The design was built by Oy Nautor AB in Finland, from 1979 to 1981, with five boats completed, but it is now out of production.^{[1][2][3][4][7][8][9]}

The Swan 76 is a racing keelboat, built predominantly of glassfibre, with wood trim. It has a masthead ketch rig, a raked stem, a reverse transom, a skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a wheel and a fixed fin keel or optional stub keel and centreboard. It was produced in both flush deck and deckhouse arrangements.^{[1][2][3][4][7]}

The boat is fitted with a German Mercedes-Benz OM 402 diesel engine of 200 hp (149 kW) for docking and manoeuvring.^{[1][2][3][4][7]}

For sailing downwind the boat may be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker of 4,350 sq ft (404 m²). The design has a hull speed of 10.49 kn (19.43 km/h).^{[1][2][3][4][7]}

Swan 76

This fixed keel, flush deck, maxi yacht racing model displaces 98,700 lb (44,770 kg) and carries 24,000 lb (10,886 kg) of lead ballast. The boat has a draft of 12.00 ft (3.66 m) with the standard fin keel. The fuel tank holds 555 U.S. gallons (2,100 L; 462 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 1,004 U.S. gallons (3,800 L; 836 imp gal).^{[1][2][3][4][7]}

Swan 76 DH

This centreboard, deck house cruising model displaces 105,500 lb (47,854 kg) and carries 29,800 lb (13,517 kg) of ballast. The boat has a draft of 12.00 ft (3.66 m) with the centreboard down and 7.60 ft (2.32 m) with it retracted. The fuel tank holds 608 U.S. gallons (2,300 L; 506 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 1,056 U.S. gallons (4,000 L; 879 imp gal).^{[1][2][3][4][7]}

• List of sailing boat types