Congratulations to Doyle-powered Balance 526 NORHI, who has won the 2023 Cape 2 Rio race both on line and in the multihull division.
Doyle Sails Palma expert and crew member Scott Zebny who was onboard Norhi commented, “It was a pleasure to be part of this adventure with Norhi and Larry and the rest of the crew, a slightly longer trip than initially expected, but no less enjoyable! I was incredibly impressed with the Balance 526; the comfort and performance were impressive for a boat this size and coupled with a superior Doyle inventory, it made a formidable duo.”
Facing stiff competition during the 3,300 nautical mile race, Norhi held the lead for most of the race against veteran Brazilian racer Johan “Hans” Hutzler, skippering his race-ready Outremer 51 catamaran, Aventureiro 4. This is the first Balance Catamaran to enter this gruelling ocean race – the longest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Recently launched in October, Balance 526 NORHI arrived in Cape Town ahead of the annual Cape to Rio Race 2023. With the Hall mast arriving via ship from Holland in mid December the crew were busy getting the yacht race ready. After just a four-hour sea trial with the new Doyle Sails inventory they left for their required 500 nautical mile qualifier which they completed successfully in 30 – 45 knots.
Owners Larry and Norhi Folsom commented, “Our Balance 526 was built in Saint Francis, SA, and the timing of her completion (October) fits with when we intended to sail to the US. A slight detour to Brazil, in the name of adventure, made for a more exciting crossing.”
Norhi has nine crew; four are family – Larry, as skipper, his wife Norhi and their two kids, Dylan (15) and Alexa (12). Campbell Field as Navigator, and Warwick “Waza” Kerr as bowman. Doyle Sails Palma, director and good friend of Larry and Norhi, Scott Zebny, fills the position of Tactician, and rounding off the crew is Catherine Fryer, an extremely experienced sailor, and Warren Russell from Balance Yachts.
ABOUT DOYLE SAILS // Around the world, Doyle Sails has over 500 sailmakers in 46 different locations, all equally passionate about sailing – living and breathing our ethos ’Global Leaders and Local Experts.’
As sailors, our obsession with sailing connects us to the water. The water is our playground, a sanctuary where we seek enjoyment, a competitive playing field where we race as competitors; it’s sometimes our home and always a place that unlocks our sense of adventure wherever that adventure might take us. Behind every adventure is a Doyle sailor who shares this same obsession as you. We put your journey at the very heart of what we do to deliver the ultimate enjoyment and performance, powering our constant need to push the boundaries in sail design and innovation, to reimagine sailing.
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ABOUT BALANCE CATAMARANS // Like many insurgent brands, Balance was born from our frustration. The catamaran market had become dominated by charter or racing cats, leaving few options for those seeking something in-between. We took our collective experience born from thousands of miles at sea to design and create truly balanced, handcrafted performance catamarans that would offer our customers years of blissful living and sailing. Learn more here.