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<\/p>\nOver the last decade, Balance Yachts, which is based in St. Francis Bay, South Africa, has built and launched 100 performance catamarans and along the way \u00a0the builders, the designer and the founder, Phil Berman, have learned a lot about their boats and their owners\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n
The new 502, which comes in two models and is available with two different propulsion options, carries all of the Balance DNA yet is an evolution for the brand. When Phil Berman founded the company, he was already one of the most knowledgeable multihull sailors, brokers and impresarios in the world.<\/p>\n
His concept was to create boats that were a sophisticated \u201cbalance\u201d between sailing performance and cruising comforts. All boats are compromises, but the trick Berman had up his sleeve was how to make those compromises balance out as perfectly as possible.<\/p>\n
With the 502, which will debut at this fall\u2019s boat shows, is offering the CX model which uses foam-cored hull and superstructure laminates in E-glass with strategic carbon fiber reinforcements. They also can build the CC model which has an all carbon-fiber core and superstructure that makes the boat 1,000 pounds lighter than the CX and stiffer.<\/p>\n
For propulsion, Berman and Balance were early adopters of systems from Integral, which are efficient and drive Integral\u2019s high output 48-volt alternators. With a huge lithium battery bank and solar panels on the hard top, the system eliminates the new for a generator and allows the use of induction cooking, thereby eliminating propane from the boat.<\/p>\n
The 502 can be powered by the Integral VersaDrive Hybrid which has an electric motor coupled to the marine diesel so the boat can run in either mode. Or you can opt for a straight diesel system with the Integral E-Power system. The 502 is a self-sufficient, eco-friendly voyaging boat that will be at home exploring cruising grounds far from marinas and fuel docks.<\/p>\n
One of the features that Balance emphasizes is the amount of storage provided in the hull, cockpit and living spaces. Their 100-plus owners are adventurous sailors and the feedback has informed Berman and his crew of how important this is. When you are living aboard for years at a time, SCUBA diving, kite surfing and making your own repairs, you need storage. The 502 has it in spades.<\/p>\n
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The standard layout has a spacious saloon and cockpit that flow together into one large social area with the cockpit doors open. The saloon has large windows all around which is great for natural light and ventilation. But, the windows also allow you to see forward when you have the articulated helm folded down while you steer from the protection of the cockpit and hardtop.<\/p>\n
The 502 is a three-cabin, two-head boat with the master suite in the starboard hull and the guest cabins and head in the port hull. The berths in the master cabin and the forward guest cabin are right over the boat\u2019s center of gravity where the motion of the hulls in choppy conditions will be minimized.<\/p>\n
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Elegant finishes and comfort are one half of the balance Berman offers. The other half is his boat\u2019s raw performance. With high tech dagger boards and carbon rudders, the 502, like her sister ship the 526, will sail to windward\u00a0 as efficiently as any monohull and will track downwind as if on rails.<\/p>\n
Owners of the 526 report that they regularly knock off 250 to 270-miles days while on passage. Upwind you can expect to sail at 8 to 10 knots. Off the wind, you can see the speedo reporting 15 to 18 knots without trouble and surges of 20-plus when surfing down swells.<\/p>\n
In reality, when on passage and needing to cook, eat, sleep and stand short-handed watches, experienced skippers will choose to slow a boat like this down to speeds in the 10 knot range. That will give you 240-plus mile daily runs and keep every rested and sane.<\/p>\n
The new 502 is an innovative evolution for Balance and is a very attractive couple\u2019s voyaging cat.<\/p>\n
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