A power project from the renowned sailing-superyacht shipyard Nautor’s Swan premiered in Miami in February. The Swan Shadow superyacht chase boat attracted attention for her sleek, stylish looks and equally attention-grabbing 55-knot top speed.
At 43 feet (13.2 meters) LOA, the chase boat is a way for Nautor’s Swan to enter the motoryacht market. More specifically, the shipyard’s design team wanted to contribute something that other chase-boat builders do not provide. In analyzing existing models, the group discovered that typically, they serve just one purpose, following the mothership. While that’s fine for some buyers, most owners don’t “just” cruise, or “just” spin around the harbor. Therefore, the Swan Shadow superyacht chase boat needed to be multi-functional.
For instance, owners can use her as a primary boat. It therefore can handle weekends or simple overnight trips with ease, due to a forward cabin. Additionally, the boat has a convertible T top, as seen in Miami. It’s one of two configurations available. Telescopic pillars and sliding-glass panels lend a little more versatility, and much-needed protection on chilly or windy days. The other configuration, meanwhile, is a limousine tender. Here, you also get telescopic pillars and opening windows, transforming the enclosed limo into an airier craft. Regardless, the Swan Shadow superyacht chase boat further has multiple configurations for furnishings.
Of course, the powerboat can more than keep pace with her mothership—and get you where you want to go, quickly. How does a top speed of 55 knots sound? The boat offers a choice of triple Mercury outboards from 225 to 350 hp apiece. And, in yet another difference compared to many chase boats, the outboards sit nestled into the transom, allowing the swim platform to wrap around them. This therefore preserves usable space for boarding or jumping into the water.
Finally, the swim platform itself is pretty versatile. It lowers to make it easier for swimmers or watertoy users to do what they wish. It can rise, too, to dock level, for more sure-footed boarding from shore.
Jarkko Jämsén, Swan Shadow’s designer, sums it up succinctly. “Together we wanted to create something sporty and fun, without compromising on the elegance customers have grown to expect from a Swan.”
Swan Shadow swanshadow.net
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