ClubSwan 125: the fastest supermaxi yacht under construction

Breaking out from the modern concept and looking beyond innovative technologies

The world’s fastest supermaxi yacht is underconstruction – providing unique access to high-performance sailing and the feelings and sensations that come with it.

General concept

ClubSwan Yachts is the high-performance division of Nautor’s Swan, offering a conceptual vision with the accent firmly upon the values of speed, technology and competitive sailing potential. Innovative solutions focused upon maximising these qualities are at the heart of ClubSwan Yacht development.

One of the most innovative projects underway at the Nautor’s Swan BTC facility in Finland is the new supermaxi ClubSwan 125.

The ClubSwan 125 is the new Juan Kouyoumdjian high performance superyacht commissioned for a passionate team consisting of the Owner, his friends and a professional crew.  Her cutting-edge foil system is only one indication of pioneering design principles of Nautor’s Swan and ClubSwan’s desire to be the ultimate leader in performance and quality in this lightweight, racing supermaxi yacht.

“The main drivers in the conception of this stunning new project were performance combined with luxury and the ultimate sailing experience. That means performance in terms of the feelings and sensations that are unique to sailing, combined with extreme comfort in very special interiors,” said Juan Kouyoumdjian. “The complete trust of the Owner and his desire to create a high-performance superyacht are the perfect ingredients for a designer. We can’t have a better environment and I think we are doing something that will set a milestone in the sailing world.”

“Only Nautor’s Swan, with its heritage and experience, could have accepted this type of challenge,” added Enrico Chieffi, Nautor’s Swan Vice-President. “We have gathered the very best consultants to create a world-class technical team that is capable of dealing with all the aspects of this complex new yacht.”

The ClubSwan 125 is designed, constructed, fitted-out and delivered with outstanding attention to detail. The hull is built in accordance to “DNV GL X1A Yacht Sail.”

Every design aspect has been managed with intense scrutiny, starting with the innovative single curved foil solution selected for optimum sideways lift in some conditions as well as vertical lift in faster conditions, which considerably reduces the drag of the hull and the loss of dynamic righting moment. The sail plan itself is the "engine" and it needs to be balanced perfectly with the hull shape and all appendages. The canting keel is essential for performance, providing the highest righting moment with the minimum weight impact.

A highly efficient hydraulic system is divided into high and low pressure modules to best serve the key sailing functions. A diesel-hydraulic propulsion system has been specified with a retractable propeller system to minimize hydrodynamic drag while sailing. To deliver optimum weight control, this system features a carbon wetbox and carbon T-foiled skeg with integrated stern tube bearings and hull closure.

The deck plan and sail handling systems have been designed to combine both the performance-driven requirements, the functionality and the pure beauty of the layout. On the electrical/instrumentation side the use of lightweight, custom, bus-based industrial solutions creates a reliable platform for onboard comfort and necessary operations. The modern interior will be both spectacular and luxurious, to meet the essentials of onboard comfort and practicality.

The complexity of construction of this yacht required Nautor to team up with the best designers, builders and suppliers in the world to supplement the existing team of Juan Kouyoumdjian and Nautor’s in-house experts. Discussions focused on the design, engineering and manufacture of custom components and systems specifically required for this project.

Key partners

1.     Southern Spars: Paul MacDonald/Steve Wilson - mast design

2.     North Sails: Jens Christensen/Steve Calder - deck layout and sail plan configurations

3.     Cariboni: Gianni Cariboni/Paula Cariboni - hydraulic systems and controls

4.     Harken: Peter Harken/Morgan Gutenkunst/Emanuele Cecchini - deck hardware

5.     Gurit: Stefan Gautchi/Philip Aikenhead - supply of laminates and materials for the structures

Winches, Deck Hardware and Sail Handling/Rig Management Hydraulics

Harken Chairman Peter Harken said “We first became involved in this project about 13 months ago when it was just an idea in some very smart people’s minds. I just saw some of the most recent detail drawings and I can see why. Everyone on our team was grinning. We live to work on ‘at-the-front’ stuff like this. It’s rare to see innovation in so many areas on one boat. What a rocket ship!”

Harken’s carbon-top 1235 primary winches have been selected for the ClubSwan 125. These winches are developments of Harken’s 1135 grand prix winches that employ integral winch base and ring gear assemblies machined from a single block of stainless steel to extend load capacity from 9 to 11 tonnes.

The two utility pit winches are Harken 990s, which have been proven over thousands of ocean miles and are currently serving in the Volvo Ocean 65 fleet.

The boat’s custom athwartship jib system utilizes Harken titanium TTR2 sheaves for maximum efficiency. The custom mainsheet system is a development of Harken MEGA CRX traveler cars utilizing Harken titanium TTR2 sheaves. All padeyes are in-deck soft-attach titanium loop padeyes. All in-deck sheaves will be titanium TTR2 as well. Harken TRR2 loop blocks and the new generation of Harken new high-load snatchblocks are specified for sheet leads above deck.

Nautor’s Swan is breaking new ground with the ClubSwan 125 supermaxi yacht. North Sails’ combination of analytical tools and industry-leading 3Di sails make them the sailmaker of choice for this exciting new project.

Sails, mast and rigging

North Sails has worked closely with Nautor’s Swan and designer Juan Kouyoumdjian on various projects before the ClubSwan 125.

Jens Christensen, North Sails Executive Committee Member, said “North Sails understands and appreciates Nautor’s Swan vision for a boat that is fast, but also easy to handle. Participating in the early stages of design ensures accuracy not only in sail geometry details but in anticipating essential aspects of performance that ultimately would affect the sails, such as deck layouts that support efficiency, and the overall balance with hydrofoils matching the airfoils (or sails) above the deck. North Sails and its sister company Southern Spars have become instrumental in presenting the boat with a cohesive package that exceeds the high expectations of a new Owner. North Sails has used its Design Suite to establish the ‘Engine Above the Deck’ concept integrating boat design, rig design to create size and sail shape determining sheeting positions and loads. Finding the right balance between the size and shape of each sail sets is key to ensure the performance requested by the Owner.”

As the leader in innovation, Southern Spars was the perfect choice to apply all of its expertise to this new exciting project. By providing a high modulus rig package with the latest advances in automated carbon fibre placement, the ClubSwan125 can reach maximum performance in its ultimate aim: to be the fastest monohull ever conceived.

“The team has pushed this design to its limit to achieve a grand prix mast that’s as light as possible, while maintaining the safety and reliability aspects that go hand in hand with a superyacht of this size,” said Steve Wilson, Designer at Southern Spars. “Utilising the power of North Technology Group’s suite of exclusive rig and sail design tools, we have been able to optimize the rig in terms of weight, VCG and sail shape control. All of this is delivered with a fine-tuning capability that puts an incredible degree of control in the hands of the crew.”

Future Fibres, the world’s leading composite rigging supplier, also had a hand in helping to create this unique project. Its torsional forestay and ECsix rigging package delivers extra strength and reliability – essential for the world’s elite racers.

This is not the first time that both Southern Spars and Future Fibres have partnered together with the Finnish yard, as their quality products were also an essential part of the previous JK design, the ClubSwan 50. Both teams have relished the opportunity to offer well-developed performance packages again, and to collaborate on the latest Nautor’s Swan supermaxi project.