Nautor’s Swan has now fully established itself in the superyacht sector, having grown its line of maxi yachts, most recently introducing the Swan 115, and a Swan 130 project will soon create a new flagship. With four Swan 115s either on the water or in build, including Solleone, CEO Leonardo Ferragamo’s own 115, this has been a successful venture for the brand. With all four 115s built for existing Swan clients, the model seems to cater for the evolving desires of Swan owners.

“The Swan 115 is a versatile, modern and appealing maxi yacht, and it can satisfy the needs of both passionate racers and the family looking for the ultimate blue-water cruiser,” explains Ferragamo. “The naval architect Germán Frers has been able to create an ultra-modern hull that preserves the grace and elegance that Swans are recognised for.” With three different versions available, the Swan 115 allows for maximum customisation within a semi-custom framework.

Putting aside a one-off 130ft custom-build in 2006, it has been a long-term philosophy of the Nautor’s Swan team to specialise in semi-custom sailing yachts. Ferragamo feels that any deviation from this would dilute the brand and take away from what he believes makes a Swan so special.

Given the recent flurry of sales in the Nautor’s Swan superyacht division, this mentality appears to be in line with that of Swan owners. “Semi-custom provides our owners with great advantages,” says Ferragamo. “From the beginning, the yacht is designed with the idea of a replicable structure that maintains quality. While, to a certain extent, customisation can be applied to a number of elements in order to make the final build unique to the owner, semi-custom means Swans will retain their value over time.”

This factor is also a major attraction for those owners of the new Swan 115s who intend to participate in a busy regatta programme. With the booming superyacht regatta circuit, a semi-custom yacht allows these owners to race against each other in a more competitive way, and this has been another reason for the model’s success. For Ferragamo, however, Solleone represents the opportunity to escape with his family, preferring to cruise the Mediterranean during the summer.

Celebrating Nautor’s Swan’s 50th anniversary, Ferragamo sees this year as the perfect time to look carefully at the brand’s future, which is now tied to the new and evolutionary products that the yard is introducing to the market. Last year, Swan made a bold statement by returning some of its focus to a smaller range of models: the introduction of the Swan 54 for blue-water cruising, the one-design ClubSwan 50 for racing and the Swan 78 concept.

As for Ferragamo’s next steps, however, his eyes will be on a bigger prize. The new Swan 95 will be launched next winter and, alongside the Swan 115, it will form the yard’s new maxi range. But this chief executive has further plans up his sleeve. “We are working on a larger model – a 140ft yacht that I can say no more about at the moment,” he teases.

While the next decade will see a new and exciting phase for Nautor’s Swan, which is benefitting from its owner’s ambitious and Italian flair, make no mistake that Ferragamo’s intentions are to keep as close to its humble Finnish origins as possible. “My family has a saying: ‘Heritage is the foundation for the bridge you want to build’,” he concludes. “You need to respect it, not just maintain it. With Nautor’s Swan, we want a stronger drive towards evolution – not a revolution.”

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