Neo 570c, the out-of-the-ordinary fast cruiser (17 m)

There are new projects and there are innovative projects. As also there are all those projects that are kind of in the middle, floating in the middle, touching one or the other limit. And then there is the new Neo 570c, which plays in a league of its own, beyond new and innovative, in a more than successful marriage of both, and beyond. Created as something unique in the market, the Neo 570c by Neo Yachts & Composites is a revolutionary design if you will, or iconic if nothing else: a fast cruiser truly worthy of the name, because fast is fast, performance is performance, and undoubtedly does not disdain comfort and an interior that lives up to the second term: cruiser.

Neo 570C

At 17.50 meters long and 5.30 wide at the maximum beam, the new 570c is basically a racing machine, superlight and equally pulled – however, designed to also be fully appreciated while cruising. A hybrid of two worlds, a risky game, but one that turns out to best satisfy both origins. A small miracle child of the collaboration between Neo Yachts and Carkeek Design Partners.

Neo 570C – Design and Performance

Entirely made of carbon, the boat has clean, streamlined water lines, starting with the upturned bow and deep vents that draw a dead-edge work from here, unraveling toward mid-boat, flush with the foresail. A solution, this one, that does not find its raison d’être in aesthetics-although it is exceptionally pleasing-but bases its principles on more concrete foundations, close if you will, to ‘hydrodynamics, aerodynamics and fluid dynamics. Or rather, the swells and deep forward edges draw a deadly hull in crossing the water, reducing the effort the bow makes both in getting into the waves and out of them, consequently reducing the ‘braking’ component that would otherwise be generated.

Second, in addition to retracting volumes and weights toward the middle of the boat, the design also produces an effect on the forward sails, conveying wind to them and improving their performance, especially when the boat is heeled.

The yard’s work, however, does not stop at lines and volumes, but also plays out at the ‘weight’ juncture, where the Neo 570c ranks as a ‘featherweight’ thanks to a net of 11.5 tons, almost half of which, 5.3 tons, is ballast alone. Not insignificant numbers that can be translated into a boat with an overtly competitive spirit, but one that also indulges in cruising, which is nevertheless a central component of the project. And it is not only a cruiser in words, but also in deeds, so much so that it has innovative solutions even below deck and, to make the owner’s life easier, also reduced ‘footprint’, thanks to a
Lifting Keel
capable of going from 4.2 to 2.8 meters draft. Not unimportant detail, the rudder blades, optionally present as single center or double.

Neo 570C – Weapon and Deck

Starting with the exteriors, already the glance tends to suggest what kind of boat we are looking at. The cockpit is large, uncluttered, and entirely covered in grip, a solution that proceeds along the entire deck, hand in hand with ergonomics and very clean lines. Two helm wheels accommodate just before the step that serves as a seat (padded should it be in cruise), while the rest of the elevated structures (deckhouse etc) flee cleanly to the bow, merging into an immaculate flush deck.

Several lockers and even a tender garage are located at the dunnage, while movable rigging is arranged judiciously through the space, on a complex of 4 winches per tack. Instead, the fixed rigging runs indoors, grafted under the deckhouse, but easily accessible. Of course, all sent back to the cockpit, just in front and to the sides of the drum. Hidden, recessed like the rigging, we also find a sprayhood, usable in case of need.

Neo 570C – Interior and Cruise

Illuminated by no fewer than 12 lights-between skylights and walk-throughs-the Neo 570c’s interior is absolutely in keeping with the rest of the design: it works, it has an appeal all its own, and it’s definitely out of the chorus. Also ensuring the cruising spirit sought after, below deck we find a very high standard, complete with everything necessary, but rendered in perhaps unprecedented terms.

Available in as many as 4 variants (2×2; 3×3; 3×3 V2 and 2×2 Race), the configuration is mainly based on a standard, twin doubles in the stern, twin services on the broadside, large central open space salon and forward triangle. Here, in the last one, we have the difference between the three versions: the 2×2 (featured in the video) here houses a convivial corner with table and sofas; the 3×3 there houses a third cabin with a full-beam double; and the 3×3 v2 features a reduced third cabin with a smaller double, but private toilet. The 2×2 Race variant, on the other hand, retains the structure of the 2×2, stripping it of the superfluous and optimizing space for performance.

Regardless of the variant, the configuration feels particularly ‘cool,’ especially from the hatch to proceed forward, where we basically have an open space (2×2) with instrumentation and galley amidships, immediately below the mast and above the centerboard. In a single block, we have thus contained much of the weight, which is ideal for trim and also contain the system related the lift of the drift. Of course, needless to say, the quality of everything is high, the finish is meticulous, and everything except the obvious is made of carbon.

Technical Specs

Article by Doi De Luise