Bali 4.4

The Bali 4.4 applies the brand's doctrine at the size most families actually buy: no trampoline but a rigid foredeck with sunpads, and the signature tilting glass door that turns saloon and cockpit into one uninterrupted room. Xavier Faÿ's hulls are fuller than a Nautitech's and the rig is modest; nobody buys a Bali for upwind VMG, and the yard does not pretend otherwise. What the concept delivers is unmatched usable area per metre, a genuine forward cockpit connected to the saloon by a front door, and tankage — 800 litres of both fuel and water — that shames nominally more ocean-minded rivals. Build quality has tightened noticeably since the first 4.x generation. The programme is anchoring, hosting and coastal passage-making, where the boat is simply more pleasant to live on than anything else at the price. Rivals answer on sailing feel; on liveability the 4.4 sets the terms of the debate.