cruisingworld.com93june/july 2016
june/july 2016cruisingworld.com93N
ormally, any article concerning multihulls spends half its
ink comparing them to monohulls. Hopefully, in previously
tackling this topic (see “The Great Divide,” June 2015), I’ve made
my position clear: This sometimes contentious debate over the
merits of these diff erent crafts is done and dusted. Catamarans
and trimarans are popular and viable cruising platforms that
deserve serious discussion and consideration.
At issue now is the rapid development of multihull concepts,
designs and construction. While the recent popularity of catama-
rans may suggest a paradigm shift, multihulls are not immune to
the age-old forces of physics. Their performance characteristics
are still determined by hull form, windage, weight, sail area- to-
displacement ratio and lateral resistance. Thus they come in all
shapes and sizes, spanning the spectrum from fl ying foils to roof-
top party platforms.
Yet there were salient themes running through the Best Multi-
hull Cruiser category in Cruising World’s 2016 Boat of the Year
contest. The focus seemed to be on enhanced open fl ow between
indoor and outdoor living spaces, more and larger lounging areas,
improved visibility, and loads of natural light.
The Bali 4.3 took the most radical approach to the indoor/
outdoor issue by simply eradicating that delineation. The build-
ers took out the main bulkhead that normally divides and defi nes
those spaces and installed a hull-spanning drop-down door aft.
When the door is raised (with the help of an electric motor), the
entire boat is transformed into one outdoor area. When the door
is down, the space is enclosed from rain, wind and spray. The
company calls this confi guration the “loft mode,” and not since
the Maine Cat series have we seen such unobstructed expanses.
This design eliminates the need for two dining tables and con-
nects the galley directly to the main social area.
The traditional forward trampoline has been glassed over and
surrounded by cushioned seating with a footwell, replete with
twin cocktail tables to create yet another spacious social area (see
“Bali High,” p. 99). The cabin deadlight forward incorporates a
drop-down window that ventilates the entire vessel and connects
the forward area to the entire boat.
Because the cabin of the 4.3 is entirely enclosed, the helm had
to be elevated to starboard in a fl ybridge setup. That required
lifting the boom for safe clearance, which raises the sail plan’s
center of eff ort substantially while reducing the mainsail area,
both detriments to high performance.
Bavaria collaborated with the French cat builder Nautitech,
which it now owns, to create the Bavaria Open 40, named
the Best Multihull Cruiser for 2016. Designer Marc Lombard
has struck a nuanced balance between smooth performance,
increased recreational space and open fl ow.
Addressing the importance of performance, even our high
priest of traditionalism, L. Francis Herreshoff , once said, “The
fun of sailing is proportional to the speed of sailing.” And even
without the daggerboards that usually defi ne high-performance
catamarans, plenty of joy will be discovered in the Open 40’s nar- BILLY BLACK