Design and Construction
The hull is molded in fiberglass and built as a sandwich laminate, a construction that improves the indoor climate — a reasonable claim for a foam-cored shell that dampens temperature swing and condensation below. Dufour offers the 335 Grand Large with different keel alternatives, and one option is an L-shape fin keel: a bulb keel with the shape of an L, cast in iron. A second L-shape fin keel variant draws less water. With the deeper iron L-keel the boat needs major marinas, since draft runs about 1.90 to 2.00 meters (6.23 to 6.53 feet) depending on load, while the shoaler version at about 1.55 to 1.65 meters (5.09 to 5.39 feet) lets her into most marinas. The wetted surface of the underbody measures about 36 square meters (387 square feet), and the hull's immersion rate is about 210 kg per centimeter, or 1178 pounds per inch, telling you how heavily she sits for her length.
Rig and Handling
The 335 Grand Large is built with a fractional rig, and the standing and running dimensions are fully documented. Halyards for the main, jib, and spinnaker each run 30.1 meters (98.6 feet) at 10 mm diameter, while sheets are sized for their jobs: jib and genoa sheets 10.0 meters (32.7 feet) of 12 mm line, mainsheet 25.0 meters (81.9 feet) of 12 mm, and spinnaker sheet 22.0 meters (72.0 feet) of 12 mm. Smaller controls follow suit — cunningham 4.5 meters of 10 mm, kicking strap and clew outhaul each 9.0 meters of 10 mm. Under power, a Volvo Penta diesel with a saildrive transmission yields a calculated maximum of about 5.1 knots, though the theoretical hull speed for a displacement boat of this length is 7.3 knots.
Performance Profile
The numbers describe a moderate-displacement cruiser with docile manners. The length-to-beam ratio is 2.86 and the displacement-length ratio is 208, placing her firmly in the cruising band rather than the racer's. Sail-area-to-displacement with the ISO 8666 reference sail is 15.6, rising to 18.1 with a 135% genoa — enough to keep her moving in a breeze without being over-canvased. The Motion Comfort Ratio is 23.5, and the capsize screening value is 2.00. She carries a CE certification Class A (Ocean), designed for extended voyages where conditions demand a capable hull.
Accommodations
Below, the boat is equipped with six berths arranged across two total cabins, with a four-to-six berth flexibility noted in charter specifications. She carries one bathroom and one wc. The sandwich hull's climate-stabilizing property reads as a real benefit in the sleeping spaces, where condensation control matters on a cruising boat. Tankage runs to 220 liters of water and 160 liters of fuel, and the installed power is 40 hp.
The Verdict
The Dufour 335 Grand Large is a Felci-designed Grand Large cruiser built for comfortable coastal and ocean passage-making, with a documented CE Class A rating and a practical two-cabin, six-berth layout. The sandwich fiberglass hull and choice of keel depths let an owner trade marina access against ballast stability, and the saildrive diesel gives modest but adequate propulsion.
Pros
- Umberto Felci design with CE Class A (Ocean) certification
- Choice of L-shape iron keels for draft flexibility
- Six berths in two cabins with 220 L water and 160 L fuel
- Sandwich hull construction that stabilizes the interior climate
Cons
- Deeper keel limits her to major marinas at 1.90–2.00 m draft
- Saildrive and 40 hp diesel yield only about 5.1 knots under power
