The Swan 44 is a Finnish sailboat that was designed by Sparkman & Stephens as an International Offshore Rule racer-cruiser and first built in 1972. The boat is Sparkman & Stephens' design #2112.[1][2][3][4]
The design is often referred to as the Swan 44 S&S to avoid confusion with the 1989 Swan 44 Frers, designed by Germán Frers. The boat was also sold in the United States as the Palmer Johnson 44.[1][2]
The design was built by Oy Nautor AB in Finland, from 1972 to 1978, with 76 boats completed, but it is now out of production. A total of 62 boats were built with the tall mast and 14 with the short mast.[1][2][5][6]
The Swan 44 is a racing keelboat, built predominantly of glassfibre, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig; a raked stem; a raised counter, reverse transom, a skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a wheel and a fixed, swept fin keel. It displaces 28000 lb and carries 12600 lb of lead ballast. A short mast version was also built with a mast about 2.50 ft lower.[1][2]
The boat has a draft of 7.40 ft with the standard fin keel.[1][2]
The boat is fitted with a British Perkins Engines 4-108M diesel engine of 37 hp for docking and manoeuvring.[1][2]
The design has sleeping accommodation for eight people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, two straight settee berths and two pilot berths in the main cabin and two aft cabins, each with a single berth. The galley is located on the port side just forward of the companionway ladder. The galley is L-shaped and is equipped with a two-burner stove, an ice box and a double sink. A navigation station is opposite the galley, on the starboard side. The head is located just aft of the companionway steps on the starboard side.[1][2]
For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker.[7]
The design has a hull speed of 7.80 kn and a PHRF handicap of 81 to 87 for the tall mast and 90 to 96 for the short mast.[1][2][8]
At least one boat had its stern modified and a deeper draft spade rudder installed to improve downwind handling and reduce the risk of broaching.[7]
