Balance 442

BoatsBalance 442

See her sail

The Balance 442, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draughtDraws 1.15 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.

LightHeavy

122 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 122

EasygoingPowered-up

23.5 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 23.5

Draws more than ~83% of boats her size on file

Compared with 267 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Balance 442, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Balance 442 is a 13.5-meter fractional sloop catamaran, designed by Anton Du Toit of Du Toit Yacht Design and built by Balance Catamarans in South Africa since 2021. It features a twin daggerboard hull, a 7.6-meter beam, a 2.1-meter draft, and displaces 10,750 kg. The model is part of a competitive performance catamaran market that includes builders like HH Catamarans and Outremer. Balance Catamarans remains an independent builder and incorporates a pivoting VersaHelm design on its models.4:13

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

23.5

Displacement / length

121.8

Hull

Hull type

Catamaran Twin Dbrd.

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 2021

Designer

Du Toit Yacht Design, Anton Du Toit

Builder

Balance Catamarans

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Helia 4413.30 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Berret-Racoupeau designed catamaran featuring a rotating spar and shallow draft, offered in Maestro or Quatuor layouts

Sail Life - The most satisfying coat of antifouling ever0:03 from Sail Life

Antares Yachts 4413.41 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ted Clements-designed catamaran with a shallow 1.22m draft, evolved from the PDQ 42 for offshore cruising

⛵️ Thermoforming thick acrylic windows for our hurricane-damaged catamaran, part 1. Ep 6682:39 from Sail Life

Aventura 4513.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2025-launched catamaran with a 24.34 sail area-to-displacement ratio, balancing modern performance with a 1.4-metre draft

Sailing Malta Gozo Pantelleria Tunisia to Spain.26:36 from sailing vessel reality

Excess 1413.97 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA VPLP-designed catamaran with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for performance-oriented cruising

We are Boatless… NOW WHAT?! | Sailing Sunday Vlog 30114:55 from Sailing Sunday

Neel 4313.11 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 13.11-metre trimaran with a fixed unballasted keel and a high 24.02 sail area-to-displacement ratio

We got a NEW BOAT! A Neel Trimaran from Sailing Doodles

Lagoon 4313.85 mSame hull family0.4 m longerDebuting in 2025, this 13.85-meter catamaran features a shallow 1.31-meter draft and a fractional sloop rig

Lagoon's WILD NEW 43 Footer is Replacing the 42!from Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Balance 482Fractional Sloop · 14.71 m Balance 464 CCA 2026 center-cockpit catamaran designed for high-speed cruising with an impressive 23.84 sail area-to-displacement ratio Balance 580A 17.78-metre performance catamaran with a 28.41 sail area-to-displacement ratio designed for rapid, long-range cruising Balance 451A high-performance catamaran featuring a rotating fractional rig and twin daggerboards for exceptional upwind speed Balance 526A 16-metre performance cruiser featuring a rotating fractional rig and a high 30.26 sail area-to-displacement ratio Balance 502A 15.25-metre performance catamaran offering VersaDrive hybrid propulsion and a versatile sail plan for varied conditions

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Balance 442, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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