The sleek blue hulls of the Balance 526 catamaran were quite the scene-stealer at Strictly Sail Miami in February.

Jeffrey Phillips, an experienced cat owner and sailor, joined 5 Oceans Marine Group’s Phil Berman on a short, brisk sail along the Florida coast last winter following the Strictly Sail Miami boat show.  Multihulls Quarterly caught up with Phillips by phone to hear about the new boat and how she sailed.

In the world of cruising catamarans, a debate has been raging for more than 20 years: Payload or performance? Having joined the payload-versus-performance multihull debate for much of the past two decades myself, I stepped off the Balance 526 thinking it might just be the new scratch boat in that fight.

When I learned Phil Berman had decided to design and build his own catamaran brand, I drove from my home in the Florida Keys to inspect the Balance 451. I was not disappointed.

I went along with Phil on a shakedown sail of the Balance 451, hull one. Immediately I was drawn to its clean lines, sleek hulls and flat topside decking providing ease of movement.

Come along and join a sailor in his quest to build his dream catamaran.

The Balance 451 strikes the perfect balance between performance and comfort.

Wondering what the real cost of closing the sale and maintaining ownership will be on a catamaran? This handy guide provides unique insight into the real cost of owning the catamaran of your dreams.

Wondering what the real cost of closing the sale and maintaining ownership will be on a catamaran? This handy guide provides unique insight into the real cost of owning the catamaran of your dreams.

Wondering what the real cost of closing the sale and maintaining ownership will be on a catamaran? This handy guide provides unique insight into the real cost of owning the catamaran of your dreams.

Wondering what the real cost of closing the sale and maintaining ownership will be on a catamaran? This handy guide provides unique insight into the real cost of owning the catamaran of your dreams.