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Nautor Swan Swan 48 MKIIvsX-Yachts Xc 47

Swan 48 MKII is 1.9 ft longer than Xc 47 (4%). Xc 47 draws the least water, 6.6 ft — 1.3 ft less than Swan 48 MKII.

Anyone with the link sees this comparison.

Key differences

Worked out from the published figures below — arithmetic, not opinion.

At a glance

Dark icons are the standard layout; faded ones are what the larger layout adds.

Length : beam is length divided by beam — the higher it is, the slimmer the hull. Multihulls read low by nature.

A figure marked with a quote mark was read from the builder's page. Open it for the exact line, the page and the date.

Model
Nautor Swan Swan 48 MKII

Nautor Swan

Swan 48 MKII
Xc 47 sailing

X-Yachts

Xc 47
Overview
BrandNautor SwanX-Yachts
ModelSwan 48 MKIIXc 47
GenerationUnknownUnknown
Hull typeSailing MonohullSailing Monohull
PropulsionSailSail
Production statusDiscontinuedIn production
Production start yearUnknownUnknown
Production end yearUnknownUnknown
DesignerGermán FrersX-Yachts Denmark
Dimensions
LOA51.8 ft49.9 ft
Hull length48.5 ft47.1 ft
Beam15.1 ft15 ft
Draft7.9 ft6.6 ft–7.5 ft
Displacement33,069 lb32,849 lb
Accommodation
Cabins32–3
Heads2Unknown
BerthsUnknownUnknown
Performance & Rig
Main sail830 ft²Unknown
Jib673 ft²Unknown
GenoaUnknownUnknown
Upwind sail areaUnknownUnknown
Downwind sail area2,333 ft²Unknown
Engine power75 hp80 hp
Engine count11
Materials
Hull materialUnknownEpoxy/e-glass sandwich with steel frame
Deck materialUnknownUnknown
Mast materialUnknownUnknown
Keel typeT shaped contained draft keelL keel
Rudder typeUnknownUnknown
Sources

13 of 14 figures here carry the builder's own words

10 of 11 figures here carry the builder's own words

Size, to scale

Each boat's published length and beam seen from above, and its mast height and draft from the side, all drawn on one scale.

From above — length × beam
0 ft10 ft20 ft30 ft40 ft50 ftSwan 48 MKII: 51.8 ft × 15.1 ftXc 47: 49.9 ft × 15 ftSwan 48 MKII51.8 ft × 15.1 ftXc 4749.9 ft × 15 ft

Outlines are schematic; the dimensions are the builder's.

From the side — height above and depth below the water
WaterlinePerson, 5.9 ftSwan 48 MKII: air draft not published / 7.9 ftair draft not published7.9 ftSwan 48 MKIIXc 47: air draft not published / 7.5 ftair draft not published7.5 ftXc 47

Drawings side by side

Each boat's layouts, profiles and sail plans as its builder published them. Step through each column to line up the drawings you want to compare.

No drawings collected yet for Xc 47.

Speed, power & tanks

What the builders publish about how fast, how strong and how far — each figure on one scale for every boat.

Tanks

One scale per liquid across every boat: a tank twice the height holds twice as much.

  • Swan 48 MKII

    Fuel95 gal
    Water132 gal

  • Xc 47

    Fuel132 gal
    Water169 gal

How they sail, in numbers

Classic yacht-design ratios worked out from each builder's published figures. They compare boats; they don't grade them.

Sail area / displacement

How much sail the boat carries for its weight — its power in light air.

ModestCruiserPerformanceRacing162024Swan 48 MKII: 23.3
  • Swan 48 MKII23.3· Performance
  • Xc 47not published: sail area
How it is worked out

sail area (ft²) ÷ (displacement as ft³ of seawater)^⅔

Swan 48 MKII: mainsail + jib, added up

Displacement / length

How heavy the boat is for its waterline length. Lower is lighter and quicker; higher is steadier and roomier.

UltralightLightModerateHeavyVery heavy100180270350Swan 48 MKII: 156Xc 47: 182
  • Swan 48 MKII156· Light
  • Xc 47182· Moderate
How it is worked out

displacement (long tons) ÷ (0.01 × waterline length in ft)³

Ballast ratio

The share of the weight carried in the keel — a rough guide to stiffness, though how deep that weight sits matters as much.

LowModerateHigh3040Swan 48 MKII: 35Xc 47: 37
  • Swan 48 MKII35· Moderate
  • Xc 4737· Moderate
How it is worked out

ballast ÷ displacement × 100

Comfort ratio

Ted Brewer's measure of how gently a boat moves in a seaway. Higher means a slower, easier motion.

LightCoastalModerate offshoreHeavy offshoreVery heavy20304050Swan 48 MKII: 28.9Xc 47: 30.3
  • Swan 48 MKII28.9· Coastal
  • Xc 4730.3· Moderate offshore
How it is worked out

displacement (lb) ÷ (0.65 × (0.7 × LWL + 0.3 × LOA) × beam^1.333), lengths in ft

Capsize screening

A guide from the inquiry after the 1979 Fastnet race: below 2 was taken as suited to ocean passages. It ignores hull shape and where the ballast sits.

Below 22 and above2Swan 48 MKII: 1.88Xc 47: 1.87
  • Swan 48 MKII1.88· Below 2
  • Xc 471.87· Below 2
How it is worked out

beam (ft) ÷ (displacement as ft³ of seawater)^⅓

Hull speed

Roughly the speed a displacement hull reaches before it has to climb its own bow wave.

  • Swan 48 MKII9.0 kn
  • Xc 478.8 kn
How it is worked out

1.34 × √(waterline length in ft), in knots

Most builders publish a light displacement. The ratios were defined on a loaded boat, so every boat here reads a little lighter than a surveyor's figure would — all alike, which keeps them comparable.

Worth adding to this comparison

The boats most like the ones above, by hull form, size and use.