Nautor’s Swan is proud to announce the launch of the newly refitted sailing yacht Altair (ex Kora 5). The refit of the Swan 90 superyacht Altair, previously known as Kora 5, was undertaken following an unfortunate collision in Porto Cervo last September. Altair has left Pietarsaari bound for the Mediterranean and will be at the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy from 10 – 16 September 2012, joining the non-racing entries as part of the Rendezvous Fleet.
- Nautor’s Swan Launches Newly Refitted Swan 90 (c) Nautor’s Swan 2012
The Nautor’s Swan facility in Pietarsaari, Finland is the location where many stunning Swans have been built over the last 45 years since the creation of the company. The skill base of the Nautor team has been honed with the development of 96 models and production of almost 2,000 Swans. The longevity of the models has always been an attractive characteristic of owning a Swan and in recent years, the yard has undertaken a number of significant refits including the Swan 82S sailing yacht Nazca and the Swan 57, Berge Viking. Re-fits take place for a variety of reasons; some due to new ownership and a desire to stamp an individual identity on the yacht, some stem from a desire to bring into an older model the newer technologies now available and others due to extensive damage requiring the craftsmanship of the original builders to restore the interior and exterior to the standard desired.
None of the recent refits are perhaps as comprehensive as that of the Swan 90, Kora 5 (c) Nautor's Swan 2012
None of the recent refits are perhaps as comprehensive as that of the Swan 90 sailing yacht Kora 5. Following a collision on the start line at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup last September in Porto Cervo that left the Swan 90, Kora 5, with a substantial hole in her side, an extensive refit was undertaken and she has recently been re-launched from the Nautor’s Swan yard in Pietarsaari, Finland. Re-named Altair and with a colour change from navy blue to snow white top sides with grey lines, the Swan 90 has been transformed and returned to her former glory.
The Swan 90 has been transformed and returned to her former glory (c) Nautor's Swan 2012
The Nautor’s Swan team arranged for a quick shipment of the damaged boat back to her original site of construction in order for the specialised Nautor technicians to assess the refit. The main focus of this re-fit was above the waterline with a restoration of the aft amidships cabin on the starboard side of the saloon. This re-fit was split into distinct phases with initially the removal of all installations in the outboard area of the cabin. This covered plumbing, electric wiring, interior furniture and deck gear in order to gain access to some of the hull laminate. The next stage saw a section of hull area being removed; the hull was then prepared to join with a new hull piece which was laminated on site in Pietarsaari, Finland using the Nautor’s Swan lamination facilities. The hull piece was then fitted to the hull and bonded.
This re-fit was split into distinct phases (c) Nautor's Swan 2012
During the lamination phase, in-house Nautor’s Swan joinery craftsmen were also upgrading the interior furniture of the Altair yacht, with a complete new set being created for the starboard guest cabin. After the lamination work was finalised and post cured, the assembly staff at the yard started work on rebuilding the plumbing and electrical systems, this then followed with the interior joinery team reconfiguring the interior to the prestigious Nautor’s Swan quality mark.
The hull was then faired in and prepared for the overall paint job. The hull was painted with AwlGrip and at the same time the mast and boom were also painted for an exact match. The final step was to reinstall the deck fittings on the bulwark together with the new pulpit, pushpit and starboard side stanchions. Superyacht Altair’s teak deck was then given a light sanding to ensure a consistent finish across the decks and the boat was re-launched, ready to continue with her calendar of events for the rest of 2012.
Paolo Scerni, owner of sailing yacht Altair commented, “the Nautor’s Swan team have really demonstrated their prowess in the refit field. I was keen for Kora 5 to be taken as quickly as possible back to the Yard in Finland as I felt this was the ultimate location for the substantial works that needed to be carried out as a time effective refit project for her to be able to sail at this year’s upcoming Rolex Swan Cup. I am delighted with the craftsmanship from Nautor’s Swan and am now looking forward to establishing a lovely new long lasting relationship with my Swan 90, Altair”.
