BoatsSwan 431

Swan 431

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1976–1978

A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a high ballast ratio for offshore stability

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens, built by Nautor.

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 36 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 36
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.80
LightHeavy

320 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 320
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.2
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

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

  • Heavier than ~83% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~87% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2563 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
44.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.2
Displacement / length
319.5
Comfort ratio
35.5
Capsize screening
1.80
Hull speed
7.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1597
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1976–1978
Units built
32
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens
Builder
Nautor

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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 42 (Frers)13.22 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for blue-water cruising, featuring a stable fin keel and a 181-unit production run.
Henri Wauquiez Amphitrite 4313.03 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA masthead ketch also marketed as the Palmer Johnson 43CR, offering a stable fin keel and skeg-hung rudder configuration
Swan 43 (S&S)13.04 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthDrawn for the RORC rule, this masthead sloop features a high ballast-to-displacement ratio for a stiff, stable ride
Nicholson 4413.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn extended Nicholson 42 featuring a modified deck molding that creates a convenient walk-through to the aft cabin
Sweden Yachts 4213.25 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13.25-metre fractional sloop featuring a 2.1-metre bulb keel and a 40% ballast ratio for balanced offshore performance
Dufour Yachts 430 Grand Large13.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2019 Umberto Felci design with a 2.1-meter bulb keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited cruising

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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