Nautor Swan Alloy 44 Yacht Begins Build, Its Biggest Sailing Superyacht

The Swan Alloy line of aluminum sailing yachts is officially inaugurated. Construction just started on the Nautor Swan Alloy 44 yacht. Not only will she become the builder’s flagship, but also she has a high-profile owner.

That owner: Massimo Perotti (below right), the executive chairman of Sanlorenzo. Sanlorenzo acquired 60 percent of Nautor Swan in 2024, intending on controlling the remaining 40 percent within four years. “This is my first sailing yacht, and I feel a special emotion after so many motoryachts,” Perotti says. “For Nautor Swan, this project opens a new chapter. It takes the brand into dimensions never explored before, while remaining faithful to the values that have defined Swan for 60 years.”

At nearly 143 feet (43.5 meters) LOA, the Nautor Swan Alloy 44 yacht is further the first aluminum project for the Finnish brand. In light of that, the craftspeople who construct the rest of the Nautor Swan range aren’t building her. Shipyard constraints in Finland further prevent them from taking on something of this size range. Instead, Gouwerok Shipyard in The Netherlands is serving as a subcontractor. Already, according to Nautor Swan, welders have begun work on the keel and engine-room foundations. Nautor Swan’s own team remains hands-on for performance studies, supply-chain coordination, and other matters.

The sailing yacht bears the styling and naval architecture contributions of Malcolm McKeon. This is the first-ever project that he and Nautor Swan are creating together. Of course, he has extensive experience with aluminum sailing yachts, plus performance sailing yachts. This project should blend performance, especially for Bucket racing, with private long-range cruising. On a related note, the sailing yacht will feature hybrid technology similar to Sanlorenzo motoryachts and smaller Nautor Swan yachts. Particularly important, the yacht will generate and store energy while sailing.

Although full details aren’t yet available, Perotti is collaborating with the Parisian design studio Liaigre for the interiors. Elegance and novel design features should prevail.

Upon completion of the hull and deck, the Nautor Swan Alloy 44 yacht will ship to Viareggio, Italy for outfitting. She should launch in 2028. In related news, Gianguido Girotti will become CEO of Nautor Swan effective in June. He has spent the past 11 years with Group Beneateau, familiar with sailing yachts and motoryachts alike.

Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design malcolmmckeonyachtdesign.com

Nautor Swan nautorswan.com