BeCool
BeCool: Engineering a 57-Metre Carbon Rig for the First Swan 128
Southern Spars, Future Fibres and RigPro combined specialist engineering and manufacturing expertise across three continents to deliver the complete mast, boom and standing rigging package for BeCool, the first Nautor Swan 128.
Launched in May 2025, the 38.98-metre yacht represents a significant development in Nautor Swan’s Maxi range. Designed by Germán Frers, with exterior styling by Micheletti + Partners and interiors by Misa Poggi in collaboration with Nautor Swan, BeCool brings together the performance of a contemporary Superyacht with the comfort and practical handling required for extended cruising.
For Southern Spars, the project focused on a lightweight and efficient rig capable of powering a 136-tonne yacht while remaining manageable for a relatively small permanent crew.
A taller mast with a simplified sail plan
One of the most interesting elements of the project was the owner’s decision to move away from the cutter rig commonly found on yachts of this size.
BeCool does not use conventional running backstays or a square-top mainsail. Instead, the mast was made approximately three metres taller to recover the sail area that would otherwise have been provided by a square-top configuration.
The yacht can carry a gennaker, genoa or staysail from the single-headsail arrangement. A self-tacking jib, furling boom and captive winches further simplify sail handling, allowing the yacht to be operated without requiring every member of the crew on deck.
This presented a distinct engineering challenge. The mast needed to deliver the required stiffness and performance without relying on running backstays, while also supporting the owner’s preference for straightforward and dependable cruising operation.
The result is a rig that uses geometry, material selection and structural efficiency to reconcile two traditionally competing requirements: maxi-yacht performance and practical short-handed control.
Advanced composite rigging from Future Fibres
The mast and boom are a Future Fibres rigging package incorporating AEROsix lateral rigging and ECsix fore-and-aft stays.
Reducing weight aloft was an important consideration throughout the project. Any reduction in mast and rigging weight contributes to stability, responsiveness and sailing efficiency.
The mast supports an extensive North Sails wardrobe, including:
- 444m² mainsail
- 402m² genoa
- 369m² staysail
- 1,180m² asymmetric gennaker
- Approximately 846m² of upwind sail area
Managing these sail areas places considerable loads on the rig and its associated systems. Weight, stiffness, mast bend and load distribution all needed to be carefully balanced to deliver reliable control across cruising and racing conditions.
A project spanning three continents
BeCool’s rig package was produced through a coordinated international program involving several North Technology Group facilities.
The mast was manufactured by Southern Spars in New Zealand, while the 18-metre carbon furling boom was produced in Spain. Future Fibres manufactured the standing rigging at its facility in Sri Lanka.
These elements were then transported to Nautor Swan’s shipyard in Jakobstad, Finland, for assembly, stepping and commissioning.
Transporting a mast of this length presented a project in its own right. The mast travelled from New Zealand to Belgium as deck cargo aboard a fruit ship before being transferred to another vessel for the final journey to Finland.
Careful planning was required throughout the process, from protecting the finished mast during transportation to coordinating its arrival with the yacht’s build program and the availability of the specialist lifting equipment needed for stepping.
A new flagship takes to the water
Following her delivery, BeCool sailed to the Mediterranean before making her public debut at the Monaco Yacht Show. She then participated in Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez and the St Barths Bucket, demonstrating her ability to transition between cruising, international events and superyacht racing.
In May 2026, BeCool received the World Superyacht Award in the Sailing Yachts 30m to 39.9m category.
For Southern Spars and Future Fibres, BeCool demonstrates what can be achieved when mast, boom and rigging are developed as one integrated system.
