First seen with the Nautitech Open 40 followed by theBali 4.5, the idea of blending the nacelle and the cockpitinto a single, and therefore enormous, volume has beenimplemented 100% aboard the Bali 4.3. What’s new isthat the aft part of the coachroof pivots upwards and ishoused under the roof itself. A new concept which isset to revolutionize cruising…

NEW CONCEPT, NEW RANGE…

Seeking to join the wider market in the cruising catamaran sec-tor - a market shared by big yards such as Lagoon, Leopard andFountaine-Pajot - in 2014 the Catana Group launched their newrange, christened Bali. Following the 4.5 and just ahead of the4.0, we have the 4.3… whose development took a little longerthan planned, due to the time spent adapting this model to itspower version, the MY 43. Left behind are the Catana specifi-cations: on the Bali you won’t find carbon at every stage of thebuild, nor load-carrying daggerboards. But the upshot is thatyou’ll find a price range similar to that of their “mass-produ-cing” competitors. On the construction side, the yard has gonefor molds in three sections, with a join in the bottom of the hull,interior half-hulls and the nacelle, for greater rigidity. All of thishas been realized in PVC foam sandwich and polyester resin,

not forgetting the special anti-osmosis gelcoat. The deck bra-cing is in plywood and monolithic resin and the bulkheads arein glued or laminated plywood. In short, nice work, simple androbust, though not the lightest.

Far from mimicking existing examples, Bali has gone a lot fur-ther, not holding back on innovations, which have certainlypricked the curiosity of our testers… Because even though wealready know that multihulls - and catamarans in particular - arethe ideal craft for water-based vacations (long or short), the“open space” configuration of our Bali has got to be tried forreal. Thanks to the XXL-sized opening roof, this Bali 4.3, (thefourth one built), is really breaking down the boundaries bet-ween the salon and the cockpit. In short, when the weather’sgood, there isn’t really an inside and an outside any more…

The sleek rig set further aft allowsfor a good sail area despite the useof a self-tacking jib. But we wouldstrongly advise getting a Code 0 fora boost in light airs.

How do you combine hull volume withreduced waterline beam? You make onestep on the outside, and another on theinside…

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HULL SHAPE

The design of architect Xavier Faÿ deserves a detailed look.Seen from ahead, the hulls show a marked step and a curve,highlighted by a black stripe. This is clever from several pointsof view… firstly it gives the hulls a good habitable volume atbunk height, without translating into a large waterline beam -the straightness of the hulls remains one of the key elementsfor maintaining good average speeds under sail. And alsobecause any spray is effectively done away with. Furthermore,the opening hatches, small but numerous, are relatively shelte-red from any rainfall, so they can be left slightly open in dampweather, and, especially, are not subject to the huge force fromfenders wedged between the hull and the dock. Finally, themost interesting is without doubt the ski-like shape forward -forming the rigid forward deck. Already seen on the Bali 4.5,and strengthened by a central rib, it serves as a deflector inheavy weather and following seas, and as insurance againstburying the bows.

A SLEEK RIG WITH SELF-TACKING JIB

You can’t say enough about the joy of having two motors on acatamaran… and on our test boat, the choice of engines morepowerful than the standard option - 2 x 50hp as opposed to40s - ensured that when you apply opposite throttle, you are

capable of making tight enough circles to get you out of eventhe most confined spot. In short, despite a relatively signifi-cant freeboard, the Bali 4.3 slips into the busiest marinas likea scooter. And at 2,800 revs, the Bali bowls along at 8.4 knots.As soon as we were out of the channel at Les Minimes, onFrance’s west coast, we were able to set sail. The rig is fairlysleek, and set aft. This sits well with the self-tacking jib, whichhas gained a fair amount of area - 37.5m². The mainsail nowlooks well, being square-topped, though undeniably sufferssomewhat from being made shorter due to the height of theboom. Of course from a crew safety point of view, there’s noproblem, but when it’s a question of neatly flaking the sail, orre-threading a reefing line, it’s not so straightforward crawlingon all fours along a boom at that height. Being aware of this,the yard doesn’t even include a zipper on the sail cover! Fornow, there’s 13 knots of wind allowing us to comfortably make6 knots on all points of sail. We would definitely gain a knot ortwo by hoisting the 61m² gennaker which is stowed in a locker,but our test boat is so new that not all the deck hardware hasfinished being fitted yet. Note that as an option, you could gofor a 100m² asymmetric spi. We are tacking through 100°,which is ok for a cruising cat with skegs. And being able totack without having to adjust a thing is a real pleasure whencruising. On the other hand, when the wind drops below 8knots, the self-tacking jib feels like it lacks a bit of bite.Basically, the advice from Multihulls World is that you’ve got to

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TEST

Bali 4.3

The Bali is a comfortable catamaran, but enthusiasticallyswallows up the miles given the right conditions.g

Text and photos:

Emmanuel van Deth

The “open space” cat!

The raised helm station offers a clear view over the water.From here, all sail handling is also done.g

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No daggerboards on the Balis but rather the traditionalfixed keels. A good compromise between performance,cost, robustness and protection of the rudders and propellers.

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TEST

The aft door opens without difficulty, even when underway. Here’s the proof in three pictures…

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have the gennaker!

DECK LAYOUT

The best bit of the Bali 4.3? Theflybridge, for sure, fitted(among other reasons) to com-ply with the requirements ofthe MY 4.3, the power cat ver-sion of the Bali 4.3. You wouldthink that since it was first intro-duced on the Lagoon 440 (aslong ago as 2004!) there'snothing that hasn't been said orwritten on the subject.However, the topic is far fromexhausted, as Lagoon nowoffer, as an option, a more tradi-tional helm station on their 450and 52. Here, access to the fly-bridge is relatively easy fromboth sides, which is already avery positive thing. Next, fromthe bucket seat (two positions,either sitting or standing) thehelmsman has an uninterruptedview over the water, apart fromthe blindspot of the jib. Thewindshield provides reasonableprotection. The compositewheel is 90cm in diameter andgives an excellent feel. Finally,the helmsman has all thesailhandling gear to hand, sothe crew can 100% make themost of cruising. And the Antal48 electric winch really makeslight work of that sailhandling.The only negative point: a fewlines at the mast foot flogagainst the bimini frame.Moving around on the side-decks is safe: generous widthcombined with handrails along

the coachroof allow you toreach the bows effortlessly.When it comes to tying up, ano-ther good point is the enor-mous cleats, capable of takingsome big warps. Neat idea!

RELAXATION

The decreasing easterly windwasn’t kicking up any chop, andthis enabled us to anchor peace-fully a few cables off the beachat Sablanceaux. Anchoring:now here was the next sur-prise! The bow roller is all theway forward at the front of theplatform. This is good and notso good… ok,it does away withthe need for a bridle, but givesfor poor centering of weight,and in particular, restrictssomewhat the view of theanchor and chain. There ishowever, an inspection hatchbelow the cushions, but to behonest, you can’t see a lotthrough it. So you might betempted to pull a bit of chain in,without really being able to seeif it’s at an optimum angle… Onthe upside, though, life on boardis great fun. Firstly thanks tothe flybridge, with a big benchseat 212cm long, a sun loungermeasuring 186 by 208cm andfinally a table (101 by 70cm fol-ded up) and secondly becauseof the forward cockpit. Forwardof the mast foot, there is agiant, modular sunbathing areanearly 4 meters by 2, lockers, abench seat over 3 meters long,and even two small tables.

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The folding aft platform is a real bonus: neat stowage for the dinghy,and when opened up at anchor, it offers an area entirely open to thesea.

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Access to the flybridge is practicaland can be achieved from eitherside of the coachroof.

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Another great Bali feature: the forward cockpit. Fantastic!

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Clever handrails.g

A WORD FROM THEARCHITECT, XAVIER FAŸ

The positioning and the specifications from

Bali are very clear and very ambitious: a

superior level, in terms of volume, of comfort,

of natural ventilation, of standards, of equip-

ment and of capacity, than other equivalent

catamarans in the same class. While at the

same time sticking to equivalent budgets and

programs, with better performance, and better

sea-keeping.

One of the essential features which makes the

Bali stand out, and renders possible all these

objectives, is the use of the forward deck.

Because, in addition to all the obvious advan-

tages in terms of comfort which it brings (new

ergonomics with gigantic forward cockpit,

sunbathing area and anchor handling area),

this deck also provides a new structural ele-

ment, making the platform lighter and much

stiffer. And for the life of the boat, this stiff-

ness is essential for lively performance and

seakeeping behavior, and also guarantees lon-

gevity throughout, from the rig to the furni-

ture.

But all that doesn’t come without upsetting a

few preconceptions.

Some people think that it will slam! But it

doesn’t! No more than any other cat, maybe

even less!

On a catamaran, when a wave or a cross-sea

slams under the bridgedeck, in general it will

be near or even aft of the mast support. The

underside of the nacelle is really only a natu-

ral lengthening forward of the pre-existing

area on other “traditional” catamarans, and

this lengthening is overall much higher up

than the bottom of the nacelle below the mast,

where slamming occurs anyway. In reality

what’s important is the bridgedeck clearance

in the area below the mast and aft of this

point, and this criterion which is part of the

specifications is significantly higher on Balis

than on some of their direct competitors.

Model Lagoon 42 Hélia 44 Evolution Leopard 44 Lagoon 450 F

Builder Lagoon Fountaine Pajot Leopard LagoonSail area in m² 87.40 115 123 133Weight in tonnes 12 10.8 12.62 15.10Price in € ex-tax N/A 382.660 369.000 381.200

T H E C O M P E T I T I O N

Note that these can be a bit inthe way when sailing offshore,but it’s not a problem as they are(easily) demountable. Aft, thereare two more stowage areas(shame you have to unclip thelifelines to open them up wide)and a housing for the liferaft. Forswimming, in addition to thedivine sugarscoop steps, aretractable platform adds to thepleasure of bathing: kids willlove it. Another of Bali’s greatideas: once this 237 by 62cm lif-ting polyester panel is raised, itprovides the perfect support forthe dinghy, loaded with the aidof pivoting davits.

SO? INSIDE, OR OUT?

When closed up, there isnothing particularly special aboutthe nacelle, except that it feels

like it extends into the cockpit bya couple of meters, well protec-ted by the hard-top bimini… butwhat a transformation once thedoor is opened! Yann Chabaud,who was formerly at Dufour andseveral other big names in theyachting world has designed ahydraulic system which can liftthe whole of the rear face of thenacelle to horizontal in thirtyseconds! And there’s no needto panic if ever it were to breakdown… all you need to do isdisengage it, and the panellowers back down under its ownweight. For ordinary coming andgoing, you just need to use thedoor. Opening up the nacelleand the big side windows allowsyou to merge the cockpit and theinterior. Straight away you’vegot one enormous table whichcan seat eight, next to a sofa

The forward opening panel gives easycommunication with the forward cockpit,while offering excellent ventilation.

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which is perfect for spending timereading, and a colossal 630 literrefrigerator. Obviously you moveabout a lot in this area, and this iswhere there’s a problem: the floo-ring covering chosen - imitationwood - is slippery if you’re wet andin bare feet. This needs attention!The L-shaped chart table is positio-ned fairly traditionally, forward atan angle, in this case to starboardof the salon, next to the galley,something which you don’t seethat often. In use, this is a neatarrangement, thanks to the retrac-table front window - another Balibrainwave - which measures 173by 66cm and disappears into itshousing in just a few seconds, pro-viding ultra-efficient ventilation!And there's direct contact with theforward cockpit. You can’t actuallyclimb through it obviously, but as aserving hatch for passing food anddrinks through, it’s great! And sothe head-chef is facing forward. Athis disposal, a three-ring cooktop,two sinks, a dishwasher (optional)and another, smaller, refrigerator.In the hulls, the yard offers traditio-nal layouts in either three or four-cabin versions. For our test, we

No, you’re not dreaming - you really are on a43 footer. The combined salon/cockpit area

gives an astonishing amount of space.

The galley is at the forward end of thesalon. An original and agreeable position,especially thanks to the ventilation offered

by the forward opening panel.

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◆ Immense and friendly living space◆ Very effective natural ventilation◆ Platform aft for swimming

TEST

◆ Boom too high◆ Poor view of the anchor and chain when anchoring◆ Not very lively in light airs

134 135

The sugarscoops are of coursevery practical… but at anchor theaddition of the folding platformcompletes the picture.

The large pivoting door is controlled by ahydraulic system. It comes down underits own weight thanks to a solenoidoperated by a switch, thus allowing formanual closing in case of failure.

A reveal on both sides of the coachroofprovides for a handrail

Here on the fly-bridge is where

you find the helmstation. All sail

handling, with theexception of the

gennaker sheets,is centralized

here.

The L-shaped chart table, facing forward.Just the right spot for night watches.

The bathroom in the owner’s hullis particularly spacious.

The cabins are good (shown here, theowner’s cabin) and are particularly airy.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Builder: Catana GroupNaval Architect: Xavier FaÿInterior Design: Couëdel Yacht DesignYear first produced: 2014Overall length: 13.20 mWaterline length: 12.70 mBeam: 7.12 mDraft: 1.20 mWeight: 11.3 tUpwind sail area: 115 m2Mainsail: 52 m2Self-tacking solent: 37.5 m2Motors: 2 x 40 or 50 hp diesel Diesel: 2 x 400 litersWater: 2 x 400 litersCabins: 3 or 4CE Category: A for 12 personsBasic price: €327,000 ex-taxPrice of the boat we tested: €479,476 ex-tax

Principal options ex-tax:Excellence Pack: €35,00050 hp motors: €5,000Reinforced sails: €3,460Code 0: €4,980Supplementary winches: €2,050Anchoring equipment: €1,480Electronics: €12,300Safety equipment: €5,180Watermaker: €11,500Solar panels: €4,8003.40m dinghy and 15 hp outboard: €7,460Microwave: €600 Dishwasher: €1,346

No sign of thedeep - and nowcurved - dagger-boards fitted toall the Catanas:Bali has opted forfixed skeg keels.

A little access panelbelow the cushions

allows you to see - orglimpse - what’s going

on below, while the crewis working the windlass.

But it’s not enough foranchoring with complete

peace of mind.

Very differentfrom the pair of

small openinghatches you findon most catama-

rans… here theentire front opensup and slides into

the coachroof, likea car window.

The traditional trampoline isreplaced by a polyester deck,which goes practically as far

forward as the bows. Two smalltables can be fitted by the large

bench seat, and these can beremoved when under way.

have the former, the owner’s version.This gives the owner a bunk, aft, a deskand an immense bathroom. In the star-board hull, you have a choice of twocabins with either one large or two smallbathrooms. The aft bunks have space tobe accessed from both sides, whereasthe forward bunks are against the hullboth sides.

CONCLUSION

Cheaper than a Catana, the Bali is, howe-ver, not a low-cost boat! But on the otherhand, it is a model outside the norm, withreal innovations and which is built to ahigh standard of finish and with nicewoodwork. We would perhaps prefer aslightly more traditional helm station - theyard can make one - to reduce the win-dage and enable the mainsail to be big-ger… but remember that a flybridge hasits advantages too!

As a tradeoff for the flybridge, the boom is so highas to be out of reach, or almost, when you need torethread a reefing line. Note that the yard hasn’teven included a zipper on the sail cover…

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