$16 Million Will Buy You the Modular Swan 120 Carbon-Fiber Sailing Yacht

A vessel available to the next millionaire is the Swan 120, a ship that expresses the absolute peak of Finnish naval design and heritage. To get a better idea of what this ship is meant to achieve, it should help to look at its creators, in this case, Nautor.

If you’ve never heard of this company, it’s possible you don’t have much to do with the sloop or yawl world. Not a problem, autoevolution is here to save the day. Nautor has been around since 1966, when Pekka Koskenkyla decided to start building high-quality and high-performance sailing yachts. Being one of the first teams ever to push the limits of fiberglass hulls, today, they are currently pushing the limits of carbon fiber construction, and the 120 is the perfect example of what this crew can achieve.

Overall, the 120 comes in with a length of 36.55 meters or 120 feet, hence the name. Now, it’s not every day that you hear of a 120-foot monster made of carbon fiber. Why? Well, carbon fiber is strong and flexible, to a point. When building such large structures, materials start to behave differently, but the 120 stands as a testament that it can be done as two vessels have already been produced.

Like most other ships, more than one team is responsible for what you see. The first is, of course, Nautor; second, architect German Frers brings the ideas and key elements of Nautor history to modern-day sailing.

“The new Swan 120 Superyacht encompasses Nautor´s philosophy and DNA on its largest expression. Her sailing performance is exhilarating, thanks to the modern canoe body of the hull and the sail plan matched by an efficient twin rudder lateral plan which includes various keel options,” says German Frers.

“A pioneering clean and efficient push button control deck arrangement offering ample access to the sea and sunbathing it is another of the key ingredients. All in all, the 120 it is a very attractive proposition, created by a team of experts, and built according to Nautor best practice.”

The third team member would be interior designer Misa Poggi's eyes and tastes, showcasing fine Italian textiles and leathers while creating a home for future owners. Judging from past yacht builds, the owners most likely had a say in the final interior design. Heck, with a base price of €16,000,000 ($18,860,000 at current exchange rates), if I were to buy one, I better have a say as to what’s inside.

One of the main selling points of this vessel is found aft. The transom of the ship unfolds to reveal a beautiful beach deck and entrance into the toy garage. Two staircases, one port, and one starboard, lead the way to a clean-cut and spacious deck that offers the versatility to not only be used for relaxing but for sailing as well. After all, it is a ship with ample racing history built into it.

The modular ability you see expressed in the beach deck is also found throughout the rest of the ship. The interior design can be adjusted for whatever occasion is met, from dining mode, lounge mode to the obvious sailing mode. Even the sleeping quarters include multiple layouts, mainsails included.

Now, everyone understands that wind won’t always be available for propulsion, so Nautor also included a Scadia DL13 engine that produces 450 hp (456 PS). That's more than enough to get you into the closest gust of wind and perfect for cruising island coastlines. How fast you’ll move while under sail or engine is not mentioned.

Personally, I don’t have the knowledge to operate a ship like this nor the money to buy one. But I'll be keeping my eye out for a charter opportunity for sure.