The search results provide a good amount of information for all sections. I can use the calculated ratios and descriptions of handling, interior layouts, and owner feedback from the search results.
Here's a breakdown of how the information will be used:
- Introduction:
- Purpose: Fast, nimble, easily driven family cruiser, performance cruiser, ideal for short trips and long-distance cruising (from multiple snippets).
- Designer: Umberto Felci (from and multiple snippets).
- Builder: Dufour Yachts.
- Production years: 2009-2012 (from).
- Length: Just under 40 feet (from).
- History and Design:
- Production years: 2009-2012.
- Designer's philosophy: Umberto Felci and Patrick Roséo (stylist) designed it as part of the Grand Large range, aiming for performance and comfort. Dufour's ethos of balancing exhilarating sailing performance with onboard comfort, solid fiberglass hulls, and fiberglass decks (from builder article).
- Variations: Optional shallow keel (from
notes). Three accommodation plans (from search).
- Sailing Performance and Handling:
- Ratios calculated: SA/D ≈ 15.03, Bal/D ≈ 0.26, D/L ≈ 208.4.
- Interpretation of ratios: Moderate sail area to displacement, lighter displacement for its length, lower ballast to displacement suggesting a lively but potentially less stiff boat.
- Anecdotal descriptions: "fast, nimble, and easily driven," "tack through 80 degrees and do 8 knots in 15 knots of apparent wind at 40 degrees," "sails well and will be fun for competitive sailors," "excellent sailing characteristics and maneuverability". Engine performance: 40-horsepower Volvo with saildrive, 7.3 knots at 2,400 rpm.
- Accommodations and Layout:
- General description: "well thought out interior," "spacious cockpit and well-designed interior".
- Layouts: "three accommodations plans from which to choose," including a "large owner's cabin forward with a separate, attached" head. Also mentioned: "two-cabin layout with a large centerline" and "practical forward galley".
- Finish/materials: Not explicitly detailed in snippets, but Dufour is generally known for quality. I'll infer from the "well-made" and "elegant" descriptions. Water tank capacity 100 gallons.
- Owner's Perspectives:
- Strengths: Owners praise its sailing performance, comfort, and solid construction. One owner describes it as a "truly solid, well-maintained vessel" as a liveaboard.
- Weaknesses/common issues: Minimal house battery capacity might lead some owners to install a genset. One forum post suggests the Dufour 36 Classic was "much better built" compared to newer models, hinting at potential perceived quality changes in newer Dufours, but not specific to the 405 Grand Large. Another forum discusses general Dufour issues, but not specific problems with the 405. I will be careful here not to overstate general Dufour forum comments as specific 405 issues without clearer evidence. I can mention the battery point explicitly.
Now, I will proceed with generating the article.