Yann Chabaud, Member of the Design Team for Chantier CATANA
BALI CATAMARANS is about to release the BALI 4.3 Motor Yacht in March 2019, an almost complete overhaul of the initial prototype released three years ago. “Everything has been revisited… from the choice of colours to the choice of materials. We focused in particular on the overall ergonomics of the BALI 4.3 MY with the use of sofas for greater comfort instead of the usual sailboat bench seats and a revised interior helm station to improve the field of vision,” says Yann Chabaud.
A completely new visual signature with a redesigned coachroof and hulls optimized for navigating very much in a “Motor Yacht” spirit.
A MOTOR YACHT IN THE BALI RANGE
It was determined right from the start that BALI CATAMARANS would have a power model. “It took us a few years to develop the unique-design sailing boats that form the heart of the market before we could enter the motor yacht sector.”
As an innovative brand, BALI CATAMARANS had to meet the growing BALI MOTOR YACHT demand, by bringing to it the BALI CATAMARANS concept and innovations.
“One of our close competitors is making significant sales in this sector… We’d be wrong not to be interested in it,” says Yann Chabaud.
THE UNIQUE BALI CATAMARANS CONCEPT…
The BALI 4.3 MY is not like any other model currently available on the market. Like our sailboats, it features the famous “tilting and pivoting” door which is the hallmark all our models as well as the spacious forward cockpit and the aft bridge deck.
“With its new Flybridge layout, the BALI 4.3 MY is unique in its class because it offers huge living spaces while maintaining an absolutely unbeatable ease of movement”
“We have obviously reworked the underwater hull and made the choice of the new Yanmar 4LV 250hp engine, the preliminary figures of which are very encouraging! The BALI 4.3MY means there will be “performance and comfort” in store.”
GETTING TO KNOW YANN CHABAUD
Yann Chabaud, how long have you been part of the Catana Shipyard team?
“I joined the Catana Shipyard team 5 years ago, developing the BALI CATAMARANS concept, but I had already been part of Olivier Poncin’s team 25 years ago at Dufour. At his side, I was involved in developing nearly 40 models, including the first Nautitech models that are at the origin of the current Rochefort-based shipyard”.
Tell us about your passion for boats?
“Wow, that goes back a long way! I think I started “sketching” boats when I was 7 or 8 years old. I loved Tullio Abbate’s Italian motor boats, so I set about redesigning them to my size by imagining propelling them with a 9.9hp engine, which didn’t require a licence at the time… Also, I come from a family that has always sailed, with a father who was part of the French team and who was also technical director and shareholder of a mast manufacturer well known in our industry. All this obviously left its mark…
And finally Yann, what does the BALI CATAMARANS brand represent for you?
In my opinion, the BALI CATAMARANS brand, with its “Open” concept, is the logical and essential evolution of the “comfort-oriented” leisure catamaran.
BALI CATAMARANS is the very avant-garde precursor of the catamaran of tomorrow. It is truly the quintessence of what can be done best to enjoy life at sea, with friends or family… not to mention that we still have many other ideas to develop…
