Story by TMC Editor / September 18, 2023
The Multihull Company is thrilled to unveil the new Tao 452, an exciting addition to the world of blue-water performance cruising catamarans. Meticulously engineered and crafted to perfection, the Tao 452 is set to redefine the catamaran experience for sailors worldwide.
If you’ve ever felt the need for more sailing performance from your current production charter catamaran or been disappointed by cramped living spaces in racing vessels, the Tao 452 is your answer. This exceptional catamaran has been expertly designed to strike the ideal balance between on-anchor comfort and on-water performance. It’s swift, robust, secure, incredibly comfortable for extended stays, user-friendly to operate, and straightforward to maintain.
The Tao 452 represents a natural evolution from Hill’s earlier 421 design, which later evolved into the Balance 451. With a slimmer hull fineness ratio, extended and sleeker bows and sterns, and the addition of dual high aspect ratio daggerboards alongside two shallow fixed mini-keels guarding her rudders and sail drives, the Tao 452 takes performance and comfort to new heights.
Intriguingly, despite its nearly four-foot increase in length, the Tao 452’s weight remains remarkably similar to that of the original design with its fixed keels. This remarkable achievement is the result of innovative engineering, including an ultralight foam core composite hardtop bimini and the use of vinylester resins, foam cores, carbon fiber, and buoyant high aspect ratio daggerboards.
“The Tao 452 is a natural evolution of this boat’s lifespan and represents TMC’s continued commitment to the boat and her place in the market,” said TMC CEO Will Miller. “All of us here at TMC were such huge fans of this boat when it was being sold and marketed as the Balance 451. So when Balance made the decision to move their production entirely to South Africa, it gave us a really interesting opportunity with this boat to give it a second life – and Tao was born.”
“It’s amazing to be able to work with Startown Marine again to reintroduce the Tao 452,” Miller continued. “The Tao 452 is engineered to be the swiftest yet most spacious and luxurious mid-sized performance production catamaran available today in her price category.”
For those who share a genuine passion for sailing, who revel in mastering all points of sail, and who seek unwavering reliability even in the most adverse weather conditions—the Tao 452 is unequivocally the vessel of choice.
Experience the Tao 452 for yourself and witness the future of catamaran by scheduling your appointment to see her at The Annapolis Sailboat Show from October 12 – 15, 2023.
Working with Andrew Hodgdon at The MultiHull Company was a great experience. Andrew has years of experience in the multihull market, especially performence catamarans and was the Technical Director at Balance Catamarans for many years. He’s always available to talk, guide and advise. He’s easy to work with, is extremely knowledgeable, and has a very pleasant way about him. I would highly recommend Andrew to help in your sale or purchase of any multihull.
Working with Will, Andrew Holland and Andrew Hodgdon to sell my Balance 442 was such a pleasure. No one knows multihulls as well as Andrew Hodgdon, especially performance cats like a Balance. As Technical Director of Balance for many years, Andrew knows all of the nuances of that type of boat, as well as the other brands in the category. If you want to sell or buy a catamaran, look no further than Andrew Hodgdon!
Multihull Company did a great job with advertising and selling our boat. Also with the closing and documentation work. Highly recommend them and our broker, Dunbar Lewis.
Successful relationships cannot exist without it. At The Multihull Company we base every relationship on a firm commitment to earning and retaining our client’s trust.
Advice of any kind is valuable only when grounded in hard-won expertise. It too, must be trustworthy. Trust and expertise define the heart and soul of The Multihull Company. We are a team of skilled professionals who thrive on providing expert, trustworthy advice and service to catamaran and trimaran sailors around the globe.
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