When Jan Opländer purchased his Swan 54, it was originally for cruising the Mediterranean. The yacht’s spacious interior, complete with modern comforts like a washing machine, combined with a sleek deck and hydraulic stern platform, made it the perfect vessel for luxurious, laid-back sailing. However, Opländer, an avid ORC racer with experience on his Swan 45, wasn’t content with simply cruising. He wanted performance – even from his cruising yacht.
To achieve this, Opländer outfitted his Swan 54 with a Hall Spars carbon mast and a V-shaped carbon boom, maximizing the boat’s sailing capabilities. With a passion for both family and competitive team sailing, he began to race the heavier cruiser for fun in prestigious events like the Rolex Swan Cup and Copa del Rey. While competing for enjoyment was the goal, the results were promising, even against more race-optimized yachts.
In 2023, Opländer set his sights higher. He decided to compete in the Rolex Swan Cup 2024, with an ambitious goal: a podium finish in Porto Cervo. This was a tall order for a cruising boat and a predominantly Corinthian crew, but it’s a challenge that Jan and his team embraced. Racing in the largest class of the event, Division C Swan Cruiser with 16 entrants, KATIMA not only reached the podium but claimed the top spot. With a string of 1st-place finishes, they secured the division title, taking home the coveted trophy and a prized Rolex watch.
The journey to optimization began when Jan called in his navigator, Tim “Timmy” Kröger, along with a few key crew members. Working closely with Stefan Voss at UK Sailmakers Germany and Pat Considine, UK’s Lead Designer based in Chicago, they developed a comprehensive plan to enhance KATIMA’s performance.
Their strategy included upgrades to the mainsheet controls, hull and keel maintenance, and ORC optimization from C Performance. The most impactful improvement was a new set of UK Sailmakers Titanium upwind sails, specifically designed to improve KATIMA’s light-air performance. These sails made a transformative difference, enabling the 20+ ton yacht to accelerate and point higher in conditions where it had previously struggled.
With a well-prepared boat and a crew who had honed their skills through racing aboard the Swan 45, Jan and his team were ready for the next challenge. Throughout 2024, Jan had fine-tuned his skills at the helm, pushing himself to a near-pro level. Armed with this experience, KATIMA entered the Rolex Swan Cup 2024 ready for competition. What followed was an incredible run, with KATIMA dominating the Division C Swan Cruiser class, clinching the top spot. In fact, the Swan 54 KATIMA was able to discard a 2nd place finish and secure the win with an impressive 1-1-1 picket-fence scoreline.
UK Sailmakers is proud to have been part of KATIMA’s success story. The combination of steady improvements, teamwork, and perseverance proved to be a winning formula. Congratulations to Jan Opländer and Team KATIMA for their outstanding achievement!
