Straight from the Catana boatyard in France, the Bali family of luxury catamarans seem to be doing quite well, having won Best Multihull 2019 in the size 40- to 50-foot category from Multihulls magazine. What does the Bali 5.4, the flagship of the Bali line, bring to the docks?
Among the notable features is that massive 28’ 6” beam, making the 5.4 a simply huge platform for all water-related fun. That entertainment platform ethos—already part of the luxury catamaran creed—gets taken to the maximum with the foredeck arrangement. Unlike many luxury catamarans that leave the foredeck relatively open with trapeze webbing, a huge padded sun lounge area, a foldable dining table, and L-shaped seating go right up to the bow rail. Access to this area is via the walkways and through the salon with a door.
In fact, one can travel from that sumptuous foredeck, through the massive salon, and to the seating of the cockpit entertainment space at the stern without taking a step up or down. Open the forward and aft doors, and it’s a straight shot through the whole 5.4 with a nice stop in the galley in between for a snack. There are several layout options available that include four to five cabins and four or five enclosed heads.
The nitty gritty of actually running the boat is handled at the helm, which is situated on a commanding flybridge accessed from the cockpit. Traditional luxury catamarans orient the helm in the cockpit and some amount of peeking over and around the cabin structure is needed to navigate. Not so here, and the skipper has a 360-degree view of the yacht at the helm from what amounts to an elevated center console design. The standard rig includes a self-tacking solent and a Code 0 foresail.
The Bali 5.4 clearly took a few innovative gambles with the design, which have payed off. Don’t be surprised if more luxury catamaran builders follow suit with that beefed-up foredeck. If interested in more details or pricing, you can contact the exclusive local Bali dealer, Seattle Yachts.
