Design and Construction
The 570’s hull and deck are vacuum-infused sandwich layups using blister-resistant vinylester resin over a Divinycell foam core with multi-axial E-glass, a modern construction approach that keeps weight down while resisting osmosis anchor. The deck is both bonded and bolted to the hull, with reinforced fiberglass in high-stress zones such as the winch foundations. Below the waterline, a couple of layers of epoxy primer sit over the laminate. The hull draws stiffness from a battery of longitudinal stringers, a reinforcing floor-plate grid, and structural bulkheads. The nearly plumb bow and slightly angled reverse transom maximize water length, while a long flush teak deck forward of the mast—teak is standard—gives her a purposeful profile. The fin keel pairs a cast-iron blade with a lead bulb, and the balanced spade rudder turns on a solid stainless-steel post.
Rig and Handling
Her tall, three-spreader fractional rig is aluminum and keel-stepped, supported by wire rigging, with a standard full-batten main and 106-percent working jib. Writing in Cruising World, testers sailed the shoal-draft version with a Seldén furling main and Furlex furling jib, finding the evenly balanced hull a delight to drive on a ridiculously light helm at the twin carbon wheels anchor. The 180-horsepower Volvo Penta diesel with a four-blade folding propeller provided plenty of power, and the test yacht spun in its own length using Max Power bow and stern thrusters, their joysticks mounted at the twin pedestals alongside Furuno autopilot repeaters. A powerful world cruiser, she can nonetheless be handled easily by a crew of two.
Accommodations
Rhoades Young styled the interior in light African mahogany with trim and flooring in another light wood, arranged around a low generous center cockpit and wraparound saloon windows. Owners have wide leeway in stateroom layout owing to her semicustom nature. The forward-facing navigation station to starboard is a fixed feature, and a fold-down switchboard gives ready access to fuses and circuit breakers. A large walk-in engine room sits amidships, further accessible by removing the companionway stairs and a series of panels behind the galley. Teak underfoot and a raised-deck saloon with those wraparound windows keep the living space bright.
Equipment and Deck Gear
The test yacht carried a complete Holmatro hydraulics package, a full suite of Andersen winches, a belowdecks Lofrans windlass with a big Delta anchor and husky twin bow rollers, plus generous Lewmar hardware and Spinlock clutches. A pedestal-mounted Furuno Navnet 3-D GPS/chart plotter logged boat speed, and the boat was also fitted with a bow thruster as backup during maneuvers.
The Verdict
The Najad 570 is a thoroughly modern, vacuum-infused semicustom cruiser with the stiffness and tankage for extended offshore work, yet manageable short-handed through thruster and hydraulic assistance. She is a sizable, heavy yacht whose shoal or deep draft options and owner-driven layouts suit both charter and private use.
Pros
- Vacuum-infused vinylester-Divinycell sandwich hull and deck with structural grid and bulkheads for stiffness
- Easily handled by two thanks to thruster, hydraulic, and autopilot systems
- Semicustom interior with bright saloon and walk-in engine access
Cons
- Heavy displacement and large rig demand serious systems upkeep
- Teak deck standard requires ongoing maintenance
