BoatsBali 4.8

Bali 4.8

Catamaran, twin keels · Fractional Sloop · First built 2020

A 14.86-metre catamaran with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio of 28.66 for spirited performance

Designed by Xavier Fay & Olivier Poncin, built by Catana.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Keel

See her sail

The Bali 4.8, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Doodles

Is it for you?

Character

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

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 153
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 28.7
  • Heavier than ~83% of boats her size on file

Compared with 262 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Bali 4.8, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Bali 4.8 is a 14.9-meter fractional sloop catamaran designed by Xavier Fay and Olivier Poncin, built by Catana and Bali Catamarans since 2020. It features a twin keel hull, a 7.9-meter beam, a 1.4-meter draft, and a displacement of 15,300 kg, with a maximum displacement of 22,000 kg. The design prioritizes interior volume and comfort, replacing the traditional forward trampoline with a solid fiberglass deck that creates a large, integrated seating area. A signature feature is an automatic, vertical-sliding garage door that connects the cockpit and salon into a single, open-plan living space.4:25 The Bali 4.8 utilizes a self-tacking jib and a hydraulic steering system.3:47 Aboard *Sailing Doodles*, a chartered Bali 4.8 navigated the shallow entrance to Hopetown, Bahamas, and utilized its flybridge for helm operations and social space.watch The vessel's five-cabin layout includes two exterior-access VIP cabins, a bunk room, and a master suite.13:03

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Bali 4.8 on video

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

  • ComparedB&Gweighed against Raymarine

    The speaker expresses a preference for B&G over the Raymarine chart plotters on the boat.

    aboard Sailing Doodlesseen October 2023watch

  • ComparedRaymarineweighed against B&G

    The speaker expresses a preference for B&G over the Raymarine chart plotters on the boat.

    aboard Sailing Doodlesseen October 2023watch

  • WorkingStarlink

    The speaker mentions using a Starlink in one of the boats cabins.

    aboard Sailing Doodlesseen October 20238:55

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Bali 4.8 may be fitted out entirely differently.

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
28.7
Displacement / length
153.1
Hull
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 2020
Designer
Xavier Fay, Olivier Poncin
Builder
Catana, Bali 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.

Saba 5014.98 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15-metre catamaran featuring a rotating fractional spar and a shallow 1.25-metre draft for versatile coastal access
Nautitech 48 Open14.67 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 14.67-metre twin-keel catamaran built for 2023 that prioritizes a spacious open-concept layout for coastal cruising
Leopard 4814.75 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Simonis-Voogd designed catamaran featuring a rotating fractional rig and a high sail area to displacement ratio
Excess 1514.76 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 14.76-metre twin-keel catamaran optimized for stable, modern cruising with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
ST Francis 5015.25 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 15.25-metre catamaran with a 1.25m draft and a powerful 27.29 sail-area-to-displacement ratio for rapid cruising
Lagoon 5115.35 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA VPLP-designed catamaran featuring a flybridge layout and a high sail area-to-displacement ratio for modern performance

The family

Boats like this

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

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Bali 4.8, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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