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Boat designs make splash at show

Nautor Swan 45 has a sleeker look than previous Nautor designs

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Two new boat designs made a splash at the London Boat Show this month.

Stylish, light and easy to handle, the new Swan 45 looks more like a racing boat than a cruiser.

It is a departure for the Finnish-Italian boatbuilders Nautor, who say their goal is to make he most competitive Swan ever.

"It's an exciting, sleek-looking boat," Matt Sheehan from Yachting World told CNN.

"It looks more like a racing boat than perhaps some of their previous designs and while it may not look radical to some people it is a big, big change from what Nautor are used to building."

Leonardo Ferragamo of the Italian fashion family bought Nautor in 1998. His business sense as well as personal touch has seen the company's turnover shoot up from $30 million to $120 million in three years.

Nautor's Swan UK agent Pat Lilley said of Ferragamo: "His input, the style, flair and passion have brought a lot into the company, whereas in Nautor they have a culture for quality, so the amalgamation of the two has worked."

There are high expectations for this latest model -- the Swan 45. Regattas specifically created for this design will provide an extra lure for owners with that competitive streak. But all this comes with a price tag of half a million dollars.

For some yacht manufacturers, design is not so much about comfort, style and speed…it is about getting more people involved in sailing. UK manufacturer Laser is a good example.

Laser is a company known for breaking the mould and the new SB3 follows that trend. It's a three-person keelboat built for racing but with the more mature sailor in mind.

"What's great about this boat is that it delivers a fantastic performance with any real hard effort and drive," said sailing expert Tim Coventry.

"With a lot of boats, what you put into them in terms of work and fitness is what you get out at the other end. With this, it just gets up and goes."

So sailors who enjoy serious, competitive racing will be able to follow their passion for far longer. Laser's SB3 will be available later this year.