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Balance Catamarans doesn’t just set the gold standard for performance cruising — we invented the category. Since launching the first Balance 526 in 2013 and winning Cruising World’s prestigious Import Boat of the Year in 2017, we have earned more major awards, independent reviews, and jury recognitions than any other catamaran brand in the past decade. Sailing World. Cruising World. SAIL Magazine. The British Yachting Awards. The verdict is unanimous: no one builds a performance blue-water catamaran like Balance.

The Balance 502 shown here is our newest model — the next chapter in our award-winning lineup, replacing the celebrated 482. The first hull, Tiger Lily, has already launched. Slots are filling fast. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to own a Balance, this is it. The Balance 502 is the next evolution in performance catamaran cruising — engineered for owners who refuse to compromise between speed, comfort, and ocean-ready capability. She's longer and leaner than our 482, carries a larger rig, and debuts our most significant fabrication breakthrough yet: Carbon Core. Carbon bulkheads, cabin soles, daggerboards, rudders, and structural elements combine to deliver a yacht that is dramatically lighter, measurably faster, and structurally stiffer — all without sacrificing the payload capacity serious blue-water voyagers demand. As one owner put it: “Balance checked all the boxes, in terms of performance, comfort, and the equipment. It was just a done deal.”

Every detail of the 502 has been rethought. The new VersaStern™ folding transom doors deliver instant cockpit security offshore and effortless dock access when open — eliminating the need for washboards or stern screens entirely. Our expanded VersaHelm® — the 90-degree pivoting helm station we pioneered and that no other builder has matched — now offers even better sightlines on the 502’s longer platform, giving you total four-corner visibility whether you’re sailing in sunshine or driving through a squall from the cockpit. New stacking glass doors open up the flow between the helm, cockpit, and galley. Dramatically increased natural ventilation, mullion-free windows, expanded overhead hatches, a redesigned coachroof, upgraded storage, and an Italian-inspired interior make the 502 the most livable Balance ever built. As owners consistently tell us: “There just is no other catamaran that has this sort of outdoor livability, and the interior really feels like a home.” 

On the water, the 502 is built to perform across every condition. A new performance-oriented forebeam, crossbeam, longeron, and taller mast deliver improved light-air ability and blistering top-end speed — the same DNA that drove a Balance 526 to take line honours in the Cape to Rio Race, finishing more than 24 hours ahead of a rival widely assumed to be faster. Averaging 8 to 9 knots upwind with peak speeds of 18 to 20 knots downwind in a breeze, the 502 is a true ocean flyer. Dual furling headsails, electric winches, and a self-tacking jib mean two people can handle her with ease. Deep daggerboards let her point at least seven degrees higher than most other cats while maintaining superb boatspeed — upwind performance that reviewers have called “truly impressive."

Sustainability meets capability with the optional VersaDrive Diesel/Electric Hybrid — dual 45 hp Yanmar diesels paired with up to 30 kW of power charging and 40 hp of electric drive, reducing fuel consumption by up to 25% while charging the 36 kW 48V lithium battery bank at up to 15 kW per engine. Stack that with up to 3,000 W of solar, and the 502 becomes one of the most advanced off-the-grid eco-cruising platforms available at any price. Stay out longer. Spend less on fuel. Sail cleaner. 

Below decks, the 502’s owner-version layout is pure luxury: generous headroom throughout, a large U-shaped galley built for passage-making, a nav station that doubles as a modern workstation with hidden charging ports, a convertible salon table that becomes a queen berth, a spa-worthy master shower, frameless cabinetry, and abundant real-wood storage. This is not a production boat. This is your home — custom-built to your vision, hand-crafted in South Africa by a team of nearly 1,000 dedicated craftsmen who take enormous pride in every hull they deliver. Each Balance 502 takes approximately 40,000 labor hours to build. Anyone who steps aboard sees the difference immediately. The Balance 502 is ready to take you anywhere the wind blows — faster, smarter, and in greater comfort than anything else in her class. Slots for the first production run are limited. 

Explore the full model range, watch our build videos, and join the Balance community at balancecatamarans.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube @balancecatamarans — and when you’re ready to talk about making one of these extraordinary yachts yours, reach out directly. We’d love to help you find your balance.

Specifications – Balance 502

 Overall Length: 15.25 m / 50.03 ft
 Waterline Length: 15.25 m / 50.03 ft
 Beam: 7.90 m / 25.92 ft
 Main Sail: 95.63 m² / 1,029.4 ft²
 Self-Tacking Jib: 39.31 m² / 423 ft²
 Sail Area (100% Foretriangle): 143 m² / 1,539 ft²
 Asymmetric Spinnaker: 217.9 m² / 2,345 ft²
 Screacher/Reacher (Code D): 89.55 m² / 963.37 ft²
 Draft (Boards Down/Up): 2.27 m / 7.46 ft — 1.16 m / 3.81 ft
 Air Draft: 22.40 m / 73.49 ft
 Displacement (Cruise Equipped): 12,800–14,000 kg / 28,219–30,864 lbs
 Underwing Clearance: 932–827 mm / 36.7–32.6 in
 Fuel: 2 × 400 L / 106 gal
 Fresh Water: 2 × 390 L / 103 gal
 Black Water: 2 × 61 L / 16 gal
 Engines: Yanmar 4JH45 + SD60, 2 × 34 kW / 45 HP
 VersaDrive Hybrid: 2 × 15 kW Integrel E-Drive + 2 × 34 kW / 45 HP Yanmar Diesels
 Hybrid Battery: 36 kW 48V Lithium