{"id":82827,"date":"2025-12-22T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=82827"},"modified":"2025-12-30T15:42:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T20:42:55","slug":"clubswan-28-boat-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/sailboats\/clubswan-28-boat-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 Boat of the Year: ClubSwan 28"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-1278-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"ClubSwan 28\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-1278-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-1278-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-1278-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-1278-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-1278.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The ClubSwan 28 is a sophisticated carbon build with purposeful high-quality hardware and systems.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<iframe id=\"x8aa2rgac1\" src=\"https:\/\/Sailingworld.dragonforms.com\/x8aa2rgac1\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>Nautor Swan\u2019s Federico Michetti is a world-class sailor obsessed with perfection. Sail a short distance with him, and you\u2019ll watch him make OCD-level adjustments. And when those adjustments come easy, as they do on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/sailboats\/sporty-and-simple-clubswan-28\/\">ClubSwan 28<\/a>, he can\u2019t help himself. Two-tenths of a knot slow? He feels it before the crash happens, and he\u2019s already moving to the 28\u2019s mast jack handle, the three-dimensional jib lead, the cunningham tugging the mainsail\u2019s structured luff, or the myriad other controls that get a noticeable response from the 28-footer. Shift a gear and you feel it. Get it into a groove and it is lights-out fun, both upwind and downwind. This is Michetti\u2019s kind of boat\u2014a proper raceboat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The judges agree, it\u2019s Boat of the Year worthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis thing is a pretty sexy boat,\u201d judge Mike Ingham says. \u201cI can definitely see the curb appeal, and we knew it was going to be sophisticated. Everything is ergonomically correct. It\u2019s a performance boat, but it\u2019s also a beautiful machine, and from the second we stepped on it, I was like, whoa. This is cool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }<\/style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/koCK8-16-PE' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Built in Cartagena, Spain, by the Sinergia Racing Group for Nautor Swan, the ClubSwan 28 is the smallest offering in ClubSwan one-design lineup that now stretches to 50-footers. Conceptually, Michetti explains to the judges, the boat is meant to bring new owners into the Nautor Swan stratosphere, with a no-hassle one-design boat and an organized and builder-supported regatta circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The design itself is all Juan Kouyoumdjian: It is unique, technical and loves to sail on its rail. From the chines to the reverse sheer and deck chamfer, it all adds up to a fast and forgiving platform. \u201cThe whole package is about reducing drag and windage and saving material and weight,\u201d says Dobbs Davis, an ORC measurer with a keen eye to the behaviors of modern hulls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Good hull design is nothing without a legitimate rig and sail package, however, and here Ingham was having fun with the boat\u2019s easy-to-play sail controls\u2014especially the hydraulic mast ram and the structured luff (the boat had a North Sails quiver for our test sail) for mast control in the absence of a backstay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0975-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"ClubSwan 28\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0975-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0975-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0975-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0975-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0975.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">At 2,600 pounds, the boat is light, and with an L-shaped keel that draws 6 feet, the ClubSwan 28 can be easily trailered and raced in skinny-water venues.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s interesting because it\u2019s got a ram that you can adjust throughout the race, but with the cunningham and the structured luff, you\u2019re bending the mast with compression,\u201d Ingham says. \u201cThe cunningham is led back to the main trimmer, just below the mainsheet block, and when you pull that on, mast bend is noticeable. It\u2019s really sophisticated in that you have multiple ways to quickly depower, between the rig itself and the structured luff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prepreg vinlyester construction gives the boat impressive stiffness and a solid feel underfoot, Davis says, and that was noticeable during their session in 10 to 15 knots and flat water. \u201cWhen you get on a this boat, it is a completely different feeling. It really is. Things are tight as a drum and when we pulled the controls on hard, nothing flexed. It\u2019s incredibly solid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michetti, a world champion of a bunch of grand-prix one-design classes, has the experience to ensure the boat\u2019s ergonomics were right. Access to lines, the layouts, and the overall crewing ergonomics were strong selling points for judge Monica Morgan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0696-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"ClubSwan 28\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0696-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0696-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0696-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0696-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0696.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Easy-to-play sail controls include the hydraulic mast ram and the structured luff for mast control in the absence of a backstay.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was really comfortable,\u201d she says, \u201cthe cockpit had plenty of room, and even on the rail it didn\u2019t feel as if we were all bunched up. Being a smaller person, I could do most things on the boat, and that\u2019s pretty cool. I can see it as being manageable by a novice owner that\u2019s new to racing. And I could see a high-level sailor being able to push its limits. There\u2019s plenty of power in the sails, it\u2019s really responsive, and it\u2019s especially fun downwind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At 2,600 pounds, the boat is light, and with an L-shaped keel that draws 6 feet, the ClubSwan 28 can be easily trailered and raced in skinny-water venues. Michetti says an experienced team can have the boat off the trailer, tuned and sailing in four hours or less. And as to professionals, one-design class rules have no limitations aside from an owner-driver restriction and a maximum crew weight of 400 kilograms. The owner, however, can declare a weight of 85 kilograms and be exempt from any crew weigh-in requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is only one class spinnaker allowed (maximum area is 936 square feet) and only two class jibs. At ClubSwan events, the race committee determines which sail is to be used across the fleet based on the wind strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0588-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"ClubSwan 28\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0588-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0588-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0588-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0588-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Club_Swan_28-0588.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Prepreg carbon construction gives the boat impressive stiffness and a solid feel underfoot.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>ClubSwan regattas, of which there are plenty in Europe, give owners and crew a unique environment that hints at a modest level of exclusivity. The U.S. plan for the class\u2014as of October 2025\u2014is to launch a series in Pensacola, Florida in the winter and Newport, R.I., in the summer. Success of the endeavor will rest upon Nautor Swan remaining committed to the class stateside. Should that happen, there\u2019s a fun future of high-level class racing for those who seek turnkey racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat is the one cool thing about the ClubSwan concept and this boat. Aside from the M32 catamaran group and the IC37s for New York YC, which is a different sort of thing, nobody has done anything like this in the U.S. for a conventional keelboat class, so this is a new deal,\u201d Davis says. \u201cFederico said they\u2019re very motivated for the U.S. market because they see the potential here as untapped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michetti\u2019s stated price for the boat, in October and the midst of the U.S. tariff uncertainty, was $283,000. The judges agree that while that may seem high initially, it is a reasonable cost to experience the ClubSwan racing sphere. But for this price, they add, there\u2019s a lot that comes with it: a sophisticated carbon build, purposeful high-quality hardware and systems and access to the club. And yes, you can club race it, day sail it and show it off all you want. It is a Swan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With its ClubSwan 28, Nautor Swan crams a bunch of grand-prix sophistication into a pint-sized sportboat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":82831,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Dave Reed","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true,"ad_targeting":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[173,2966,2952,164,3069],"class_list":["post-82827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sailboats","tag-boat-of-the-year","tag-clubswan","tag-clubswan-28","tag-sailboats","tag-winter-2026"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}