LOA: 47.9 ft / 14.6 m
LWL: 37.28 ft / 11.36 m
Beam: 13.6 ft / 4.15 m
Draft: 7.8 ft / 2.4 m
Ballast: 14100 lbs / 6400 kg
Displacement: 36000 lbs / 16300 kg
Antifouled Area: 538 ft² / 50 m²
SA/D: 16.0

I: 62.5 ft / 19.05 m
J: 20 ft / 6.1 m
P: 56.5 ft / 17.22 m
E: 15.5 ft / 4.72 m
Fore Triangle: 625 ft² / 58.1 m²
Main: 437.9 ft² / 40.7 m²
Genoa 150%: 937.5 ft² / 87.1 m²
Spinnaker: 2250 ft² / 209 m²
Winches: Lewmar Ocean Series S

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.. A neat quote about CONSTELLATION, following that Newport-Bermuda Race in 1992:

"The knowledge that we were sailing a Swan made us drive CONSTELLATION even harder. We always knew that the boat could take anything with which we could punish her."

In fact, WARBABY participated in the 1972 Bermuda Race, only to lose out to another Swan 48, hull number 001, NORYEMA VIII, who won the event.

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. The cabin sole was rebuilt, most of the furniture belowdecks refinished, the deck layout reconfigured and modernized with the latest sailing hardware, etc. etc. The mast was replaced entirely in 1999, the engine in 2004. Bob Campbell, the 'Yoda' of marine electrics, installed the primary electrical system and a new battery bank, plus 270-amp alternator.

In 2004, she changed hands again, and from here the history as I know it becomes a little foggier. I 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. We couldn't be prouder to be her new caretakers!

Another exciting chapter in ISBJØRN's history was uncovered when an email out of the blue came in from one of the boat's previous skippers in her US Naval Academy days. We got this from retired US NAVY CAPT. RALPH STOLL:

“I came across your 59-north.com website while researching what might have happened to Insurgente since I sailed on her in 1977-78 while assigned as a Lieutenant at the Naval Academy in Annapolis...It is wonderful to read on your blogs that a remarkable sailboat has continued to enjoy such a robust sea-going life under your care. I was aboard as one of the Officers-in-Charge when she won Class A in the inaugural Marion-Bermuda race in 1977. The story is told in the book "Sailing at the United State Naval Academy — An Illustrated History" written by RADM Robert W. McNitt who was also aboard during that race.

The other happy memory is that the boat and our crew were filmed by the movie crew for JAWS II while anchored and spinnaker flying at Martha's Vineyard prior to the race. Some of the footage is included in the movie. Universal City Studios paid us with a case of lobsters and a case of beer!”