This past summer, we invited sailing journalist François Trégouët to visit South Africa, see our yards and join us for a demo sail on the water.
On one particular afternoon, a recent Balance 580, Marnie Kai 3, was just coming through commissioning and was out in the bay. We got to go sailing alongside the 750 and Onda, the last ever 442. While that was happening, François and I were aboard Marnie Kai 3 for a sea trial. That day is the premise of the article in the latest edition of Skippers, the Swiss sailing magazine (issue #101), which is available in French and German.
Marnie Kai 3 launched in St Francis Bay in April 2026, with a crisp white hull, a bold red waterline stripe and her name in red script on the stern. You can read about her launch here.
You can find the issue here: skippers.ch/shop
It was a great day, and the boat showed her performance.
About the Balance 580
The 580 is the fastest and leanest model in the Balance range, and was named one of SAIL Magazine’s Top 10 Best Boats of 2026. She is built in St Francis Bay, South Africa, using long, lean hulls, closed-cell foam cores and full epoxy construction, with carbon reinforcement in high-load areas. A full-carbon XP version is also available.
- Length overall: 17.78 m (58.32 ft)
- Beam: 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in)
- Draft: 3.35 m boards down, 1.65 m boards up
- Light displacement: 16,668 kg (36,753 lbs)
- Upwind sail area: 209.5 m² (2,255 sq ft)
- Underwing clearance: 1.10 m
- Engines: 2 x 57 hp Yanmar
- Layouts: 3 to 5 cabins
Inside Marnie Kai 3
Marnie Kai 3 is built as a four-cabin layout, and each cabin has its own private head. She has an island galley on the centerline, Zebrano wood cabinetry throughout and the VersaHelm, which pivots so you can steer from the raised helm or from the shelter of the cockpit. Take the full tour in our interior post.
From Cape Town to Annapolis
It was also a pleasure to show this exact model, the same boat François sailed, at the Annapolis Boat Show. She was very well received, and plenty of visitors were amazed at how much volume these boats have.
Next stop: Miami 2027
We are also pleased to share that Marnie Kai 3 will be at the Miami Boat Show in 2027. Make sure you are on our newsletter to stay connected for more updates.
Thank you again to François for visiting us in South Africa. We look forward to some of the other articles coming out in the near future.
