIFICATION - The Paper Boat Project - Episode 413:29from The Paper Boat Project (Stefan Heiberg)
Oyster 5617.47 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed bluewater cutter built for comfort and stability on long-distance passages
Oyster 56 “ENJOY LIFE OF SALCOMBE” Yacht for Sale | Needs No Introduction | Tour with Alan McIlroy0:48from Berthon International
Jeanneau Yachts 5717.78 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed bluewater cruiser built for comfort and stability on long-distance passages
Jeanneau 57 - Getting ready to sail this beautiful yacht on delivery from Hamble to Corfufrom Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Swan 57 RS17.49 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for long-range cruising with a high comfort ratio and stable hull form
On The Wind #410 - Mark Sinclair // Retro Racing around the World9:29from 59° North Sailing
Oyster Marine 57517.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Rob Humphreys-designed masthead sloop built for offshore passage-making with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
[OFF MARKET] Oyster 575 (DREAMER OF HAMBLE) with MD Sue Grant - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Int.0:06from Berthon International

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 651A 20-metre masthead sloop with a deep 3.51-metre draft and a heavy ballast ratio for offshore stabilitySwan 77A 24-metre masthead sloop built from 1992 to 2003, featuring a high comfort ratio for long-range offshore cruisingSwan 61A 18.44-metre masthead sloop built between 1985 and 1990, balancing a 2.95-metre draft with a high comfort ratioSwan 70A 21-metre masthead sloop with a fin keel and bulb, engineered for rapid offshore passage makingSwan 57 RSA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for long-range cruising with a high comfort ratio and stable hull form

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Swan 59, 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 59

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

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

Report an issue