BoatsSwan 50 MS

Swan 50 MS

Masthead Ketch · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1976

A Sparkman & Stephens masthead ketch designed for blue-water comfort, later evolving into the Nautical 52

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 50 MS, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

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 52 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 52
CoastalBluewater

At 1.63 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.63
LightHeavy

432 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 432
EasygoingPowered-up

11.2 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 11.2
TenderStiff

28% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 28%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~97% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~88% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~88% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1747 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Swan 50 MS, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Swan 50 MS is a 15.1-meter masthead ketch designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built by Nautor, with a production run from 1976 to the present. It displaces 23,133 kg, has a 4.6-meter beam, and draws 1.7 meters. The design, S&S #2207, features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg. Nautor later sold the molds to Siltala Yachts, which produced a modified version known as the NAUTICAL 52. Professional navigator Aksel Magdahl has been involved in early-season training and calibration for the Swan 50 class.

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
28.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
11.2
Displacement / length
431.8
Comfort ratio
51.7
Capsize screening
1.63
Hull speed
8.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2021
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1976
Units built
9
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.

Elan Yacht GT615.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented cruiser featuring striking exterior and interior styling by Studio F. A. Porsche
How an Elan sailboat is builtfrom SVN solovelanet
Columbia Yachts 5015.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Tripp-designed masthead sloop that debuted as the largest production fiberglass sailboat in the US
New Generation Parasailor on Older Sailboats0:51from SVN solovelanet
Hallberg-Rassy 4814.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a stiff 42% ballast ratio and a stable, comfortable motion at-sea motion
Hallberg-Rassy 48 - A Yacht Delivery from Bremen to Ellos. Wonderful trip on a fabulous boat!from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Hallberg-Rassy 48 MKII14.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for blue-water stability with a high comfort ratio and a deep fin keel
[OFF MARKET] Hallberg-Rassy 48 MkII “ELK” Yacht for Sale | Ready To Go | Tour with Alan McIlroyfrom Berthon International
Contest Yachts 50CS14.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA George Nissen-designed fractional sloop with a high comfort ratio, built for stable and capable offshore cruising
[OFF MARKET] Contest 50CS (MISS MILLIE OF VALETTA), with Alan McIlroy - Yacht for Sale - Berthonfrom Berthon International
Kraken Yachts 50 (Dibley)15.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.24-metre offshore cruiser with a 19.77 sail area-to-displacement ratio for balanced performance in varied conditions
A RACE across Europe to SAIL on our DREAM BOAT [EP 144]2:48from Sailing Millennial Falcon

The family

Boats like this

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

Nautor 50A 15-metre fin-keeled ketch with a skeg-hung rudder, built by Nautor for heavy-displacement offshore stabilitySwan 50-S&SDistinguished by a traditional extended counter, this masthead sloop shares the hull of the Swan 48.Swan 57 S&SA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop designed for blue-water cruising with a heavy, stable displacement hullSwan 48 - S&SA versatile Sparkman & Stephens design available in sloop or ketch configurations with an optional tall rigClubswan 50A 15.24-metre one-design racer featuring a deep 3.5-metre draft and a high-performance 33.76 SA/displacement ratio

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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