The Catana catamaran manufacturers want to further expand the range of their boatyard programme. The focus of the new endeavours is on comfortable cruising catamarans at a price in line with the market. To this end, the shipyard in Canet en Roussillon on the French Mediterranean coast has now even launched a completely new brand: Bali Catamarans. The multis in the new line are designed to clearly differentiate themselves conceptually from the sporty, high-performance and also rather exclusive catamarans from the Catana programme. For Bali, this means: more volume, more space inside and out, plus many comfortable amenities for touring.
The first model in the new line is the 45-foot Bali 4.5. The concept was drawn up personally by shipyard boss Olivier Poncin and realised by designer Xavier Faÿ, who has also worked for market leader Lagoon Catamarans. The hulls of the Bali 4.5 are strikingly voluminous. Their massive lines are broken up by a long row of windows - not just a visual benefit.
The Bali 4.5 is available in two versions: as a version with a side-mounted, slightly raised steering position or optionally as a version with a covered steering position as a flybridge on the cabin superstructure. A large and recessed sun cockpit is provided on the foredeck. The mast is positioned quite far aft, which means that the boat still has sufficient sail even with the standard self-tacking jib.
For the interior design, the makers of the Bali 4.5 also use the usual layout variants for catamarans of this size. The three-berth cabin with three heads is standard. In this version, the port hull is converted into a luxurious owner's cabin. A version with four cabins and four heads is also available as an option for the charter market. The fittings in the hulls are identical. What's more, additional cabins for the skipper and crew can be installed in the bow in place of the sailing loads.
Construction number 1 of the Bali 4.5 will make its debut at the trade fair in Cannes (9 to 14 September 2014). Catamaran fans can look forward to this. The price also looks very interesting: the basic version as an owner's boat with three cabins costs 451,010 euros including 19 per cent VAT. This means that Bali Catamarans' first price announcement is on a par with the potential competition in this size segment. For comparison: the basic version of the Helia 44 from Fountaine Pajot (test in YACHT 3/13) costs 468,265 euros ex shipyard. The Lagoon 450 (test in YACHT 2/11) is available for 445,060 euros.
