A Christmas Spirit Launch to Close Out 2025 in St. Francis Bay
As dusk settled over St. Francis Bay at the end of December 2025, Instinct rolled out of the factory for the last time – and what a send-off she got. In a tradition unique to the St. Francis yard, the entire build team walked her down the public roads of St. Francis Bay to the slipway, Santa hats on, Christmas spirit in full swing. It was the final launch of a remarkably busy year, and the yard sent her off in style.
Waiting for the Tide, Lit Up Under a Full Moon
A boat like Instinct doesn’t just slip quietly into the water. Her size and draft meant the team had to time the launch precisely with a spring high tide under a full moon. As dusk deepened and everyone waited for the water to rise, the owners switched on custom Christmas lights strung across the rigging – lighting up the St. Francis Bay marina in a warm glow. It was one of those launch moments that stays with you.
The Story Behind the Name
Instinct carries a name with real history behind it. Jonathan Paarman, Chief of Production at the St. Francis yard, shares a surfing history with world champion surfer Shaun Tomson – and Tomson’s iconic surf brand, Instinct, was the inspiration for this boat’s name. It is a nod to flow state, to intuition on the water, and to the shared culture of performance that runs through both surfing and bluewater sailing. High-performance surf culture, translated into a bluewater catamaran.
Inside Instinct
Step aboard and the interior tells its own story. Light-filled, open spaces flow through warm walnut finishes and sleek concrete-tone flooring – a clean, modern fit-out that feels like home whether you are in a marina or mid-ocean. Fast and lightweight, Instinct is a performance cruiser built for life offshore.
Fair Winds, Instinct
Congratulations to the owners of Instinct – may she carry you safely across oceans and into countless adventures from her new home port of Los Angeles. We wish her and her crew fair winds and following seas on every passage ahead.
About the Balance 526
The Balance 526 is a performance cruising catamaran designed by Philip Berman and Anton du Toit – with her heavily carbon-reinforced structures and total epoxy construction, she sails like a racer yet remains amazingly easy to operate and maintain. At 16m (52.5ft) with a 157.1m² sail plan, the Balance 526 carries more handmade cabinetry than any catamaran in her class. Named Cruising World Boat of the Year 2017, the 526 ran for 14 years and 36 hulls before being succeeded by the new Balance 540.
