The Najad shipyard was founded in 1971 and has built more than 2000 boats over the course of over 45 years, all of which have been tailored to the owners’ needs and preferences. With an uncompromising approach to design and construction, Najad has become one of the most respected brands in the sailing world.
Najad heritage dates back to the first boatmen on the island of Orust, Sweden. They were followed by generations of skilled boatbuilders, sailors and fishermen, who lived and sailed under harsh conditions. The sea dictated the conditions and was a constant reminder of the vital necessity of quality in all things. Coming from this tradition, the first Najad was introduced in the early 1970s. The stability and sailing dynamics were a revelation. Ever since Najad has been a leader in developing the boatbuilding tradition.
On the island of Orust, Sweden, the boat-building tradition is long-standing and can be traced back to at least the 12th century. Since 1971 Najad has made dreams come true creating yachts that combine excellent sailing with timeless design and beautiful craftsmanship.
The beginning of Najad, in 1970, Torwald Karlsson and Berndt Arvidsson called Olle Enderlein who said: “Of course I will draw you a fine boat, how big should it be?” – “Around 10 metres,” they said, and he made an outline proposal that we extended, expanded and changed. After all, one wants to have as much volume as possible in a boat, a little too much sometimes. In the end, they settled upon a design that was 10.30m long and 3.10m wide.
Having completed their first boat, it was time to sell it, but they did not know anything about marketing or sales because they were boat builders and that was really all they knew! So they made a scale model and hired a 2 x2-metre booth at the 1971 Gothenburg Boat Fair. But they had no time to stand there all week, so they put up a note with their phone number. It was not long before people started to call and among others, by an old man (in their eyes at least, don’t forget they were only 25 years old at the time!) named Thor Liljedahl – “I want a boat like this but I need a double cabin, if you can make a boat with an aft cabin I will buy it“.
Berndt thinks the price was 85-90,000 SEK with full sail and ready to go. The first hull completed in the spring and they delivered the first boat to Thor Liljedahl in June 1972. Berndt seems to recall there was a great party to celebrate the occasion! They went on to build 354 of the Najad 34. And so, the Najad story began…