A refined bluewater voyager.
The growing popularity of catamarans for blue water sailing has spawned a number of designs aimed at sailors who want some speed along with their comfort, yet either don’t want, or can’t afford to go down the high-tech carbon-fiber route. Builders like Catana and Outremer are the best-known companies that cater to this market, but there are a number of others, many of them based in South Africa, which is tied with France as the current hotbed of multi hull development. One of the newer entrants into this competitive field is Balance Catamarans, whose second model, the Balance 526, we took for a spin on a sunny day off Fort Lauderdale.
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Balance is the brainchild of veteran multihull broker Phil Berman, who wanted to distill his decades of experience into a line of dedicated fast cruising boats. Experienced naval architect Anton du Toit put flesh on the bones of Berman’s requirements, and builder Jonathan Paarman of South Africa’s Nexus Yachts made the creation come to life.
The aim was to build a cruising cat that was easy to sail shorthanded, would look after its crew at sea, could carry all the cruising comforts that one could reasonably expect and could sail at average speeds of 10 to 12 knots. The hull forms exhibit no chines or protrusions, and wave-piercing bows and fine forward sections give way to wider, flared sections aft. High bridge deck clearance and a pair of dagger boards combine to provide a sea kindly ride and good windward ability.
Bu hikaye Sail dergisinin November 2016 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Sail dergisinin November 2016 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
The Floating Classroom
Taking homeschooling to the high seas.
Adventures in Boat Buying
When all else fails, buy another boat
Seascape 18
A fast and simple sport boat that you can also cruise
Drilling Stainless Steel
How to make holes in a not-so-hard metal
Lost and Found
Stop! The ship you lose may be your own
Rick Tomlinson
Rick Tomlinson is one of yachting’s most accomplished photographers, but he is also an accomplished sailor.
Monster At Midnight
Mine is a fishing family. Whether we are running lines off the stern, spear fishing or casting from the boat, we’re always fishing.
Bring It On!
FIVE SAIL ING FRIENDS GO IN SEARCH OF HEAVY WEATHER — AND FIND IT
Wind Chicken Gone Wild
ON THEIR FIRST LONG OPEN-WATER PASSAGE, A SAILING COUPLE GETS INTO THE PROBLEM-SOLVING SIDE OF SAILING
Appendicitis Offshore
A stomach ache turns into a life-threatening emergency while on passage.