Four cabins, each with its own toilet room, plus the option of up to 10 berths in total - so much living space on "only" 40 feet of hull length is almost revolutionary. The catamaran builders from Canet-en-Roussillon in the south of France had already set new standards with the Bali 4.1 (test in YACHT 2/17), which was roughly the same size. Until then, four cabins and four bathrooms on a cat of this size were the stuff of dreams. Now Bali has changed the concept of its smallest catamaran once again and is offering the boat under the name Bali Catspace, in addition to the existing Bali 4.1.
The name Catspace is to be understood quite literally. Bali Catamarans generally laminates the platform between the hulls right through to the bows. Their boats do not have a trampoline like other catamarans. For the new Catspace project, the French have now moved the front cockpit all the way forward. This gives the shipyard additional volume within the hull structure so that the front double cabins can be installed transversely to the direction of travel - a first, as this option is only available on conventional catamarans with a hull length of at least 14 metres. What's more, thanks to the additional space, an additional single berth can be accommodated in the forward cabins if required, increasing the number of possible sleeping berths on board to a total of ten. Of course, the Bali Catspace can also be converted into a three-cabin yacht with a large owner's cabin, large bathroom and separate shower area.
Also atypical for a cat of this size is the steering position on the second floor of the flybridge and a large sunbed on the upper floor. Naturally, the main boom will be attached high up on the mast. The somewhat unusual appearance has already characterised the silhouette of the Bali 4.1. Incidentally, the rig of the new Bali Catspace is positioned quite far back, roughly in the centre of the layout. This means that the headsail can be larger and is also user-friendly with a self-tacking device.
Bali Catamarans plans to present the Catspace as a world premiere at the Salon Nautique in Paris in December. The ship will then also be on show at the Boot trade fair in Düsseldorf in January 2020. However, the shipyard has not yet announced the price.
