BoatsSwan 76

Swan 76

Masthead Ketch · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1979–1981

A Sparkman & Stephens masthead ketch built by Swan, offering a heavy-displacement, stable platform for blue-water cruising

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens, built by Nautor.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Swan 76, on the water

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

Footage from Living For Sail

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 46 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 46
CoastalBluewater

At 1.65 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.65
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 191
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.5
TenderStiff

24% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 24%

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

  • Heavier than ~91% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~95% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~90% of boats her size on file

Compared with 150 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Swan 76, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Swan 76 is a Sparkman & Stephens-designed masthead ketch built by Nautor from 1979 to 1981. This sailboat model measures 23.26 meters LOA with a 5.80-meter beam and a 3.66-meter draft, displacing 44,770 kg. Its hull features a fin with a rudder on a skeg. The Swan 76 has a sail area to displacement ratio of 15.5 and a comfort ratio of 45.9. Aboard *Living For Sail*, the Swan 76 was briefly inspected at the Annapolis Boat Show.1:01

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
24.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.5
Displacement / length
191.0
Comfort ratio
45.9
Capsize screening
1.65
Hull speed
10.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
4170
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1979–1981
Units built
5
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens
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.

Hallberg-Rassy 6922.22 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterA German Frers-designed flagship featuring a fractional rig and dual rudders, built for high-comfort blue water cruising
Oyster 6820.57 mSame hull family2.7 m shorterA Holman & Pye designed cutter built for serious blue-water passage making with a stable, skeg-mounted rudder
Oyster Yachts 56518.09 mSame hull family5.2 m shorterA Humphreys-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a high-performance fractional rig, dual rudders, and a bulb keel
Hallberg-Rassy 5718.44 mSame hull family4.8 m shorterA 18.44-metre flagship featuring a bulb keel and dual rudders for high-speed, stable long-distance cruising
Beneteau 5717.80 mSame hull family5.5 m shorterA high-performance Farr-designed cruiser featuring a powerful fractional rig and a balanced, stiff hull for fast passage-making
Cnb 6620.61 mSame hull family2.7 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed cutter built for performance cruising, featuring a high sail area-to-displacement ratio

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.

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The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Swan 76, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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