When Nick and Terysa, the cruising couple behind Sailing Ruby Rose, set out to find their ideal catamaran, they reviewed the leading brands at the Annapolis Boat Show one category at a time, and scored each without flattery. Their series, “Our Search for the Perfect Catamaran,” is known for being direct. So when the Balance 526 came under their eye, we paid attention to what they found. Here is their verdict on hull number six, Alani.
The VersaHelm stole the show
The reviewers kept returning to one feature: the VersaHelm. Technical director Andrew walked them through it, a single helm that raises to a bulkhead driving position with full visibility, then drops into a protected interior position when the weather turns, without losing sight of all four corners. Terysa called it brilliant and very clever. Nick went further, predicting the idea would appear on a large share of production catamarans within a decade. For a review series built around scepticism, that is a strong reaction to a piece of design thinking.
Safety and design: 10 out of 10
Nick singled out the handrails, which are moulded into the deck rather than bolted on, the wide and flush decks with few tripping hazards, the carbon mast and spars with mast steps, and the aircraft grade glass at the helm. He noted the running rigging is exposed in the way racing boats favour, and after checking the research on UV wear he treated it as a non issue on a boat that will be sailed and maintained properly. His score for safety and design was a clean ten.
Build quality: 10 out of 10
The engine bay drew immediate praise for its all round access, fire suppression and clear labelling. From the Spectra steering lines to the cabinetry, Nick read the boat as the work of people who care about the parts owners rarely see. He spent a memorable stretch of the review on the drawer and door catches, his point being that small fittings are the truest indicator of how a boat is built, and these were the best he had seen. Founder Phil Berman explained the electrical philosophy that underpins it: every breaker labelled and wired, no digitally distributed systems, so an owner can repair the boat anywhere in the world. Another perfect ten.
Comfort and livability: 8 out of 10
Terysa described a saloon that is spacious and light filled, stark and white yet still luxurious, with a U shaped galley that is narrow in the right way for cooking at sea. She liked the concealed daggerboards, tucked into cupboards so they barely register in the hull volume, and the athwartship cabins with their headroom and airflow at anchor. The reservation that held this category to an eight was personal taste rather than fault: the minimalist styling, she felt, may not read as homey to every liveaboard. As she put it, it is a distinctive look that you either love or you do not.
Performance: 9 out of 10
The numbers tell the story. A 53 foot boat displacing around 12 tonnes, with a large sail plan and daggerboards for pointing. Nick’s conclusion was simple: this boat is going to fly, and the sailing will be sparkling. Nine out of ten.
The honest part: price, and who the 526 is for
The reviewers were candid about cost, and so are we. The 526 is expensive in absolute terms. They were equally candid that a comparable boat built in Europe would cost roughly twice as much, which is why Nick declined to give value a clean score and called it, for what it is, very reasonably priced. They were also clear that this is not an entry level cruiser. It is a light, powerful, fast performance catamaran that rewards experience. Their phrase for it was a boat designed by sailors who want to live aboard, and that is precisely the owner it is built for.
It is worth adding a point the reviewers raised themselves. They wished more semi custom builders offered boats below 50 feet for couples who do not want a production catamaran. That gap is real, and it is one Balance set out to close with the 442 and the 482, smaller siblings to the 526 built on the same principles.
The verdict
Asked the obvious question, whether the boat is flawed, Nick’s answer was that he did not think so. He and Terysa said they would not buy it themselves, on the honest grounds of their own experience level and budget, not the boat. Their closing line said the rest. For a sailor with the means and a love of performance, the Balance 526 sits high on the list.
You can watch the full independent review on their Sailing Ruby Rose YouTube channel here: Balance 526 Catamaran Review 2021 | Our Search For The Perfect Catamaran.
Stay in balance.
