Phil Berman reports from La Grande-Motte, France
Standing aboard hull number two of the Balance 580 at the Multihull Show in La Grande-Motte, France, it’s hard not to feel the momentum. Hull number four has just been launched, and the reception here has been nothing short of enthusiastic. But perhaps the most striking milestone is this: by the end of 2024, Balance Catamarans will have launched its 100th catamaran.
“When we founded the company in 2012, I never would’ve imagined that at this point we would have built 100 catamarans,” says Phil Berman, co-founder of Balance. “It’s a testament to all the hard work of the whole Balance team and the yards.”
A New Generation of Boats
The last two years have been among the most productive in Balance’s history from a design standpoint. The company has been deep in the process of redesigning its core lineup — a new 502, a new 464, and now a new 540 currently in development.
The 502 is already in the water and proving itself. The first hull is sailing in the Bahamas, and the second has just launched in Cape Town. The headline innovation is a new carbon structure integrated into the build — saving approximately one ton of weight and pushing the 502 firmly into high-performance cruiser territory. That same carbon construction is also being incorporated into the new 464.
The 540 is the newest addition to the pipeline, with the first hull expected to launch in spring 2025. Designed as a luxury four-cabin boat, she’ll offer flexibility: an owner’s suite plus three additional cabins, or a more generous three-cabin owner’s configuration. She comes in fully equipped at around 13.5 tons, features a larger rig, higher bridge deck clearance, and an expanded salon with a walk-in galley — a layout that echoes the 580’s much-praised interior, scaled down for a wider market.
A cutter rig makes her genuinely couple-friendly, and Berman describes her with characteristic enthusiasm: “She’s gonna be a light, sizzling catamaran.”
Try Before You Buy
One of the most talked-about programs at Balance is their charter-to-purchase initiative, run in partnership with Outer Passage. Three Balance catamarans are currently available for sailing experiences in the Mediterranean, New England, and the Caribbean — combining hands-on training with a genuine on-water vacation.
The draw? Whatever you spend on the charter is credited toward the purchase of a Balance catamaran. It’s a program that has resonated strongly with prospective buyers who want to feel the boat before they commit.
The community side of the brand continues to grow as well. A recent Balance owners’ rally in Tortola drew 50–60 people, with multiple Balance catamarans sailing the islands together — a vivid demonstration of what the brand has built beyond the boats themselves.
Built by Sailors, for Sailors
There’s something distinctive about the culture at Balance that Berman returns to again and again: the people who build these boats are, at their core, watermen.
Berman grew up in Southern California surfing and racing Hobie Cats. Jonathan Parmon, who heads up construction at the St. Francis yard, surfs waves big enough to feature in the vintage-style photo decor on the 580 on display here — those aren’t stock images. The whole family, as Berman puts it, grew up on the water.
“The people that build our boats are all sailors,” he says. “They’re people that spent their life on the water, on the sea, and I think it shows in our boats.”
That ethos translates into a product philosophy that is practical first, style-conscious second — though the new 502 has made significant strides on the aesthetic front as well.
What's Coming and Where to See Them
For those in the United States, Balance will be exhibiting the new 502 at both the Annapolis Boat Show and the Newport Show later this year. European customers will have the opportunity to see the new model range — the 502, the 464, and potentially the 540 — at shows in 2025. Balance will also be showing a 526 at the Cannes Yachting Festival this coming September.
A hundred boats in twelve years. A redesigned lineup. A growing owner community. Balance Catamarans is moving fast — and sailing faster.
