Bali 4.2 Review

topRik experts talk about their own experience of testing the sailing catamaran Bali 4.2 from inside and at the sea with a large number of accompanying photo and schematics.

Traditionally, opinions about this boat are given by famous yachtsmen who write for authoritative yachting media, as well as an extensive video gallery to get the full impression.

In 2014, the French Catana Group launched the Bali Catamarans brand to expand its lineup with more affordable mass-produced models and attract the attention of new customers.

It didn't take long for the company to bring these ambitious plans to life. This is not surprising: Catana Group had at that time 30 years of experience in designing and building multihulls, so the new catamarans aroused significant interest among experts and buyers.

The construction of Bali catamarans is carried out at the facilities of the Catana Group located in Canet-en-Roussillon. The plant occupies an area of more than 36 thousand square meters, where there are four indoor workshops, an open-air warehouse for finished products and office premises. The company also owns an equipped embankment with access to the open sea, which allows testing in real conditions and easy transportation of finished catamarans by water to anywhere in the world.

The model range includes sailing cruising catamarans and motor multihulls made of fiberglass with a length of 12 to 17 meters. Bali 5.4 won Multihull in 2018 of the Year, and in 2020 the Catspace model was included in the list of award nominees.

Instead of the usual mesh for multihulls, all catamarans of the shipyard have a rigid bridge on the foredeck. This solution allows you to equip an additional recreation area and, more importantly, increase the strength of the structure. On some models, the superstructure is equipped with walk-throughs, so you can easily move around the boat.

The double-hull sailboat Bali 4.2 is the smallest vessel in the series of the same name, about 13 meters long and with a maximum sail area against the wind of 92 m². The DNA of this “baby” has retained all the genetic information of its family: the control station located at the level of the saloon roof, the huge space of the main deck and, of course, the famous Bali door to the saloon, which opens a through passage through it with access to the bow hard deck. Maximum comfort for everyone - guests and crew - is a consequence of such a thoughtful layout.

Besides, Bali 4.2 retains several configuration options regarding the layout of cabins and sailing equipment. We will talk about the cabins in detail later, and in terms of sailing wardrobe, you can operate with both the standard set and options:

• mainsail (rolled into a bag) – 50 m² ;
• staysail (automatic) – 35 m² ;
• mainsail (furling into a bag) – 51.8 m² (optional);
• Code Zero – 63 m² (optional);
• spinnaker – 103 m² (optional).

The design of the catamaran with fiberglass hulls has CE (A) certification, that is, it is intended for access to the open sea. The supply of fuel for equipment operation, fresh water and the volume of the refrigerator and freezer for food allow you to make long journeys on this sailing cruising catamaran.

Bali 4.2 is not the sportiest one, but it is a reliable sailboat for ocean cruises, which provides its passengers and crew with maximum comfort and pleasure from rest and work on board.

Features of Bali 4.2

Virtual tour

Review of Bali 4.2 by topRik Team

topRik experts tested the sailing catamaran Bali 4.2 at Croatia Boat Show in May 2021 in Split, which preceded the Cannes Boat Show, where the world premiere of this cat took place.

First Impression

In the presence of catamarans of much larger sizes, our gaze immediately fell on this compact vessel for a double-hull with a helm station located on the saloon roof and a low boom.

The tall stems of the reverse-raked hulls are especially impressive. Typically, this design technique is used to improve seaworthiness by improving the hydrodynamics of the vessel. This also eliminates slamming, which is important for a catamaran with a solid rigid bow deck. Well, it adds aggressiveness to the exterior, which is usually not typical for a trawler-type vessel.

Glazing along almost the entire board with opening “windows” promised a lot of natural light in the cabins.

Powerful stainless-steel handrails rise above the already high sides - an excellent statement of the manufacturer’s concern for safety.

And this magnificent canopy over the cockpit, which is a continuation of the saloon roof and at the same time serves as the basis for a large seating area, promises that it is impossible to appreciate all the pleasant surprises at first glance. So, let's step up to the transom and begin our traditional tour of the Bali 4.2 sailing catamaran.

On the Transom

At the last photo above, part of the transom is covered by an inflatable boat, which is placed on and held on the transom platform, and is also launched into the water using a davit (stern lift). We assure you that the left side of the transom is a mirror image of the right one.

Three wide steps lead to the cockpit, the entrance to which is blocked by protective steel cables. The lowest widest step is used as a beach platform. Both beach islands can be equipped with a ladder to get into the water.

A convenient recess in the side ensures a free transition from the pier to the platform if the boat is moored sideways. This, of course, will surprise few people, but it once again confirms the shipyard’s commitment to comfort for passengers even in the smallest details.

The Cockpit

It can be disappointing due to its size compared to the rest of the catamaran. Yes, there is a large sofa and a canopy that protects from rain and bright sun, but... that’s all?

Remember, we said that at first glance all the surprises of Bali 4.2 will not be revealed. With the cockpit, that’s exactly the story. To discover its surprises, you need to open (or rather, lift up) the famous Bali door. There seems to be more than enough space now.

And the surprises of the cockpit itself have not all been discovered yet. Under this large sofa there is also quite a small locker hidden. In addition to the life raft, many other useful things can fit here.

On the starboard side, as on its predecessors, the Bali 4.2 has a grill. Although, when using it for its intended purpose, it is better to lower the door to the saloon so that the smell of frying fish or meat does not permeate the upholstery of the furniture.

Inside the Saloon

In many ways, the appearance of the interior, as well as the appearance of the cockpit, depends on the position of the Bali door. In the photo below you can compare the interior with the same furniture, but with the branded door lowered and raised.

The first option will perfectly protect you from bad weather, and on a sunny day with the door up, the sun and fresh air will fill the cabin.

Interior options depend on your needs and the purpose of the boat. You can keep the large sofa to starboard or turn it into a club nook with two armchairs and a floor-mounted wine cabinet between them.

A large cabinet hides a very spacious refrigerator at the top, and a large freezer at the bottom. The doors are equipped with reliable latches so that they cannot swing open when pushed.

In the middle of the large table there is a recess where you can safely place bottles of drinks so that they do not tip over during movement.

By the way, that device in the console above the TV is a way to access the control panel and control the movement of the catamaran from the saloon. And to the left of the refrigerators there is a chart table, the panel of which can also be equipped with the necessary equipment to monitor the operation of the catamaran equipment, communications and displays to which images from cameras installed on board will be transmitted, if necessary.

Further along the passage, to the left of the navigator's table, there is a galley, or more precisely, a real full-fledged home kitchen.

As you can see, the door between the galley and the skipper's table opens onto the foredeck, and the windows everywhere can be opened to combat kitchen odors if this bothers anyone.

Galley has L- and I-shaped countertops, hob with oven, bedside tables and storage shelves, sink and niche for a microwave oven. This shape of the work surfaces and the location of the galley parts across the passage allow several people to simultaneously prepare dishes without fear of colliding with or injuring each other.

And if you also take into account the “outdoor” grill, then the catamaran has everything you need to prepare food for a whole banquet, well, or for a family holiday or a grand party of best friends.

Review all the photographs to make sure that those present in the saloon, in addition to the above, have access to full natural ventilation and lighting, and that all parts of the furniture that are dangerous in contact do not have sharp or right angles that could cause an injury during rolling.

To give you an idea of the relationship between the parts of the main deck, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with its layout. And the schematic shows that we have not yet visited a very interesting area here...

On the Foredeck

The bow of the Bali 4.2 is unusual even for a cruising catamaran. Normally, between the bows of the hulls there are nets, or so-called trampolines. topRik experts can appreciate their absence from the boat, which makes it more suitable for charter purposes.

Another rarity for catamarans of this size is a through passage with a door from the saloon to the foredeck.

A solid hard deck made it possible to arrange a luxurious sunbathing area in the bow of the Bali 4.2 with the opportunity to dine al fresco.

It can easily accommodate 8 people, and if you get tired of sunbathing, you can use an awning that will reliably protect you from the sunrays.

A number of hatches in the bow of each hull indicate that the rooms below deck are also provided with fresh air and natural light. Shall we check? By the way, another surprise: the largest hatches are the entrance to the premises, which can be a crew cabin or a place to store fenders or other accessories.

Inside the Cabins

Here you also cannot do without pictures, since it is not easy to explain in words what configuration options the Bali 4.2 developers provide. Let's start with the standard, when one float is completely provided for the owner's cabin, and the second is divided into two identical double cabins.

All three cabins have king-size double beds and a private bathroom. Of course, the owner's cabin has more space, so in addition to the "bedroom" there is also a "living room" with a sofa, table and storage space. And the owner's bathroom is equipped with an isolated shower.

In the other two cabins, the bathrooms are also equipped with a shower, washbasin, toilet, cupboards and a mirror, and there is an opening porthole near the beds.

In the forepeaks, as we have already mentioned, you can place a sleeping area for the crew and a separate bathroom or use these rooms for storage.

Another version involves the presence of 4 double cabins with double beds and private bathrooms each.

All other versions are based on these two main ones, the difference lies in the use of forepeaks for different needs - cabin, bathroom, storage space.

On the Flybridge

It's time to get acquainted with the control station, which is located on an elevation in relation to the main deck - a ladder leads here from the cockpit.

On the roof of the saloon there is an excellent sunbathing area with two large sun loungers, as well as a sunbathing area with sun loungers for two more people - to the left of the helm station. There is access from both sides along the ladders.

By the way, the side decks, with the exception of the hatches in the bow, no longer have any additions that you can trip on or injure your foot - an absolutely flat non-slip surface.

The helm station has a large console on which all indicators can be displayed to monitor the operation of the yacht's equipment, communications and navigation equipment, including a marine display, compass, autopilot thruster, etc. To control the engines there is a solid lever, which is not often found on sailboats.

Manual and automatic winches are also located here at a convenient distance from the skipper.

From the skipper's position there is an excellent view of three points - the bows of both floats, and the stern on the port side. This is quite enough for comfortable and safe mooring and departure.

At the Sea

An automatic jib and two electric winches, which are placed almost under the skipper’s post, make it very easy to control the boat. For an experienced sailor, setting and retracting the Bali 4.2 sails will not be difficult, taking into account the low position of the boom.

Since we had no goal of setting speed records, we checked the boat's control conditions, its maneuverability and obedience of the rudders to the helm. We were pleased with all the parameters.

We started testing in 7-8 knot winds and were able to achieve a speed of 5-6 knots under a standard sail plan. And when the wind increased to 15-17 knots, we were able to increase the speed to 7 knots.

Well, such results in light winds are quite enough to determine the potential of the Bali 4.2 catamaran. It is, of course, not for speed, but you are guaranteed comfort in driving.

Advantages of Bali 4.2

In addition to the fact that Bali 4.2 has all the advantages of sailing catamarans - high stability, a large area for comfortable rest and work, the developers took into account the small size of the catamaran and “shortened” the mast in order to completely eliminate the already meager possibilities of capsizing on waves and in strong winds, if the sailing rig area is used to the maximum.

There are recorded cases of ocean crossings on Bali 4.2, in particular, Alicante - Tenerife and Tenerife - Gibraltar. During the latter, the wind reaches a speed of 24 knots.

Safe navigation is also ensured by the materials from which the hulls and decks are made: this is a fiberglass sandwich with a balsa core into which resins are injected under high pressure to fill all the pores to prevent osmosis. Lightness and high strength characterize these composite sandwich panels made using innovative technology.

Comfort of life on board is ensured for both guests and crew. A conveniently organized workplace for the skipper and assistants, places for rest and lunch, sunbathing and swimming - everything is provided here so that people do not experience problems either as passengers or as part of the crew.

One of the smallest models in this line has all the advantages of larger Bali catamarans, including technical features of equipment, seaworthiness, comfort level, habitability and equipment.

At the same time, it is relatively inexpensive with a high level of comfort.

Reviews of Bali 4.2 from Professionals

We present the opinion of two famous yachting journalists who posted their reviews of the Bali 4.2 catamaran before its premiere (Robert H.Perry from Sailing Magazine) and after testing it at sea (Emmanuel Van Deth from Yacht Style).

Robert H. Perry Article

Robert wrote his review before the world premiere of Bali 4.2, that is, his review does not contain test results at sea. He presented this catamaran as the brainchild of naval architects and designers Olivier Poncin and Xavier Fay with interior design by Lasta Design Studio, adding that this cruising cat can comfortably accommodate three couples.

The author immediately warned that assessing the aesthetics of any boat is very subjective, so he limited himself to describing the exterior and interior with virtually no value judgments in terms of external attractiveness.

He identified the complex design of hulls with long chines, stem-to-transom lines and short chord keels as optimal.

Speaking about the displacement of the boat, Robert concluded that this boat was created not for speed, but for comfortable relaxation.

The author admitted that his interest was aroused by the organization of the main deck, where there are two cockpits in the bow and stern, as well as an additional seating area above the bimini in the area of the helm station.

Robert described in detail the configuration of the main deck, mentioned several versions of the cabin configuration and noted a short rig on this cat, linking this with ensuring greater safety for passengers and crew.

In conclusion, he admitted that although he designed a catamaran himself and sailed on several, he never went on a long cruising voyage cats.

Emmanuel Van Deth Article

Emmanuel at the beginning of his review talks about the history of the Bali line, the first model of which was presented at Cannes Yachting Festival 2014. He noted the high productivity of the shipyard and that this productivity is inherited from parent company Catana Group.

The author noted that despite the similarity of Bali 4.2 with its predecessors, there are also differences that can be noticed in the design of the mast, which has a positive effect on the aerodynamics of the kata and simplifies the installation of standing rigging.

He called lifting Bali door iconic, describing its functions and capabilities. Continuing the main deck theme, Emmanuel started with two large sugarscoops and, gradually moving from the cockpit to the foredeck, dwelled in detail on the features of the configuration and design, including the helm station. He calls the helm station with a seating area on the roof of the saloon a flybridge.

An interesting point was noted by the author: the total deck area of the catamaran (almost 80 m²) is 10% larger than that of models of the same length from other manufacturers.

Concluding the description of the bow, Emmanuel noted the convenient organization of anchorage.

The author paid great attention to the interior configuration with a large dining area and chart table, noting that in some places the ceiling height exceeds 208 cm, and the volume of the refrigerator with freezer is 326 liters.

Next, the yachtsman focused on the configuration of cabins and bathrooms, noting that several versions of berth organization are possible.

The rest of the review is devoted to testing the catamaran Bali 4.2 at sea, and the author regrets that the lack of real wind did not allow the sailing rig to show itself fully.

Video Reviews of Bali 4.2

Best videos we could find, demonstrating the capabilities of this yacht in full.

First, catamaran tour with lovely commentary:

The walkthrough from Bali Catamarans:

Quick tour around the boat:

16 minutes of detailed footage on board with explanations:

Another detailed walkthrough from ActuNautique:

Conclusion

The very comfortable and spacious double-hull sailing yacht Bali 4.2 was announced as a catamaran for the charter business, and it, of course, meets all the requirements for such a purpose - inexpensive, comfortable, zoned, with many places for relaxation and entertainment.

But we think that there will be sailors who will want to have such a cat for personal use for:

• a comfortable and safe family holiday at sea;
• long stays on board with passages in coastal waters;
• a comfortable cruise in a large group of friends with the opportunity to warm up with the sails;
• first experience of sailing a catamaran.

Where to Buy Bali 4.2 at a Bargain Price

Contact topRik experts and they will tell you in detail where to buy Bali 4.2 at a good price, and will also help you do it without much hassle and nervous tension.

To get started, use all the bonuses that you are entitled to from our trading platform: use the free configuration calculator and configure your version of Bali 4.2. At this stage, you have the right to free consultations with our experts.

With further cooperation, you can count on full support in the process of searching and purchasing a boat, or you can entrust the entire process to our specialists - from negotiations with the manufacturer and paperwork to checking the boat’s equipment on site and transporting it to the specified location.

Send us a message at [email protected], call the specified phone number or use the feedback form (Contacts section).