Swan 43 (Stephens)
Nautor Swan · Sparkman & Stephens · 1970
Updated
The Swan 43 (Stephens) is a 13.05 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built by Nautor Swan, first launched in 1970. It races in Class C. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 56% of the designs it races against. It is at its best in light air and struggles to hold that once it blows.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 56% of the boats it races against.
70th of 159 in its class.
Updated — First Race Edge for this design. Enough boats of this design have now been measured to rank it. It is strongest in medium air.
This design has been found in real race results — 8 starts across 2 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
13.05 m
42′ 10″
Beam
3.55 m
Draft
2.18 m
Displacement
10.7 t
Sail area
96 m²
On the podium
Where a Swan 43 (Stephens) finishes when she goes racing.
0
Wins
0
Seconds
0
Thirds
8
Starts
Not enough races yet for a percentage — these are the counts so far. We keep collecting results, so this will fill in.
Read from 8 starts by 2 boats between 2022 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Swan 43 (Stephens) was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Rolex Swan Cup2026- Rolex Swan Cup2022
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
—
Not enough data yet: 1 race of 10 NM or less carry a published distance.
Offshore & coastal
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Not enough data yet: 7 races over 10 NM carry a published distance.
Who she races against
The designs a Swan 43 (Stephens) actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Also met, too few times for a figure:
Swan 41 (4 meetings)
Some of the boats it races against
How the Swan 43 (Stephens) has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
5.23
38°
Beam reach
8.07
90°
Broad reach
8.70
135°
Downwind VMG
7.79
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
It does most things without giving much away. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is to windward once it pipes up, where it does more than its size and sail area promise, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage downwind as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
It falls short off the wind when it blows, giving away time it never gets back. That is weight that has to be driven rather than released.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.4 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the upwind.
How fast is a Swan 43 (Stephens)
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.38 | 4.55 | 5.04 | 5.23 |
| 52° | 5.13 | 6.62 | 7.16 | 7.37 |
| 60° | 5.38 | 6.83 | 7.35 | 7.56 |
| 75° | 5.54 | 6.99 | 7.54 | 7.84 |
| 90° | 5.45 | 7.06 | 7.62 | 8.07 |
| 110° | 5.44 | 7.21 | 7.88 | 8.35 |
| 120° | 5.29 | 7.13 | 7.90 | 8.62 |
| 135° | 4.79 | 6.79 | 7.75 | 8.70 |
| 150° | 4.08 | 6.11 | 7.37 | 8.34 |
| Run VMG | 3.53 | 5.29 | 6.62 | 7.79 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Nearly all carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 640 kg.
Rigging
Swan 43 (Stephens) rig and sail dimensions
A Swan 43 (Stephens) carries 14.38 m of mainsail hoist on a 4.88 m boom, a forestay 15.71 m above the deck and a 5.41 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 8 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 104 to 151 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.
Other designs under the same name
The name has been carried by more than one design. They are different boats.