BoatsBalance 580

Balance 580

Catamaran, twin daggerboards · Fractional Sloop · First built 2024

A 17.78-metre performance catamaran with a 28.41 sail area-to-displacement ratio designed for rapid, long-range cruising

Designed by Phillip Berman & Anton DU Toit.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Dbrd.

See her sail

The Balance 580, on the water

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

Footage from Lady K Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

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

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 83
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 28.4
  • Draws more than ~95% of boats her size on file

Compared with 174 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Balance 580, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Balance 580 is a 17.8-meter fractional sloop catamaran, designed by Phillip Berman and Anton Du Toit, built by Balance Catamarans since 2024. It has a twin daggerboard hull, an 8.6-meter beam, a 3.4-meter draft, and displaces 16,668 kg. The main sail area is 140.9 m², the jib sail area is 79.5 m², the reacher sail area is 125.7 m², and the spinnaker sail area is 310.83 m². The Balance 580 was scheduled for display at the Annapolis Sailboat Show, an event for cruisers preparing for Caribbean passages.3:53 Balance Catamarans, an independent builder based in South Africa, produces the 580, which features carbon fiber construction and a pivoting VersaHelm design.4:06

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
28.4
Displacement / length
82.7
Hull
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Dbrd.
Construction
Composite / carbon reinforced structure, foam core hulls
Production
Years built
First built 2024
Designer
Phillip Berman, Anton Du Toit
Builder
Balance Catamarans (USA, ZAF)

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.

Neel 5215.85 mSame hull family1.9 m shorterA high-performance trimaran from Marc Lombard featuring a massive 8.8-metre beam and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
INFLATABLE SAILS! The Future of Sailing?14:25from Sailing Nahoa
Voyage Yachts 59017.72 mSame hull familyNear-identical length
VOYAGE 590 Catamaranfrom Igor Stropnik
Hh 5516.74 mSame hull family1.0 m shorterA 16.74-metre carbon catamaran with a high 33.37 SA/displacement ratio, built for rapid passage making since 2018
FILTERING THE LITERAL CRAP 💩 OUT OF THE OCEAN16:06from Gone with the Wynns
Privilege 58516.99 mSame hull family0.8 m shorter
SAILING TO THE BAHAMAS! Bluewater Summit Recap 💦 (Ep 349)4:29from Sailing Zatara
Island Spirit 52515.77 mSame hull family2.0 m shorterA high-performance fractional sloop catamaran with a 27.88 sail area-to-displacement ratio for rapid cruising
The New Boat Is Almost Done… I’m Flying to Thailand2:22from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Bali 5.817.65 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2024 Xavier Fay-designed catamaran featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance
The ULTIMATE Family Charter Catamaran - Bali 5.8 Full Tourfrom Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

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

Balance 526A 16-metre performance cruiser featuring a rotating fractional rig and a high 30.26 sail area-to-displacement ratioBalance 482Fractional Sloop · 14.71 mBalance 464 CCA 2026 center-cockpit catamaran designed for high-speed cruising with an impressive 23.84 sail area-to-displacement ratioBalance 451A high-performance catamaran featuring a rotating fractional rig and twin daggerboards for exceptional upwind speedBalance 442A high-performance catamaran by Du Toit featuring twin daggerboards and a powerful sail area-to-displacement ratioBalance 540A 16.6-metre carbon-epoxy cutter with a 30.75 sail area-to-displacement ratio and optional hybrid propulsion

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The fleet has more to say

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