ISBJØRN

ISBJØRN is hull number 002 of 46 Swan 48's built. The 48 was the 6th design developed for Nautor of Finland. The boat was developed to rate under the I.O.R. Rule and yet be a great cruising boat. A yawl rig option was also offered.

ISBJØRN began life as WARBABY, one of well-known Bermudan racing sailor Warren Browne's fleet, and built in 1971 (though she's a model-year 1972). As the story goes, WARBABY, in the early '70s, was seized by the USCG for running drugs from Turkey (listen to Pam Wall tell this story — she was there! — in the first 'On the Wind' TV interview!). 

That led to her taking up residence at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, where she was renamed INSURGENTE, and spent 20 years there. INSURGENTE served as essentially a 'Navy 48', sailing alongside the fleet of one-design 44's and used primarily for ocean racing; a second Swan 48, hull number 011, called CONSTELLATION, also served with the USNA - she won the Bermuda race at some point and the Mid who was at the helm is still the youngest skipper to ever have done so.

After the Navy was through with her, she was bought by the Annapolis School of Seamanship, renamed PATRIOT and underwent a major refit between 1999 & 2004. 

In 2004, she changed hands again, and from here the history as I know it becomes a little foggier. We know she sailed the Bermuda Race again in 2012, 40 years after her initial race debut. Long story short, she wound up in New England and we got our hands on her in February 2015. 

She's widely considered one of the safest platforms for deep ocean sailing, and is an all-time classic yacht.