Dufour 40 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Felci gave the hull and its appendages conservative proportions, and the underbody reflects a production-minded French build rather than a bespoke laminate. Construction uses a single skin laminate below the design waterline with a cored laminate above it, and the deck is laid up by resin transfer molding for meaningful weight savings. The shoal-draft keel option is cast iron, and two keels were offered — one drawing 5 feet 3 inches and the other 6 feet 11 inches. A flattish sheerline carries into the cabintrunk contours, and the overall package reads as a reasoned compromise between volume and stiffness.

Rig and Handling

The boat carries a deck-stepped, fractional rig on swept spreaders, with a double-spreader aluminum mast. Sail area is listed at 886 square feet, yielding a sail-area-to-displacement ratio around 21; Robert Perry, working from actual I, J, E, and P dimensions, calculated a more conservative 18.32 anchor, a reminder that brochure numbers and as-built geometry do not always align. On the Performance+ variant, the mast is supported by a PBO backstay and rod shrouds terminating at a single inboard chainplate, with barberhaulers and a high-performance boom vang added. Cockpit hardware is generous: a pair of Harken Quattro winches with double-drum decks sit by the companionway for halyards and spinnaker sheets, jib winches forward on the coamings, and another pair aft for the double-ended mainsheet. Wide side decks permit tight headsail sheeting angles and easy movement, while toerails running aft and stanchions moved outboard of the rail add security and hiking leverage.

Accommodations

Dufour offered three interior layouts in the base range and four permutations around a standardized central core of galley, saloon, nav desk, and aft head. Buyers could specify three staterooms with one or two heads, or two staterooms with one head; the aft starboard berth could be traded for a large storage bay, and forward the choice ran to a Pullman double or a V-berth with a second head. The galley is compact — a two-burner range with a sturdy safety rail that doubles as a harness clip point — and the interior is finished in moabi wood with abundant ventilated lockers and deep-fiddled shelves. Seating favors function, and the nav desk sits forward of the aft head on the starboard side, clear of the wet lines that come down the companionway in racing mode. The aft head itself lies beside the companionway for easy access from cockpit or cabin.

Known Issues

The reviewed example came with a bow roller and windlass supplied but left uninstalled anchor, a fit-out detail rather than a defect. The truncated construction note confirms only the below- and above-waterline laminate split; nothing in the authority material describes osmotic, joint, or rigging failures.

Refits and Ownership

Owners taking delivery should note the open provision for a bow roller and windlass, and the Performance+ package’s PBO and rod rigging will demand periodic inspection distinct from standard stainless. The simple hatch in the cockpit sole gives direct access to the steering quadrant anchor, a help at survey and during routine checks. The standardized central accommodation core means layout changes are largely confined to berth and head permutations rather than structural rework.

The Verdict

The Dufour 40 is a thoughtfully packaged performance cruiser that trades a little sail-area optimism for real cockpit ergonomics and a configurable interior. Felci’s conservative hull proportions and Roseo’s practical deck and cabin layout make her a credible coastal and offshore candidate without pretense.

Pros