Its dimensions and ratios point to a beamy, moderately loaded cruiser rather than a featherweight racer. The Dufour 40 measures 40 feet 5 inches overall, with a 35-foot 3-inch waterline and a beam of 12 feet 10 inches. Displacement is 17,160 pounds, including 5,918 pounds of ballast, for a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 0.35. Short ends and a broad aft beam produce a length-to-beam ratio of 3.17, while a displacement-to-length ratio near 175 places the boat firmly in the cruising band.
Design and Construction
Felci gave the hull and appendages conservative proportions. The underbody reflects a production-minded French build rather than a bespoke laminate. Construction consists of a single-skin laminate below the design waterline and a cored laminate above it. The deck is laid up by resin transfer molding, providing meaningful weight savings.
Two keels were offered, drawing either 5 feet 3 inches or 6 feet 11 inches. The shoal-draft option is cast iron. A flattish sheerline flows into the cabintrunk contours, and the overall package represents a reasoned compromise between volume and stiffness.
Rig and Handling
The Dufour 40 carries a deck-stepped fractional rig, with swept spreaders and a double-spreader aluminum mast. Listed sail area is 886 square feet, giving a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of around 21. Working from the actual I, J, E, and P dimensions, however, Robert Perry calculated a more conservative ratio of 18.32. It’s a reminder that brochure figures and as-built geometry don’t always align.
On the Performance+ variant, a PBO backstay and rod shrouds support the mast. The shrouds terminate at a single inboard chainplate, and the package also includes barberhaulers and a high-performance boom vang.
Cockpit hardware is generous. A pair of Harken Quattro winches with double-drum decks sits beside the companionway to handle halyards and spinnaker sheets. Jib winches are mounted farther forward on the coamings, while another pair aft handles the double-ended mainsheet.
Wide side decks allow tight headsail-sheeting angles and make it easier to move around the boat. Toerails extend aft, and moving the stanchions outboard of the rail adds security and hiking leverage.
Accommodations
Dufour offered three interior layouts in the base range, with four permutations built around a standardized central core comprising the galley, saloon, navigation desk, and aft head. Buyers could choose three staterooms with one or two heads, or two staterooms with one head. The aft starboard berth could be replaced by a large storage bay. Forward, the options included either a Pullman double or a V-berth with a second head.
The compact galley has a two-burner range and a sturdy safety rail that doubles as a harness clip point. Moabi wood finishes the interior, which also provides abundant ventilated lockers and shelves with deep fiddles. The seating favors function.
The navigation desk is 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 is beside the companionway, making it easy to reach from either the cockpit or the cabin.
Fit-Out and Known Issues
On the reviewed example, the bow roller and windlass were supplied but left uninstalled. That was a fit-out detail rather than a defect.
The truncated construction note confirms only the division between the single-skin laminate below the waterline and the cored laminate above it. Nothing in the authority material describes osmotic, joint, or rigging failures.
Refits and Ownership
Owners taking delivery should note the open provision for the bow roller and windlass. The Performance+ package’s PBO and rod rigging will also require periodic inspection distinct from that given to standard stainless rigging.
A simple hatch in the cockpit sole provides direct access to the steering quadrant, which helps during surveys and routine checks. Because the central accommodation core is standardized, layout changes are largely limited to berth and head permutations rather than structural reworking.
The Verdict
The Dufour 40 is a thoughtfully packaged performance cruiser. It trades a little sail-area optimism for practical cockpit ergonomics and a configurable interior. Felci’s conservative hull proportions and Roseo’s practical deck and cabin layout make it a credible candidate for coastal and offshore sailing, without pretense.
Pros
- Beamy, short-ended hull with conservative appendages
- Two draft options
- Configurable sleeping arrangements built around a fixed galley and navigation core
- Well-arranged cockpit winches and wide side decks for sail handling
- Direct access to the steering quadrant through a cockpit-sole hatch
Cons
- As-built SA/D ratio is lower than some brochure figures suggest
- Two-burner galley limits serious cooking
- On the reviewed example, the bow roller and windlass were supplied but left uninstalled
