Felci gave the 365 typically Italian, elegant lines. The boat holds CE design category A, and YACHT considered its sail-carrying capacity of 4.4 at least respectable. The magazine also placed the 365 among the well-built yachts in its class and noted a sail-carrying capacity of 4.4 as at least respectable. Its 3.65-metre beam is five centimetres wider than that of a same-era Bavaria 36.
Design and Construction
The 365 Grand Large has a 10.53-metre hull, with a beam of 3.65 metres and a draft of 1.70 metres. Displacement is 5.7 tonnes, including 1.5 tonnes of iron ballast—about a quarter of the total, or 26%.
Dufour built the solid-fiberglass hull by resin infusion, drawing resin into dry fibers under negative pressure. The deck was injection-molded, with resin pressed and sucked into the glass, and foam serves as the sandwich core. The hull and deck are glued and screwed together, while the bulkheads are laminated directly to the structure. The builder used iso-resins throughout the injection and infusion work.
This matched Dufour’s practice at the time of building sub-50-foot hulls in solid fiberglass, although the period test specifically recorded the 365’s infusion-and-injection, foam-sandwich construction. YACHT placed the resulting 5.7-tonne cruiser among the well-built boats in its class, and its beam is five centimetres wider than that of a same-era Bavaria 36.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Engine
The 365 has a fractional sloop rig, with the shrouds set inboard of the deck edges. This leaves the side decks clear and allows tighter sheeting angles. Sail area comprises a 29.5-square-metre mainsail and a 33-square-metre 135% furling genoa.
During a 2005 sea trial off La Rochelle, the new yacht was credited with very good speed and decent pointing ability. In around 4 Beaufort, she cruised at 7 knots with turning angles close to 90 degrees. Together with the sail-carrying capacity figure of 4.4, those results presented a yacht that balanced cruising comfort with lively performance to windward.
The 29-horsepower Volvo Penta diesel was judged completely sufficient for a boat of this weight.
Accommodations
Below deck, the Dufour has a longitudinal pantry to port, an arrangement more often found on larger yachts. The forward berth is offset to starboard rather than centered. At only 1.35 metres wide, it is narrow, though the offset creates dressing space alongside it.
Aft, the single-cabin version provides a spacious double berth measuring 1.95 by 1.60 metres. With two aft cabins, berth width falls to 1.40 metres. The offset forward berth and linear galley reflect the Grand Large aim of providing a comfortable cruising interior rather than a charter-packed layout.
Known Issue
One factory limitation stands out: the 365 couldn’t be ordered with a rubbing strake, even as extra-cost equipment. Unless a previous owner has retrofitted one, buyers should expect the topsides to lack this defensive strip and inspect the gelcoat accordingly.
Refit and Ownership Considerations
The infusion and injection construction, iso-resins, and laminated bulkheads produce a stiff, moisture-resistant structure that has aged well across the series of more than 400 boats. The original specification’s lack of a rubbing strake is the main item for an owner to address cosmetically or manage through careful dock handling.
The 29-horsepower Volvo Penta remains a straightforward diesel to service. With the shrouds mounted inboard, hardware on the side decks is kept to a minimum.
The Verdict
The Dufour 365 Grand Large is a Felci-styled cruiser with a genuinely elegant hull and a practical, beamy interior. It trades a narrow forward berth for dressing space alongside, while providing a useful longitudinal pantry and clear side decks.
Its infused hull, injected deck, and glued-and-screwed hull-to-deck joint reflect a serious standard of construction. The 2005 trial also confirmed real sailing performance. The lack of a factory rubbing strake is the one notable oversight that a careful owner must plan around.
Pros
- Elegant Felci lines and a 3.65-metre beam
- Infused hull and injected deck, with a foam sandwich core and laminated bulkheads
- Inboard shrouds leave clear side decks and permit tight sheeting angles
- Very good speed and decent pointing ability in the 2005 trial
- Spacious 1.95-by-1.60-metre aft berth in the single-cabin version
Cons
- Forward berth is only 1.35 metres wide
- No rubbing strake was available, even as extra-cost equipment
- Two aft cabins reduce berth width to 1.40 metres
