BoatsSwan 55 (Frers)

Swan 55 (Frers)

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/dual Rudders · First built 2021

A 17.75-metre performance cruiser with a 2.5-metre draft and a substantial 34.34 comfort ratio for offshore stability

Designed by German Frers, built by Nautor Swan.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/dual Rudders

See her sail

The Swan 55 (Frers), on the water

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

Footage from practicalboatowner

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 34 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 34
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.79
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 159
EasygoingPowered-up

20.0 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 20.0
TenderStiff

34% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 34%

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

  • Heavier than ~85% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~77% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~87% of boats her size on file

Compared with 846 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Swan 55 (Frers), as the fleet has seen it

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

The Swan 55 (FRERS) is a 17.8-meter fractional sloop designed by German Frers and built by Nautor Swan since 2021, featuring a fin hull with dual rudders. Tapio Lehtinen prepared his Swan 55, *Galiana*, for the Ocean Globe Race, undertaking a major refit after a mid-season dismasting caused by undersized spreader profiles and incorrect shroud angles.3:31 Lehtinen relocated the companionway to the cabin top to prevent flooding and installed a teak hard dodger.8:46 The interior refit included a dedicated electronics "boiler room," a custom boot-drying system, and a gimbaled navigation station.11:08 For offshore safety, the boat features handholds throughout, narrowed passageways for bracing, upper and lower sea berths, and a watertight crash box in the forepeak.26:53 A soapstone solid-fuel stove provides backup heat, and insulation was added under deck panels and along the hull sides.23:53 The boat's exterior includes a dual-wheel steering system with a keel-mounted trim tab, a ketch rig with a mizzen staysail, and center-line jacklines.2:52

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across 3 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Swan 55 (Frers) on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
33.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
20.0
Displacement / length
159.3
Comfort ratio
34.3
Capsize screening
1.79
Hull speed
9.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
3034
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/dual rudders
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 2021
Designer
German Frers
Builder
Nautor Swan

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.

Wauquiez Boats Pilot Saloon 5817.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 17.7-metre performance cruiser with a 2.3-metre bulb keel and a high comfort ratio for long-distance blue water sailing
Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 580:59from SVN solovelanet
Hanse Yachts 59017.60 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2024 Berret-Racoupeau design featuring a 17.6-meter hull and a 5,900-kilogram bulb keel for stable, modern cruising
Stuck in Storms for 10 Days… What We Did Instead | Sailing France15:10from Sailing Northern Brees
Swan 5617.53 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for performance, with a dedicated racing variant available.
[OFF MARKET] Nautor Swan 56 (AKARANA) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon International Yacht Brokers5:50from Berthon International
Beneteau 5717.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance Farr-designed cruiser featuring a powerful fractional rig and a balanced, stiff hull for fast passage-making
Discussing a Legend!1:35from Flight Level Zero
Beneteau Oceanis 6018.24 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA 18-metre fractional sloop with a 2.7-metre bulb keel, optimised for high-speed passage making
Sailing Couple, Woman Falls Overboard, Murder Charges0:48from Practical Sailor
Amel 5517.30 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 17-metre staysail ketch built since 2010, balancing a powerful sail plan with a stable, skeg-hung hull for long-range voyaging
Trends in Modern Yacht Design- Interview with a Naval Architect- Sailing Vessel Delos1:40from Sailing SV Delos

The family

Boats like this

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

Swan 65 (Frers)A high-performance German Frers design featuring a fractional rig, dual rudders, and a powerful sail-area-to-displacement ratioSwan 54A German Frers-designed performance cruiser featuring a fractional rig and a refined interior by Heini GustafssonSwan 58A modern 19-metre cruiser offering optional shallow or performance keels and a refined interior by Misa PoggiSwan 51-2A 2024 German Frers design featuring a versatile Solent rig and a modern dual-rudder configuration for high-performance cruisingSwan 55CC (Frers)A German Frers-designed center-cockpit cruiser built for offshore stability with a deep keel and heavy displacementSwan 45A German Frers-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio.

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Swan 55 (Frers), 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 55 (Frers)

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

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

Report an issue