SAIL Magazine’s Verdict on Our New Bluewater Cat
SAIL’s Charter Editor, Zuzana Prochazka — a USCG 100-ton master — flew out to Miami to sea trial hull #1 of the Balance 502, Tiger Lily, fresh off her own Atlantic crossing. She met Balance founder Phil Berman aboard for the test, and the review runs in SAIL’s Top 10 Best Boats feature for the October 2026 issue.
Built to Go the Distance
Co-designed by Phil Berman and Du Toit Yacht Design, the 502 carries the Balance family look forward — long knife-like hulls, reversed bows, a low profile — while quietly improving on the 482 it replaces. Two extra feet of LOA cut down on hobby-horsing, new transom doors swap loose emergency boards for hinged acrylic-hatch closures, and the five bimini solar panels are now recessed into the hardtop for a cleaner line without losing airflow underneath.
The build is Balance’s Carbon Core construction: hand-laminated, vacuum-bagged e-glass epoxy over a closed-cell foam sandwich, with carbon throughout the cabin soles, bulkheads, beams, daggerboards, and rudders.
On the Water
Testing in 8–15 knots true wind, the 502 held 75% of wind speed at an 80° apparent wind angle, and made 9.2 knots at 120° AWA with a light, responsive helm.
Below decks, the hybrid VersaDrive system — 15kW electric motors paired with the twin 45hp Yanmar diesels and a 36kWh battery bank — is rated by Balance for fuel savings of up to 25%. It’s quiet running, too:
“There’s no genset making noise all night.” — Phil Berman, Balance Catamarans founder
