The 2012 events and circuits programme provides an opportunity for Swan sailing yacht owners and their crew from all over the world to be united by their love of sailing and to share their enjoyment of and pride in their yacht. Nautor’s Swan offer every member the chance to enjoy their Swan yacht to the full and also to share their experiences with other owners at a number of prestigious Nautor’s Swan events, regattas and cruising rendezvous staged in some of the most exclusive destinations around the globe.
Enrico Chieffi, Managing Director of Nautor’s Swan commented, “the programme of events for 2012 is extensive and includes many opportunities for Swan owners to compete against one another for the incredible trophies awarded annually by the Swan Racing Office or simply to relax and enjoy their boats in the company of friends and new acquaintances. Our year culminates with the Rolex Swan Cup at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo; watching the spectacle of over 100 Swans sailing through the Magdalena Islands is truly special and one I am personally looking forward to greatly again.”
Rolex Swan 45 World Championship fleet racing off Porto Cervo
Swan Challenge Series
The Swan Challenge Series, which has formed a key pillar within the Swan Racing Office since their introduction in 2000, has evolved to focus upon offshore racing – a core element of Nautor’s Swans DNA. For 2012, four Swan Challenges will take place with the stunning Asprey Trophies awarded to the first placed Swan overall.
The first event will be the RORC Caribbean 600 for the Swan Caribbean Challenge, with the fleet racing from Antigua out around the various islands back to Antigua. The second blue water event will be the iconic biannual Newport to Bermuda Race for the Swan East American Challenge. The 635 mile race attracts many Swans and the St David’s Lighthouse Division was won overall by the Swan 45, Alliance. The 606 mile long Rolex Middle Sea Race will form the Swan Mediterranean Challenge in October of 2012, the year then rounds out with the Swan Transatlantic Challenge and the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers from Gran Canaria to St Lucia starting on 25 November 2012.
Hubolt PalmaVela
Swan Racing Circuits
With the focus of the Swan Challenge Series firmly upon 600 mile plus offshore races, a void was created within the Swan Racing Office activity. To fill this, the Swan Racing Circuits have been created; 5 inshore events have been selected in three key regions: Caribbean / USA, Mediterranean and North Europe. The events selected have proven themselves to be firm favourites with the Swan community and attract significant numbers of Swans to the regattas annually.
The Caribbean / USA Swan Racing Circuit will start in early March with the Heineken Regatta in St Maarten followed by the International Rolex Regatta in St Thomas, USVI and then Antigua Sailing Week at the end of April. It then moves to the East Coast USA with the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta in Newport in June and then wraps up with the New York Yacht Club Race Week in Newport in July.
A Nautor's Swan 60 Sailing Yacht
The Mediterranean Swan Racing Circuit starts in Santa Margherita, Italy with the Trofeo Carlo Negri – Regate Pirelli before moving to the Giraglia Rolex Cup in St Tropez. The next event will be the Copa del Rey in Palma followed by the biannual Rolex Swan Cup held at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo from 10 – 16 September 2012. The circuit concludes in St Tropez with Les Voiles de St Tropez at the beginning of October.
The North European Swan Racing Circuit is the last to start, with the Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta at the end of May in Scheveningen, the Netherlands followed by Kieler Woche in June. The circuit then moves to the UK for two events, the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race and then Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week. The final event of the circuit will be Breskens Sailing Weekend at the end of August.
Trophies will be presented to the winners of each of the three circuits.
Yacht VIRAGO - a Swan 100
Swan Class Circuits
2012 will see three Swan Class Circuits taking place – the Swan Maxi Class Circuit, developed four years ago for the growing market of Swans over 60 feet long and two Swan 45 Class Circuits – one in the Mediterranean and one in North Europe.
The Swan Maxi Class Circuit and Swan 45 Class Mediterranean Circuit will follow the same format as the Mediterranean Swan Racing Circuit with five events, Trofeo Carlo Negri – Regate Pirelli in Santa Margherita, Giraglia Rolex Cup in St Tropez, Copa del Rey in Palma, Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo and finally concluding at Les Voiles de St Tropez.
The Swan 45 Class North European Circuit will consist of three events, with no discards applied. The first event will be the Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, followed by Kieler Woche in June and concludes in the Netherlands at Breskens Sailing Weekend at the end of August.
Swan 90, DSK Pionee
Rolex Swan Cup
The jewel in Nautor’s Swan’s crown is the Rolex Swan Cup, held biannually at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Porto Cervo. The regatta will run from 10 – 16 September 2012 and attracts over 100 entries from Swans ranging in size from the smallest Swan built, the Swan 36, up to the largest, Swan 112. Racing takes place over 6 days with the Friday allocated as a Reserve Day following the iconic Long Race around the Magdalena Islands. In addition to the racing, Nautor’s Swan will also be staging a Rendezvous for those keen to join the event but less keen to race; with lunches at spectacular bays and sociable sailing through the stunning Magdalena Islands participation is keen.
The Rolex Swan Cup will also incorporate the Swan 45 World Championship for 2012. Defending Champions, Earlybird will be back to attempt to retain their crown for a third time in recent years. Racing will include windward leeward racing on four days and one long race around the islands joining the other Rolex Swan Cup competitors.
The social programme that accompanies the racing is unique; the fusion of Rolex as title sponsor of the event, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda as the Organising Authority and the Nautor’s Swan family brings to life an elegant and attractive series of events that truly reflects the spirit of Swan. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda will host the Opening Reception at their Club House, followed by the Rolex Owners Dinner on Friday 14 September 2012. The Rolex Crew Party, for all participants, will be staged at the Colonna Resort Hotel with the Final Prize Giving after racing on Sunday at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in the Piazza Azzurra.
Yacht ARISTARCHOS a Swan sailing yacht
ClubSwan Caribbean Rendezvous
The 9th edition of the hugely popular ClubSwan Caribbean Rendezvous will take place from 12 – 17 March 2012 and run in conjunction with the Bitter End Yacht Club. The 2012 edition will incorporate many of the traditional features from previous editions like the Laser and Hobie Regattas at the Bitter End Yacht Club, the Round Virgin Gorda Race at the end of the week and the Hors d’Oeuvres contest held by sunset on the beach with island style rum cocktails at Marina Cay. Small changes will also be incorporated to enhance the experience for all as the Swan fleet cruise through the British Virgin Islands visiting many stunning locations and sharing the pure enjoyment of being aboard their Swans.
The route for 2012 will start at the Bitter End Yacht Club on Monday 12, sail to Cooper Island on Tuesday 13 and then on to Sandy Cay / Jost van Dyke on Wednesday 14. On Thursday 15 the fleet will move on to Marina Cay before returning to the Bitter End Yacht Club on Friday 16. Saturday 17 will feature the annual Round Virgin Gorda Race before the event concludes with the Final Prize Giving and Gala Dinner and Dancing hosted at Almond Walk.
Boat Shows
Nautor’s Swan will be exhibiting at a number of Boat Shows through the year, starting in Germany in January at the Dusseldorf Boat Show located in Hall 7A, B17. This is followed by a number of Shows around Europe, Australia and later in the year in the United States of America. After the Rolex Swan Cup in September, the Nautor’s Swan team will be present at the Monaco Yacht Show from 19 – 22 September.
VIRAGO a Swan 100 sailing yacht
Nautor’s Swan Calendar 2012 – Events, Regattas and Boat Shows
January
Dusseldorf Boat Show, GER 21 – 29 January Boat Show
February
Batmassan, Goteborg, SWE 3 – 12 February Boat Show
BigBlu, Rome, ITA 18 – 26 February Boat Show
RORC Caribbean 600, Antigua 20 February Caribbean Challenge
March
Heineken St. Maarten Regatta, St. Maarten 1 – 4 March Caribbean / USA Circuit (1)
Allt for Sojn, Stockholm, SWE 2 – 12 March Boat Show
ClubSwan Caribbean Rendezvous, BVI 12 – 17 March All Swan Yachts
International Rolex Regatta, St. Thomas 23 – 25 March Caribbean / USA Circuit (2)
April
Trofeo Carlo Negri – Regate Pirelli, S. Margherita, Italy 28 April – 1 May Mediterranean Circuit (1)
Antigua Sailing Week, Antigua 29 April – 4 May Caribbean / USA Circuit (3)
May
Marina di Sant’Andrea Boat Show, ITA May Boat Show
Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, Queensland, AUS 24 – 27 May Boat Show
Rolex Volcano Race, Gaeta – Capri, Italy 24 – 28 May Award for top Swan
North Sea Regatta, Scheveningen, NED 25 – 28 May North European Circuit (1)
June
ClubSwan Guernsey Rendezvous 5 – 8 June All Swan Yachts
NYYC 156th Annual Regatta, Newport RI, USA 8 – 10 June Caribbean / USA Circuit (4)
Giraglia Rolex Cup, Saint Tropez FR /Genoa IT 9 – 16 June Mediterranean Circuit (2)
Newport to Bermuda Race, USA 15 June East American Challenge
Kieler Woche, GER 16 – 20 June North European Circuit (2)
JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, Cowes 30 June North European Circuit (3)
July
NYYC Race Week, Newport, USA 14 – 22 July Caribbean / USA Circuit (5)
Copa del Rey, Palma, ESP 16 – 21 July Mediterranean Circuit (3)
August
Sydney International Boat Show, Sydney, AUS 2 – 6 August Boat Show
Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, Cowes, UK 11 – 18 August North European Circuit (4)
Baltic Sea Challenge, Helsingor, Denmark 10 – 12 August All Swan Yachts
Stockholm Floating Boat Show, SWE 30 Aug – 2 Sept Boat Show
Breskens Sailing Weekend 31 Aug – 2 Sept North European Circuit (5)
September
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo, ITA 3 – 8 September Award for top Swan
HISWA, Amsterdam, NED 4 – 9 September Boat Show
Flensburger Fordewoche, Flensburg, GER 7 – 15 September All Swan Yachts
Rolex Swan Cup, Porto Cervo, ITA 10 – 16 September All Swan Yachts
Festival de la Plaisance, Cannes, FRA 12 – 17 September Boat Show
Newport Boat Show, Newport, USA 13 – 16 September Boat Show
PSP Southampton Boat Show, UK 14 – 23 September Boat Show
Monaco Yacht Show, MON 19 – 22 September Boat Show
Interboot, Friedrichshafen, GER 23 – 30 September Boat Show
Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, France 29 Sept – 7 October Mediterranean Circuit (5)
October
Rapallo Boat Show, Rapallo, ITA October Boat Show
Annapolis Sail Boat Show, Annapolis, USA 4 – 8 October Boat Show
Rolex Middle Sea Race, Malta 20 – 27 October Mediterranean Challenge
Barcolana, Trieste, ITA 9 October Award for top Swan
Hanseboot International Boat Show, Hamburg, GER 27 October – 4 Nov Boat Show
November
Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), Gran Canaria 25 November Transatlantic Challenge
Nautor Swan
