BoatsSwan 57 RS

Swan 57 RS

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1996–2001

A German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for long-range cruising with a high comfort ratio and stable hull form

Designed by German Frers, built by Nautor.

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

See her sail

The Swan 57 RS, on the water

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

Footage from 59° North Sailing

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 43 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 43
CoastalBluewater

At 1.69 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.69
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 273
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.2
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

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

  • Heavier than ~90% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 912 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Swan 57 RS, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Swan 57 RS is a 17.5-meter masthead sloop designed by German Frers and built by Nautor between 1996 and 2001, featuring a raised salon and a fin keel with a spade rudder. With a displacement of 24,499 kg, the model has a comfort ratio of 43.3. Aboard the Swan 57 *Explorer*, skipper Mark Sinclair prepared the boat for the Ocean Globe Race, installing a crash bulkhead, a new forward hatch, and a Cape Horn Extreme desalinator producing 35 liters per hour.20:38 The *Explorer* retains its original Perkins 72-horsepower engine and Yanmar generator, with a 24-volt battery bank for general power and a 12-volt system for communications.11:09 The crew installed a Hydrovane solely as an emergency rudder, as the race prohibits autopilots.12:59 The *Explorer* operates with a crew of ten on a one-in-three watch system, using a modified saloon table for additional bunks and managing 900 liters of water capacity for 40-day legs.18:08 Lise Landmark worked as a cook and crew member aboard a Swan 57 in the Caribbean in the early 1980s.8:49

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 57 RS 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 57 RS may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
37.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.2
Displacement / length
273.3
Comfort ratio
43.3
Capsize screening
1.69
Hull speed
8.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2531
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1996–2001
Units built
10
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.

Oyster Marine 5517.15 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterOriginally launched as the Oyster 53, this cutter features a 17-metre hull designed for stable, long-distance cruising
[OFF MARKET] Oyster 55 (VALENT) with Sue Grant - Yacht for Sale - Iconic Bluewater Cruisingfrom Berthon International
Oyster 5617.47 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
Swan 5917.88 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 17.88-metre fin-keeled cruiser featuring a deep 3.41-metre draft for stability and upwind performance
Nautor Swan 59 (XANADU) with Simon Turner - Yacht for Sale - Set Up for Easy Family Sailingfrom Berthon International
Beneteau Sense 5517.20 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 17.2-metre cruiser with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 22.21, built for spirited performance and volume
First Impressions of Trinidad and Tobago2:01from Huub Vlogs
Jeanneau Yachts 5717.78 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 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
Oyster Marine 57517.88 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Rob Humphreys-designed masthead sloop built for offshore passage-making with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
[OFF MARKET] Oyster 575 (SOPHISTIKATE) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon International (Dec 2020)0:11from Berthon International

The family

Boats like this

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

Swan 77A 24-metre masthead sloop built from 1992 to 2003, featuring a high comfort ratio for long-range offshore cruisingSwan 59A 17.88-metre fin-keeled cruiser featuring a deep 3.41-metre draft for stability and upwind performanceSwan 70A 21-metre masthead sloop with a fin keel and bulb, engineered for rapid offshore passage makingSwan 57 S&SA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop designed for blue-water cruising with a heavy, stable displacement hullSwan 651A 20-metre masthead sloop with a deep 3.51-metre draft and a heavy ballast ratio for offshore stabilitySwan 61A 18.44-metre masthead sloop built between 1985 and 1990, balancing a 2.95-metre draft with a high comfort ratio

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Swan 57 RS, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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