After 70 years of sailing and two retirements, Rich finally had the boat he’d always envisioned. We sat down with him dockside in St. Francis Bay to hear the story behind his all-carbon Balance 580, Blue Diamond.
A Journey That Started Decades Ago
Rich began sailing young and never looked back. Deliveries, offshore passages, years of ocean miles — all of it was quietly building toward one goal: sailing around the world on his own boat. When he finally retired the first time, just before COVID, he started searching seriously.
“I’d picked a catamaran. I wanted a performance catamaran.” Three builders stood out to him — a French company, a Chinese company, and a South African one. Having done business in all three regions, he knew where he wanted to land.
“I always just loved the can-do attitude that embodies South Africa and its people.”
The Balance 526 had just been released. It ticked every box. He flew to St. Francis Bay, met the Paarman family and the build team, and placed his order. He took delivery in 2020 — right into the teeth of COVID.
The First Blue Diamond — and a Failed Retirement
The original Blue Diamond (a Balance 526) was, by Rich’s account, a fantastic boat. He sailed her north, spent time in The Bahamas, and loved every moment on the water. But with borders closed and the world in lockdown, his dream of circumnavigating had to wait.
“I failed my first retirement,” he laughs. “I went back to work.”
Years passed. He kept sailing, kept loving the boat. But as a second retirement approached, his use case had evolved. He wanted four cabins for extended offshore passages with crew and guests. He wanted more capability. And then — almost by coincidence — the Balance 580 arrived.
“It just ticked all the boxes… I called Phil, I called Anton, and said: tell me about this 580.”
Making the Pilgrimage Again
Back to St. Francis. Back to the team that had earned his trust the first time. Hull One and Two of the 580 were still being formed when Rich arrived with his wishlist. What followed was a series of conversations that would shape one of the most thoughtfully specified 580s to come out of the yard.
Here’s what makes Blue Diamond stand apart:
⚙️ Hydraulic Furling — Because the Night Watch Matters
Rich’s top priority: the ability to power up or power down the rig alone, at 2am, without waking the crew. He spec’d hydraulic furlers for both the genoa and the working jib on the 580’s cutter rig — and chose hydraulic over electric deliberately.
“I really believe that hydraulic is a much more reliable system.”
The cutter setup gives him a big genoa for light air, a working jib for breeze, and the ability to transition between them single-handed from the helm.
🏎️ 110hp Engines — Life is Short
The standard engine for the 580 is a 57hp unit. Rich doubled it. Twin 110-horsepower engines — paired with appropriately sized sail drives — give Blue Diamond serious motoring performance.
“We were just out sea trialing and we were doing 11 knots at 2,500 RPMs. My old boat would never do 11 knots under motor, no matter what.”
He expects to cruise comfortably at 10–13 knots under power, with 15 within reach. For a sailor who believes a short passage is a safe passage, this was non-negotiable.
🪁 Speed-Rewind Winches on the Headsail Sheets
Two self-tailing, two-speed winches allow the headsails to be deployed, trimmed, and retrieved from the helm. Another piece of the single-handed puzzle — reducing the need to rouse the crew for routine sail changes.
🏗️ Full Carbon Build — Rig, Standing Rigging, Everything
The entire boat is built in carbon. The rig. The standing rigging. All of it.
“Very high tech,” Rich notes, with obvious satisfaction. One particularly impressive detail: tensioning the rig is done via a hydraulic jack built inside the mast itself. “It’s like a Swiss watch. It’s amazing.”
⚖️ Carefully Balanced Weight Distribution
With a dive compressor, tanks, and heavy engine installations, weight placement mattered. The build team worked through the balance calculations meticulously — both port-to-starboard and fore-and-aft.
“If you were to photograph this waterline, you’d see it’s just perfect.”
🌿 An Onboard Hydroponic Garden
Perhaps the most unexpected feature on Blue Diamond belongs to Angie Hoy, Rich’s captain’s partner and the boat’s chef. In the galley, above the kitchen sink, a meter-wide space that would typically hold a vase has been transformed into a full hydroponic garden — eggplants, peppers, herbs, and spices, all cultivated from a setup Angie has been refining at home for over a year.
Fresh produce. Offshore. On a catamaran. That’s the kind of detail that comes from living the dream, not just planning it.
On the People Behind the Boat
Rich has spent three weeks at the yard watching the final stages of the build, and his admiration for the team is unmistakable.
“Every day there’s 15 people on this boat — painters, finishers, electricians, riggers. And anything I say I wish could be different, the answer is never no.”
He recounts asking, almost offhandedly, whether a safe could be fitted into a particular space. Within days, the team had sourced one and installed it.
“That’s one of a hundred examples of this build team just really wanting to make sure I’m satisfied.”
He traces the culture directly to the leadership at Balance.
“It is very hard to build a culture where people really care about the product and about the company. Johnny and Roger have done that. It’s a credit to them.”
What Comes Next
Rich departs with his captain Ian Corr and Angie Hoy — a South African crew for a South African boat — and a long-deferred circumnavigation finally within reach.
“I retired just a few months ago. And it’s working out good so far.”
He promises social postcards from every corner of the world. For anyone who’s followed his journey from the first Blue Diamond to this one, they’ll be worth watching for.
Fair winds, Rich. The ocean’s been waiting.
