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Balance 482vsNautitech 48 Open

Balance 482 draws the least water, 3.8 ft — 1.3 ft less than 48 Open. Balance 482 carries the most sail for its weight (SA/D 24.9, Racing); 48 Open the least (23.3, Performance).

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Key differences

Worked out from the published figures below — arithmetic, not opinion.

At a glance

Dark icons are the standard layout; faded ones are what the larger layout adds.

Length : beam is length divided by beam — the higher it is, the slimmer the hull. Multihulls read low by nature.

A figure marked with a quote mark was read from the builder's page. Open it for the exact line, the page and the date.

Model
Balance Catamarans Balance 482

Balance Catamarans

Balance 482
48 Open, vue profil

Nautitech

48 Open
Overview
BrandBalance CatamaransNautitech
ModelBalance 48248 Open
GenerationUnknownUnknown
Hull typeSailing CatamaranSailing Catamaran
PropulsionSailSail
Production statusDiscontinuedIn production
Production start yearUnknownUnknown
Production end yearUnknownUnknown
DesignerPhillip Berman & Anton du ToitMarc Lombard Yacht Design Group
Dimensions
LOA48.3 ft48.1 ft
Hull lengthUnknownUnknown
Beam25.9 ft26.1 ft
Draft3.8 ft–7.2 ft5.1 ft
Displacement29,321 lb29,762 lb
Accommodation
Cabins3–42–4
HeadsUnknown2–4
BerthsUnknown4–9
Performance & Rig
Main sail1,017 ft²947 ft²
Jib390 ft²452 ft²
GenoaUnknownUnknown
Upwind sail area1,481 ft²Unknown
Downwind sail area1,984 ft²Unknown
Engine power45 hpUnknown
Engine count22
Materials
Hull materialCarbon reinforced foam core / E-glass with carbon-fiber reinforcementUnknown
Deck materialUnknownUnknown
Mast materialUnknownUnknown
Keel typeUnknownUnknown
Rudder typeUnknownUnknown
Sources

13 of 13 figures here carry the builder's own words

10 of 11 figures here carry the builder's own words

Size, to scale

Each boat's published length and beam seen from above, and its mast height and draft from the side, all drawn on one scale.

From above — length × beam
0 ft10 ft20 ft30 ft40 ft48 Open: 48.1 ft × 26.1 ftBalance 482: 48.3 ft × 25.9 ftBalance 48248.3 ft × 25.9 ft48 Open48.1 ft × 26.1 ft

Outlines are schematic; the dimensions are the builder's.

From the side — height above and depth below the water
WaterlinePerson, 5.9 ftBalance 482: 71.4 ft / 7.2 ft71.4 ft7.2 ftBalance 48248 Open: air draft not published / 5.1 ftair draft not published5.1 ft48 Open

Speed, power & tanks

What the builders publish about how fast, how strong and how far — each figure on one scale for every boat.

Tanks

One scale per liquid across every boat: a tank twice the height holds twice as much.

  • Balance 482

    Fuel211 gal
    Water206 gal

  • 48 Open

    Fuel159 gal
    Water159 gal

    18 gal of water per berth

How they sail, in numbers

Classic yacht-design ratios worked out from each builder's published figures. They compare boats; they don't grade them.

Sail area / displacement

How much sail the boat carries for its weight — its power in light air.

ModestCruiserPerformanceRacing162024Balance 482: 24.948 Open: 23.3
  • Balance 48224.9· Racing
  • 48 Open23.3· Performance
How it is worked out

sail area (ft²) ÷ (displacement as ft³ of seawater)^⅔

Balance 482: published upwind sail area

48 Open: mainsail + jib, added up

Displacement / length

How heavy the boat is for its waterline length. Lower is lighter and quicker; higher is steadier and roomier.

UltralightLightModerateHeavyVery heavy100180270350Balance 482: 116
  • Balance 482116· Light
  • 48 Opennot published: waterline length
How it is worked out

displacement (long tons) ÷ (0.01 × waterline length in ft)³

Most builders publish a light displacement. The ratios were defined on a loaded boat, so every boat here reads a little lighter than a surveyor's figure would — all alike, which keeps them comparable.

Worth adding to this comparison

The boats most like the ones above, by hull form, size and use.