Balance 442 Performance-cruiser Design
A look at the thinking that went into the new Balance 442 performance-cruiser
A sketch of the Balance 442’s cockpit: note how the two possible positions of the boat’s Versa-Helm are shown to starboard
To say there’s a lot that goes into creating an all-new boat has got to be one of the world’s great understatements. And the job only becomes exponentially harder when boats get smaller, rather than larger a point that is lost on many as every inch of space must be used precisely.
To gain some insight into the nuts and bolts of the process, we reached out to the folks at Balance Catamarans to ask them some questions about their new 442. Currently under construction down in South Africa (where Balance has been building its boats since its founding in 2013) the boat will be the smallest of a line of performance catamarans that includes a 76-footer as its flagship and a very popular 52ft model, and carries on the company’s tradition of c