I think Schioning had very similar design way before Balance! But after all there are some very sharp points as to what is Versa-helm in practise! And credit due where is due, Balance were the first to succesfully put it on the market.
It was only a matter of time before other major brands borrowed/copied this feature, which is really done right by you guys. Amazing boats and have been following all the various top TH-cam'r reviews of Balance also, where everyone seems to place Balance in the top echelon of performance cruising catamarans.
@@balancecatamarans Thanks for taking time to reply Phil, I have been following Balance for over a year, and often find myself rewatching many of your build and features episodes. Success!
I have a lot of respect for you Phil. You have a passion and made your dream come true. My wife and I are getting closer to a catamaran purchase, hoping we have enough money for a Balance. Stay safe and we hope to see you traveling in the friendly sky’s soon. 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
The Explocat 52 from garciayachts.com (France) is an almost exact copy of the Balance 526. One big difference though : like all other yachts build by this company and designed for navigating at all latitudes - from the equator to the polar circle (and beyond), the hulls are build of aluminum instead of composites. As stated by Phil, only good concepts are copied...
Yes, the Explocat is alu and heavier and not a performance cat, made for a person with a specific mind-set. I still think a composite cat is safer in high or low latitudes and better insulated. Alu cats can sink, foam ones float. As I joke for years: All things in nature seek their most stable position. For a composite cat that is upside down on top of the ocean. For a monohull that is at the bottom of the ocean. Same an alu cat I am afraid.
Garcia has some nice features that you should copy if possible. Their anchor change storage is center deck and they have a bulletproof cabin enclosure for security. That's in their monohulls but they are coming out with their explorocat catamaran now. Keep an eye on it, maybe it will have some good ideas.
Are the continuous flow through vents still a part of the design? I've seen them mentioned briefly in another video and at about 13:04 in this video but don't remember seeing them when I was in Miami. If so where is the intake?
On the 526 we can do them via the front central locker, as on the 442. On the 482 there are opening deck hatches in front of master berths so we can have vents there and also via central locker. Customer options.
Hello, thank you for your video and sharing your experience and passion about building better catamarans! Congratulations! My question : Would you consider building a Balance catamaran with Ocean Volt electric engines, lithium batteries and hydrogenerating energy on propellers ? Thank you for your next answer..... Kind regards.... Olivier from Switzerland
As I have said, we can do an Ocean Volt system and have discussed this with our Cape Town supplier. We still feel that until battery technology improves that a diesel cat with lithium batteries and an Integrel system is a better option.
@@balancecatamarans I recommend a serial hybrid. Electric motors powered from a large Lithium bank backed by a diesel generator. That gets the advantages of Diesel for no wind passages, plus regeneration of battery charge and powering house loads from wind under sail (and solar at anchor). Given how little time is spent under motor on a performance cat, the diesel generator in a serial hybrid would get even less use than regular diesel engines directly connected to props. Best way to do this is with a marine engine (not genset) connected to the same type of permanent magnet or AC induction motor used for propulsion but used as a generator and not connected to props. This combination is used to charge batteries, run house loads, and/or drive the propulsion motors. Same idea as Integrated Electric Propulsion on big ships, but with the ability to run on battery power and charge the batteries from wind and solar in addition to generator. Again, not suggesting to use only batteries. Use a large battery bank and back it up with a Diesel generator. Wind (sail power) and solar will do most of the charging. The Diesel is only a backup for periods of no wind. Long term, this arrangement will become commonplace, and it's already becoming common on day sailors and coastal cruisers in Europe, but without a generator, which is only needed for passagemaking. Why not continue to lead the way and add it to Balance as an option? As you can see, there's lots of interest, and it would promote your brand. The Intgrel system is good, but it's a parallel weak hybrid and therefore can't get the benefits of regneration. It's impossible to charge a large lithium bank using sail power since there is no electric motor connected to a prop. In contrast, regeneration from sail power (hydrogeneration) is a major advantage since it means the energy for common use of motoring can be recovered simply by sailing. Its use is already proven, and it means a generator would get even less use under real world conditions since sailing can recharge the batteries. As sailors, we seek to live in better harmony with nature. Electric drive does that efficiently, effectively and simply. Regeneration uses sail power to make electric power for charging batteries, motoring, operating air conditioners, watermakers, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, etc. At anchor, solar can power those loads and top up the battery bank for motoring out of the anchorage. This is living in much better harmony with nature. P.S. Your boats are the best designed, best conceived, and best styled in the market. Electric drive would make them even better. Include a backup generator for windless passages. It would get very little use due to your excellent performance under sail.
May I ask why you believe you should always moor stern in, what if you don't want the fish bowl view from passes by in the marina checking out your every move in the saloon, or perhaps the view away from the marina when being bow in is better than looking at the stern of another vessel on the other side of the marina finger, just curious. Oh and BTW, the versa helm is fantastic, when I have the funds you will be building my dream boat around your versa helm, Thanks
Geoff, if there is someone on the dock standing there to take your bow line from you, ok, you can dock bow first. But if you are docking on your own with a crew or spouse, you should not be jumping off the bow of a large cat onto a dock. It is a recipe for injury. Best, Phil
The Integrels perform far better than other alternators due to the sophisticated management system invented by Parker Hannifen engineering. They are superb for 48 volt Litihum Ion charging. Visit their site to learn a bit more. A very special, ground breaking product in our view.
I was not talking about the Outremer 55. I feel there helm design does not mimic the versa-helm as it does not do or function as a versa-helm. It is a different concept.
@@balancecatamarans I agree, the versa helm protects the helmsman more with stormy sea. But the idea of trying to make a rudder with a variable position may have come from the versa helm.
The same. I have researched so many cats now I can't remember. I always keep coming back to the Balance. Its just so dam well engineered. Phil and his team are incredible marine engineers. The only feature missing is a GTHO Phase 3 racing stripe or a Mad Max Interceptor pain job with supper charger. . Im kidding of couse. You posted a very accurate comment. Cheers Mate.
Lets go!!! I sure am amazed at how busy we are. I was in lock down in Florida and we took two new orders on my birthday, May 4th, and I looked at my wife and said: this is crazy! Are we not in the middle of a global pandemic!
I love your honesty Phil, hard to find these days. Garcia and Outremer are from the same stable, credit to them for recognising a fantastic idea. They must be kicking themselves they never thought of it first though.
Bert, the only part that is a bit irksome is how people came on our boats at shows the past few years telling us that our competitors said it didn't work, or was a bad idea, and the number of "talking points" against it that I heard were pretty hilarious. But then at a boat show they well tell you a Lagoon goes 25 knots - 30 years of this and one gets used to hyperbole and funny stories. We are having fun, growing the company in a careful and measured manner, and it has been working with the team to just keep better that makes it so fun. Hope this finds you and those you love in a safe space and managing through this crazy period in world history. I am using the time to work on the design of two new cats with Anton. Thank goodness for skype and zoom. Best, Phil
WE use a red light in the cockpit. Of course you will get some reflection, but you can still through it very well. Last year I came through the shipping lanes on a 526 at 1 am and it was traffic everywhere and I had little difficulty piloting down below. But boy this is where you really fall in love with the AIS.
The Versa-helm looks cool, but I have a question: Why is the Versa-helm better than just having two wheels permanently mounted at those positions? Seems like there would be a little less to break if the wheel isn't on a moving stick.
Nice episode, I have equstion for you , when the wheel is down is this setup made for motoring, because I can't imagine to sail a boat without my eyes focusing on all the sail all the time , for me I watch the sail more than watching the horizon
You cannot see the sails from the down seat - you have to walk back to aft end of cockpit. When reaching you set them and follow your course. What I have found fun to learn is to sail the boat from instruments upwind - seeing the apparent wind angle that works best for the conditions and either sailing to that, or if on a long tack, just setting the autopilot to adjust to that heading. Of course when passage-making you are not going to be piloting carefully very often from a sailing perfection standpoint. If you want to have fun and see the sails and steer, trim as if you were racing, you go up top. The versahelm comes in handy when you have to motor in cold weather and steer and throttle same time, like coming into a harbor, marina, and on passages where you are sailing and simply wish to be out of sun or cold and occasionally make a course change. It is a great place to sit your watch since you can still communicate with everyone inside as you do.
Great Video. I love your design. I visited the outremer company and love their designs as well. But my wife has Poliomyelitis, and therefor I am still looking for the perfect design that would allow her live aboard with the least restrictions and limitations. I believe that a combination of the outremer master cabin, your cockpit layout and the Leopard forward cockpit would be the ultimate performance cruising catamaran one could want, especially when suffering physical limitations. Maybe you could consider sketching out a concept of this idea.
Ralf, everyone should have a chance to experience the magic of the sea, and to the extent your wife could use something special, it would make sense to do it. I am sure we could craft a custom cat at our custom division to do exactly what you want, but it would cost a bit more. If you have a set budget in mind, let me know, and we will let you know if we can pull it off for you and your wife. Email to: phil@balancecatamarans.com
I sailed a Leopard 44 from San Diego to Honolulu and an Outremer 55- Light from Nuku Hiva to San Francisco. The Leopard has a helm station sitting so high, you get vertigo sometimes. The Outremer's helm was so exposed, I was always wet after my watch as we were throwing a fair bit of spray coming up the Pacific in November especially around Point Concepcion in a gale. Boy, do I wish I had a versa-helm on either trip. The sliding "targa" sliding roof section is pure genius along with so many other features designed and engineered by a real sailor for real sailors ( and those of us who are still learning the ropes ). Thanks Phil & Balance team. I watch your videos with drooling eyes, hahaha. Someday...someday. Stay safe, stay sharp as always and keep building those angelic things.
Fernando, thank you very much. You discuss exactly the conditions where the versa-helm shines! I recall back in my days in Santa Barbara, a friend had a custom trimaran he built. He was up in Gaviota, south of Point Conception, dragging anchor in a huge storm, by himself, and needed help. He asked if I could drive up with my surfboard and paddle out and help him sail her to Ventura Harbor. I got to this boat, it was horribly cold, huge 14 foot seas, 28 knot winds, wet as can be. Fortunately the seas were behind us and we surfed wildly to Ventura - upon arrival the entire harbor entrance was one big breaking wave! We sat there looking at each other, as surfers, wondering if we could avoid a pitchpole on this 38 foot trimaran. What a ride down the breakwall! Anyways, being wet and soaked is very fatiguing. I think my experiences sailing in central and Northern California as a young man taught me how vital it was to stay warm and dry. And I recall a sea trial in San Francisco some years ago on a custom cat designed by Pete Melvin. It had a helm inside the salon, right up by the window, and we went out sailing in the cold bay all day without stress. The problem was that it had no outside steering, not place to enjoy sailing in nice weather. And docking her was hard since you could not see the sterns. I fell in love with an interior helm that day. How to get that, along with one outside, without adding undo complexity and cost and taking space away from the interior? It took some time, but we figured it out. Best, Phil
I can't say I am a big fan of catamarans. I get queasy a lot for some reason but having spent time on them think my preference would be for the twin stern arrangement. I say that coz more often than not you are on auto anyway and for sure they are comparatively exposed yet there are other gains to be had such as convivial cockpit seating, space efficiencies, line handling and of course direct steering. It's horses for courses yet don't get me wrong the Balance solution looks nice it's just that I don't think the helm position is so important as long as you have visibility.
You want the best visiblity you can get in all directions when piloting, regardless of where from. On dual helm cats you are blinded to one side or another withour waking back and forth in crowded sailing areas. Not big deal on a long passage on a dual helm cat so long as autopilot works and you are not sun exposed all the time until it can be repaired.
Although Balance was clearly the first catamaran brand to adopt the idea in its modern form and to prefect it, this concept is indeed an old one that many monohulls used to have to ease control of the single wheel when healing. The Outremer implementation on the 55 is quite different from the Balance one, the Explocat 52 is more similar. Overall, I believe that many innovations are spreading across brands. The reality is that this option is cool, but most of the time either you are in auto-pilot or you want to be at the helm in good conditions. It ends up being very rare that you need to be at the helm in bad conditions. And when it does it's unclear whether visibility though wet windows at the front is good enough vs just steering from the inside using the auto-pilot or wearing wet gear and steering from the outside position. I am not sure that too many customers of Outremer and Garcia will end up choosing this option.
Hi Bernard, I think you underestimate the utility of the Versahelm. I operate the Balance boats more than anyone other the some of the owners and I can tell you from first hand experience that the down helm position gets used A LOT. Especially in chilly weather or on night watches. It's just so much more comfortable to be protected from the elements when you choose. During rainy condition, the visibility through wet windows is no worse than poor visibility when getting pelted in the face by raindrops. I encourage you to join us for a demo sail and see for yourself.
You are correct, of course. I guess when I am talking without a prompter I just goof up a bit from time to time! But staying warm and dry is vital to fighting fatigue when offshore.
Stephen, we have a lovely Alibi 54 for sale at the Multihull Company, owned by a friend. We had to toss out his electric engines and put on diesels, ditch the cassette rudders that never worked, and came up with a new system to manage the tender, but now she is nicely sorted! They are much smaller inside than the Balance cats, but quite pretty looking and she sails sweetly. The fit and finish of the interior do not rise to yacht grade standards, but I have always enjoyed sailing with my friend on her. Best, Phil
Agree. You should definitely tell all the other builders who have pivoting helms how much you appreciate their innovation, and your ability to follow. Nothing new here. Live the bicycle gears though!
Rob, forgive me, you are not correct. A pivoting helm is not what makes the Versa Helm work and what made it an innovation. The reason it was copied is that we figured out how to use a pivoting helm to offer superb warm and cold weather sailing from down or up and with all line handling in the same place. Have you been on a Balance before? Best, Phil
@@balancecatamarans Yes Phil. I've been on your vessels multiple times, and I see Edwin's 526 is laying on the hard in Port Townsend. Trying to lay claim to something that is always evolving is pretty funny to me. It's like the person who thought to make helm seats reversible trying to lay claim to that, or the first person to put wheels on a chair saying, "I'm ingenious, and deserve recognition". Sure, maybe a little, but it's just evolution. Don't get me wrong, you're a great marketer, and as a result, I expect you to always be tooting your own horn, but sometimes bull***t needs to be called on the scope and grandiosity of your claims to greatness.
Try sailing a Balance sometime in cold rainy Seattle, or piloting up a river to a port in rain and you will recognize the innovation of what we did. It is about the sight lines and the reduction of complexity, and also no need to dodger off the helm for cold weather piloting. We must take you sailing buddy! Take care.
Which, if you had listened to his video, you would have seen him talk about... As he says, the Versa-Helm is more than the pivoting helm, it is the layout of all the elements to give complete control and good sightlines in both the up and down positions. The French designer went beyond just building a similar pivoting helm, his design is nearly indistinguishable, placing all controls and windows identically. Indeed, direct imitation (that probably should have given the nod to the great work that Balance did in designing it in the first place.)
You are not correct. As I have explained, it is not about the pivoting helm, but the way in which it pivots and the way in which it was designed to offer superb up and down sailing. I have sailed on the Alibi 54 and it is more like the new Outremer 55 - you sit on the rail for fun, in the sun, no protection, for sport sailing. The throttles, the sail handling, are not near you either - you cannot steer and manage sails at the same time. And when it is down you cannot see through the boat without issue or blind spots nor sit comfortably. The gentleman below, Paul Carrol is quite correct.
Dear Paul, thank for this. The reason I never mentioned the Outremer 55 is that I do not view it as a versa-helm copy at all. It is more like the Alibi. The Garcia is, as they say in Thailand when they offer you a fake Rolex: same same! But as I said, we are cool with it. I just feel that Anton du Toit and Jon Paarman were the ones who worked with me to really perfect it. It looks simple enough, but a lot of time and energy went into getting it right. Take care, Phil
@@balancecatamarans yes, as an engineer, I can confirm that a seemingly simple, elegant solution usually represents an awful lot of expertise, effort, and interations getting everything right.
This seems like such an amazing company! You should make, "never-ending quest for perfection" your catchphrase.
What a great vlog episode Phil !! Learned a bunch more about Balance and it's philosophy. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
I first saw that helm style on a catamaran “alibi” it was standard on on their boats. Imitation is a form of flattery, but admit it
I think Schioning had very similar design way before Balance! But after all there are some very sharp points as to what is Versa-helm in practise! And credit due where is due, Balance were the first to succesfully put it on the market.
Right Alibi was precursor in fast catamaran
It was only a matter of time before other major brands borrowed/copied this feature, which is really done right by you guys. Amazing boats and have been following all the various top TH-cam'r reviews of Balance also, where everyone seems to place Balance in the top echelon of performance cruising catamarans.
Thank you very much. Phil
@@balancecatamarans Thanks for taking time to reply Phil, I have been following Balance for over a year, and often find myself rewatching many of your build and features episodes. Success!
I have a lot of respect for you Phil. You have a passion and made your dream come true. My wife and I are getting closer to a catamaran purchase, hoping we have enough money for a Balance. Stay safe and we hope to see you traveling in the friendly sky’s soon. 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
That is awesome! Thanks Dave!
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”
~ Oscar Wilde
You are talking about Garcia (unknown to me) I but did you see outremer's new 55? It even has three positions 😂
The Explocat 52 from garciayachts.com (France) is an almost exact copy of the Balance 526. One big difference though : like all other yachts build by this company and designed for navigating at all latitudes - from the equator to the polar circle (and beyond), the hulls are build of aluminum instead of composites. As stated by Phil, only good concepts are copied...
Yes, the Explocat is alu and heavier and not a performance cat, made for a person with a specific mind-set. I still think a composite cat is safer in high or low latitudes and better insulated. Alu cats can sink, foam ones float. As I joke for years: All things in nature seek their most stable position. For a composite cat that is upside down on top of the ocean. For a monohull that is at the bottom of the ocean. Same an alu cat I am afraid.
Why doesnt the plotter screen just move with the helm
Garcia has some nice features that you should copy if possible. Their anchor change storage is center deck and they have a bulletproof cabin enclosure for security. That's in their monohulls but they are coming out with their explorocat catamaran now. Keep an eye on it, maybe it will have some good ideas.
Are the continuous flow through vents still a part of the design? I've seen them mentioned briefly in another video and at about 13:04 in this video but don't remember seeing them when I was in Miami. If so where is the intake?
On the 526 we can do them via the front central locker, as on the 442. On the 482 there are opening deck hatches in front of master berths so we can have vents there and also via central locker. Customer options.
Phil can you do an episode on the in-boom furling as the cat in this video?
Hello, thank you for your video and sharing your experience and passion about building better catamarans! Congratulations! My question : Would you consider building a Balance catamaran with Ocean Volt electric engines, lithium batteries and hydrogenerating energy on propellers ? Thank you for your next answer..... Kind regards.... Olivier from Switzerland
As I have said, we can do an Ocean Volt system and have discussed this with our Cape Town supplier. We still feel that until battery technology improves that a diesel cat with lithium batteries and an Integrel system is a better option.
@@balancecatamarans I recommend a serial hybrid. Electric motors powered from a large Lithium bank backed by a diesel generator. That gets the advantages of Diesel for no wind passages, plus regeneration of battery charge and powering house loads from wind under sail (and solar at anchor).
Given how little time is spent under motor on a performance cat, the diesel generator in a serial hybrid would get even less use than regular diesel engines directly connected to props.
Best way to do this is with a marine engine (not genset) connected to the same type of permanent magnet or AC induction motor used for propulsion but used as a generator and not connected to props. This combination is used to charge batteries, run house loads, and/or drive the propulsion motors. Same idea as Integrated Electric Propulsion on big ships, but with the ability to run on battery power and charge the batteries from wind and solar in addition to generator.
Again, not suggesting to use only batteries. Use a large battery bank and back it up with a Diesel generator. Wind (sail power) and solar will do most of the charging. The Diesel is only a backup for periods of no wind.
Long term, this arrangement will become commonplace, and it's already becoming common on day sailors and coastal cruisers in Europe, but without a generator, which is only needed for passagemaking. Why not continue to lead the way and add it to Balance as an option? As you can see, there's lots of interest, and it would promote your brand.
The Intgrel system is good, but it's a parallel weak hybrid and therefore can't get the benefits of regneration. It's impossible to charge a large lithium bank using sail power since there is no electric motor connected to a prop. In contrast, regeneration from sail power (hydrogeneration) is a major advantage since it means the energy for common use of motoring can be recovered simply by sailing. Its use is already proven, and it means a generator would get even less use under real world conditions since sailing can recharge the batteries.
As sailors, we seek to live in better harmony with nature. Electric drive does that efficiently, effectively and simply. Regeneration uses sail power to make electric power for charging batteries, motoring, operating air conditioners, watermakers, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, etc. At anchor, solar can power those loads and top up the battery bank for motoring out of the anchorage. This is living in much better harmony with nature.
P.S. Your boats are the best designed, best conceived, and best styled in the market. Electric drive would make them even better. Include a backup generator for windless passages. It would get very little use due to your excellent performance under sail.
May I ask why you believe you should always moor stern in, what if you don't want the fish bowl view from passes by in the marina checking out your every move in the saloon, or perhaps the view away from the marina when being bow in is better than looking at the stern of another vessel on the other side of the marina finger, just curious. Oh and BTW, the versa helm is fantastic, when I have the funds you will be building my dream boat around your versa helm, Thanks
Geoff, if there is someone on the dock standing there to take your bow line from you, ok, you can dock bow first. But if you are docking on your own with a crew or spouse, you should not be jumping off the bow of a large cat onto a dock. It is a recipe for injury. Best, Phil
I am curious as to why add an Integrel instead of just swap out the oem alternator.
The Integrels perform far better than other alternators due to the sophisticated management system invented by Parker Hannifen engineering. They are superb for 48 volt Litihum Ion charging. Visit their site to learn a bit more. A very special, ground breaking product in our view.
Talking about outremer 55!!!!!
I was not talking about the Outremer 55. I feel there helm design does not mimic the versa-helm as it does not do or function as a versa-helm. It is a different concept.
@@balancecatamarans I agree, the versa helm protects the helmsman more with stormy sea. But the idea of trying to make a rudder with a variable position may have come from the versa helm.
I love your videos but that loud elevator background music really isn't necessary.
That's right, Phil. Kill 'em with kindness! *Love the Versahelm design.
Balance leads, others follow. Versahelm is awesome, but there's a lot more awesomeness in your boats under the paint.
I evaluated more than 20 catamaran
Balance is the best , Versa Home is best top notch engineering
The same. I have researched so many cats now I can't remember. I always keep coming back to the Balance. Its just so dam well engineered. Phil and his team are incredible marine engineers. The only feature missing is a GTHO Phase 3 racing stripe or a Mad Max Interceptor pain job with supper charger. . Im kidding of couse. You posted a very accurate comment. Cheers Mate.
Thank you so very much. We are having a lot of fun trying to get better and better.
@@thylacine1962 hahahaha
You are a great spokesman for Balance Catamarans. You also have created a great product.
Getting closer to the “Build me a boat Phil!” Phone call.
Lets go!!! I sure am amazed at how busy we are. I was in lock down in Florida and we took two new orders on my birthday, May 4th, and I looked at my wife and said: this is crazy! Are we not in the middle of a global pandemic!
Still my favorite.
I love your honesty Phil, hard to find these days.
Garcia and Outremer are from the same stable, credit to them for recognising a fantastic idea.
They must be kicking themselves they never thought of it first though.
Bert, the only part that is a bit irksome is how people came on our boats at shows the past few years telling us that our competitors said it didn't work, or was a bad idea, and the number of "talking points" against it that I heard were pretty hilarious. But then at a boat show they well tell you a Lagoon goes 25 knots - 30 years of this and one gets used to hyperbole and funny stories. We are having fun, growing the company in a careful and measured manner, and it has been working with the team to just keep better that makes it so fun. Hope this finds you and those you love in a safe space and managing through this crazy period in world history. I am using the time to work on the design of two new cats with Anton. Thank goodness for skype and zoom. Best, Phil
when the versa helm is down is there any reflections during the night from the saloon windowns if there are lights on?
WE use a red light in the cockpit. Of course you will get some reflection, but you can still through it very well. Last year I came through the shipping lanes on a 526 at 1 am and it was traffic everywhere and I had little difficulty piloting down below. But boy this is where you really fall in love with the AIS.
The Versa-helm looks cool, but I have a question:
Why is the Versa-helm better than just having two wheels permanently mounted at those positions? Seems like there would be a little less to break if the wheel isn't on a moving stick.
Nice episode,
I have equstion for you , when the wheel is down is this setup made for motoring, because I can't imagine to sail a boat without my eyes focusing on all the sail all the time ,
for me I watch the sail more than watching the horizon
You cannot see the sails from the down seat - you have to walk back to aft end of cockpit. When reaching you set them and follow your course. What I have found fun to learn is to sail the boat from instruments upwind - seeing the apparent wind angle that works best for the conditions and either sailing to that, or if on a long tack, just setting the autopilot to adjust to that heading. Of course when passage-making you are not going to be piloting carefully very often from a sailing perfection standpoint. If you want to have fun and see the sails and steer, trim as if you were racing, you go up top. The versahelm comes in handy when you have to motor in cold weather and steer and throttle same time, like coming into a harbor, marina, and on passages where you are sailing and simply wish to be out of sun or cold and occasionally make a course change. It is a great place to sit your watch since you can still communicate with everyone inside as you do.
Great Video. I love your design. I visited the outremer company and love their designs as well. But my wife has Poliomyelitis, and therefor I am still looking for the perfect design that would allow her live aboard with the least restrictions and limitations. I believe that a combination of the outremer master cabin, your cockpit layout and the Leopard forward cockpit would be the ultimate performance cruising catamaran one could want, especially when suffering physical limitations. Maybe you could consider sketching out a concept of this idea.
Ralf, everyone should have a chance to experience the magic of the sea, and to the extent your wife could use something special, it would make sense to do it. I am sure we could craft a custom cat at our custom division to do exactly what you want, but it would cost a bit more. If you have a set budget in mind, let me know, and we will let you know if we can pull it off for you and your wife. Email to: phil@balancecatamarans.com
I sailed a Leopard 44 from San Diego to Honolulu and an Outremer 55- Light from Nuku Hiva to San Francisco. The Leopard has a helm station sitting so high, you get vertigo sometimes. The Outremer's helm was so exposed, I was always wet after my watch as we were throwing a fair bit of spray coming up the Pacific in November especially around Point Concepcion in a gale. Boy, do I wish I had a versa-helm on either trip. The sliding "targa" sliding roof section is pure genius along with so many other features designed and engineered by a real sailor for real sailors ( and those of us who are still learning the ropes ). Thanks Phil & Balance team. I watch your videos with drooling eyes, hahaha. Someday...someday. Stay safe, stay sharp as always and keep building those angelic things.
Fernando, thank you very much. You discuss exactly the conditions where the versa-helm shines! I recall back in my days in Santa Barbara, a friend had a custom trimaran he built. He was up in Gaviota, south of Point Conception, dragging anchor in a huge storm, by himself, and needed help. He asked if I could drive up with my surfboard and paddle out and help him sail her to Ventura Harbor. I got to this boat, it was horribly cold, huge 14 foot seas, 28 knot winds, wet as can be. Fortunately the seas were behind us and we surfed wildly to Ventura - upon arrival the entire harbor entrance was one big breaking wave! We sat there looking at each other, as surfers, wondering if we could avoid a pitchpole on this 38 foot trimaran. What a ride down the breakwall! Anyways, being wet and soaked is very fatiguing. I think my experiences sailing in central and Northern California as a young man taught me how vital it was to stay warm and dry. And I recall a sea trial in San Francisco some years ago on a custom cat designed by Pete Melvin. It had a helm inside the salon, right up by the window, and we went out sailing in the cold bay all day without stress. The problem was that it had no outside steering, not place to enjoy sailing in nice weather. And docking her was hard since you could not see the sterns. I fell in love with an interior helm that day. How to get that, along with one outside, without adding undo complexity and cost and taking space away from the interior? It took some time, but we figured it out. Best, Phil
Happy to hear about the Intergrel project... another reason to sail my future 482 up the Delaware to watch the July 4th fireworks!
I can't say I am a big fan of catamarans. I get queasy a lot for some reason but having spent time on them think my preference would be for the twin stern arrangement. I say that coz more often than not you are on auto anyway and for sure they are comparatively exposed yet there are other gains to be had such as convivial cockpit seating, space efficiencies, line handling and of course direct steering. It's horses for courses yet don't get me wrong the Balance solution looks nice it's just that I don't think the helm position is so important as long as you have visibility.
You want the best visiblity you can get in all directions when piloting, regardless of where from. On dual helm cats you are blinded to one side or another withour waking back and forth in crowded sailing areas. Not big deal on a long passage on a dual helm cat so long as autopilot works and you are not sun exposed all the time until it can be repaired.
Although Balance was clearly the first catamaran brand to adopt the idea in its modern form and to prefect it, this concept is indeed an old one that many monohulls used to have to ease control of the single wheel when healing.
The Outremer implementation on the 55 is quite different from the Balance one, the Explocat 52 is more similar.
Overall, I believe that many innovations are spreading across brands.
The reality is that this option is cool, but most of the time either you are in auto-pilot or you want to be at the helm in good conditions. It ends up being very rare that you need to be at the helm in bad conditions. And when it does it's unclear whether visibility though wet windows at the front is good enough vs just steering from the inside using the auto-pilot or wearing wet gear and steering from the outside position.
I am not sure that too many customers of Outremer and Garcia will end up choosing this option.
Hi Bernard, I think you underestimate the utility of the Versahelm. I operate the Balance boats more than anyone other the some of the owners and I can tell you from first hand experience that the down helm position gets used A LOT. Especially in chilly weather or on night watches. It's just so much more comfortable to be protected from the elements when you choose. During rainy condition, the visibility through wet windows is no worse than poor visibility when getting pelted in the face by raindrops. I encourage you to join us for a demo sail and see for yourself.
You don't get cold and flu from being exposed to cold weather, you get it from people with colds and flus.
You are correct, of course. I guess when I am talking without a prompter I just goof up a bit from time to time! But staying warm and dry is vital to fighting fatigue when offshore.
The Alibi is a beautiful yacht. I’ll still get a Balance when I have the money.
Stephen, we have a lovely Alibi 54 for sale at the Multihull Company, owned by a friend. We had to toss out his electric engines and put on diesels, ditch the cassette rudders that never worked, and came up with a new system to manage the tender, but now she is nicely sorted! They are much smaller inside than the Balance cats, but quite pretty looking and she sails sweetly. The fit and finish of the interior do not rise to yacht grade standards, but I have always enjoyed sailing with my friend on her. Best, Phil
Agree. You should definitely tell all the other builders who have pivoting helms how much you appreciate their innovation, and your ability to follow. Nothing new here. Live the bicycle gears though!
Rob, forgive me, you are not correct. A pivoting helm is not what makes the Versa Helm work and what made it an innovation. The reason it was copied is that we figured out how to use a pivoting helm to offer superb warm and cold weather sailing from down or up and with all line handling in the same place. Have you been on a Balance before? Best, Phil
@@balancecatamarans Yes Phil. I've been on your vessels multiple times, and I see Edwin's 526 is laying on the hard in Port Townsend. Trying to lay claim to something that is always evolving is pretty funny to me. It's like the person who thought to make helm seats reversible trying to lay claim to that, or the first person to put wheels on a chair saying, "I'm ingenious, and deserve recognition". Sure, maybe a little, but it's just evolution. Don't get me wrong, you're a great marketer, and as a result, I expect you to always be tooting your own horn, but sometimes bull***t needs to be called on the scope and grandiosity of your claims to greatness.
Try sailing a Balance sometime in cold rainy Seattle, or piloting up a river to a port in rain and you will recognize the innovation of what we did. It is about the sight lines and the reduction of complexity, and also no need to dodger off the helm for cold weather piloting. We must take you sailing buddy! Take care.
alibi cats had a similar helm setup pre 2015 also certain mono hulls had similar earlier again
Which, if you had listened to his video, you would have seen him talk about... As he says, the Versa-Helm is more than the pivoting helm, it is the layout of all the elements to give complete control and good sightlines in both the up and down positions. The French designer went beyond just building a similar pivoting helm, his design is nearly indistinguishable, placing all controls and windows identically. Indeed, direct imitation (that probably should have given the nod to the great work that Balance did in designing it in the first place.)
You are not correct. As I have explained, it is not about the pivoting helm, but the way in which it pivots and the way in which it was designed to offer superb up and down sailing. I have sailed on the Alibi 54 and it is more like the new Outremer 55 - you sit on the rail for fun, in the sun, no protection, for sport sailing. The throttles, the sail handling, are not near you either - you cannot steer and manage sails at the same time. And when it is down you cannot see through the boat without issue or blind spots nor sit comfortably. The gentleman below, Paul Carrol is quite correct.
Dear Paul, thank for this. The reason I never mentioned the Outremer 55 is that I do not view it as a versa-helm copy at all. It is more like the Alibi. The Garcia is, as they say in Thailand when they offer you a fake Rolex: same same! But as I said, we are cool with it. I just feel that Anton du Toit and Jon Paarman were the ones who worked with me to really perfect it. It looks simple enough, but a lot of time and energy went into getting it right. Take care, Phil
@@balancecatamarans yes, as an engineer, I can confirm that a seemingly simple, elegant solution usually represents an awful lot of expertise, effort, and interations getting everything right.