Sparkman & Stephens’ Swan 37 turns half a century old!

When people talk about the historical origins of a shipyard like Swan everyone thinks of the 36-foot Tarantella, which was the Finnish brand’s first boat in 1966. The successor to this best seller was the model that is now exactly 50 years old, the Swan 37.

As with the 36′, it too bears the signature of the American firm Sparkman & Stephens, the design gurus of the 1970s and beyond. The 37′ (11.13 x 3.25 m, 6,985 kg displacement for a sail area of 55.56 m) is the second design that S&S made for the then-young shipyard; it was launched in 1970 and produced until 1974.

SWAN 37, A WINNING BOAT

It continues to be a boat that is quite sought after by true connoisseurs, but there are not so many of them on the market; there are about sixty. Others can also be found under the name Palmer&Johnson 37, but only in the U.S., as the design was also carried out by other shipyards.

The special feature of this boat, which was also originally designed for racing, was that it had a special trim tab at the rudder, a kind of adjustable appendage “tail.” This was not a random solution, as S&S had employed a similar one for the America’s Cup-winning Intrepid. The boat, built of fiberglass, distinguished itself by particularly strong performance, winning numerous races, including in the Ocean.

The aesthetics were typical of the RORC era, the regatta rules in effect at that time. Boat rather narrow fore and aft, wide in the middle with a maximum beam of 3.25 m, however much less when compared to a modern 37.

Bow slips are important, while the stern is very narrow and high on the water and dips its lines only when wind and speed increase. The deckhouse is very reminiscent of that of the 36 Tarantella, tall and square well in front of the mast.

The interior has its beating heart amidships in a cozy and very warm dinette, as cabin volumes are somewhat more sacrificed forward and aft.

Today a few Swan 37 continues to be found on the used market, its valuation is between 50 and 60 thousand euros.

HERE A MODEL OF SWAN 37 FOR SALE

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