New Balance 442

[Sebastian_W]

New 44 foot catamaran by balance. Starting at 700,000$

I really like the versa helm, and that you can sail the boat from a fully enclosed position in the aft cockpit. They include a forward facing nav station. It will be interesting what a fully loaded catamaran will cost, but definitely a welcome design to the 40-45 foot catamaran cruiser market. Can't wait to see the first build.

https://balancecatamarans.com/our-models/442-2/

[Steve_C]

Looks very promising, I suspect this is the new design that "Ruby Rose" has chosen as their new vessel. Where did you find the info on the starting price?

[greycellgreen]

The starting. Price is on the website

[greycellgreen]

I figure a fully loaded 442 will go for about 850 to 900k. Give or take

[Rennsail]

Originally Posted by Steve_C

Looks very promising, I suspect this is the new design that "Ruby Rose" has chosen as their new vessel. Where did you find the info on the starting price?

Good guess, but they're choosing the new Seawind 1370.


That said, I THINK this versahelm feature on this Balance could be pretty useful. However, I would LOVE to hear the opinions of the more seasoned cat captains around here though.

[Tin Tin]

Interesting that a boat partly designed by an East coast American has an air draft of 65.65ft.

[Hodgdon87]

Originally Posted by Tin Tin

Interesting that a boat partly designed by an East coast American has an air draft of 65.65ft.

The Balance 442 has the option for a 63.5ft ICW-friendly rig.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Tin Tin

Interesting that a boat partly designed by an East coast American has an air draft of 65.65ft.

Mainly designed by a Kiwi, Roger Hill, good designer, the boat is based on the Montebello molds out of Australia.

[Tin Tin]

Originally Posted by Factor

Mainly designed by a Kiwi, Roger Hill, good designer, the boat is based on the Montebello molds out of Australia.

That is the Balance 451 built in China.

[Hodgdon87]

Originally Posted by Factor

Mainly designed by a Kiwi, Roger Hill, good designer, the boat is based on the Montebello molds out of Australia.

Tin Tin is correct, you're thinking of the Balance 451 which is being phased out and replaced by the brand new Balance 442. The 442 is designed by Anton Du Toit and being built at the new Balance facility in Cape Town. The design will incorporate all the innovative features from the Balance 526 like the Versahelm. The tooling is currently under construction and hull # 1 is due to launch in Nov 2021.

[Klmont]

Looking forward to seeing the new 482 to get a sense for how the 526 concept translates. It will also be interesting to see how downsizing the concept impacts performance. I like the new Seawind 1370 whi have is a direct competitor and apparently off to a great start in terms of sales, but i have to say - the versahelm and dagger boards draw me to the Balance.

[CaptainMarkS]

I've requested information / quotes for the Seawind 1370 and Balance 442. It's a tough choice. Next hull available for the Balance 442 is 2023. I suspect the Seawind is 5 years out! One's got to have a long horizon if buying new!

[aqfishing]

Nexus Catamarans in St Francis bay, South Africa also build Balance Cats, but I see Two Oceans in Cape Town are now also offering Balance Cats. Maybe the demand is up!

I know the St Francis yard is pretty busy, so maybe they introduced the Two Oceans factory to reduce lead times!

[greycellgreen]

The 1370 has already been sold out to hull 50 last I heard. They are supposedly trying to increase production. But. I believe it is 2025 is next available slot but could be later

[Yihang]

Originally Posted by greycellgreen

The 1370 has already been sold out to hull 50 last I heard. They are supposedly trying to increase production. But. I believe it is 2025 is next available slot but could be later

50? Thats crazy. Neel 43 is apparently up to hull 23, also bought from a plan. It use to be a good year if a small builder has 6-10 order per year.

I think Antares builds about 6 and lightwave about 2 per year. These guys need to hire some French designers and at least offer a modern alternative to the classic hulls.