Dufour paired the boat’s larger sailplan with more ballast, making its intentions clear. This is a performance cruiser, but one equipped with the comforts needed for family cruising.
Design and Construction
The Dufour 40 E measures 40 feet 6 inches, with a waterline length of 35 feet 3 inches and a beam of 12 feet 9 inches. Standard draft is 6 feet 10 inches; the optional shoal keel reduces it to 5 feet 9 inches. Displacement is 17,257 pounds, including 5,260 pounds of ballast.
Dufour Yachts built the boat in La Rochelle, France. In keeping with the builder’s sub-50-foot construction practice, the hull is solid fiberglass. The deck is also solid fiberglass, and an inward-facing flange hull-to-deck joint is formed in a two-part mold. A one-piece structural grid is chemically fused to the hull and fiberglass-tabbed around high-load areas. Those details underpin the boat’s composure under sail.
Rig and Sailing Performance
The 40 E is responsive and light on the helm. Test sailors found it light on the helm and responsive even when rail-down in vicious gusts. On a beam reach in close to 30 knots of wind, it nudged double digits; to windward, it made a good 7.5 knots through short, sharp chop. Canadian Boating’s tester called the boat sensitive, a useful description of how readily it responds to trim.
The keel-stepped, anodized-aluminum performance mast has double swept-back spreaders. Discontinuous standing rigging combines single-strand stainless cable and Dyform with chrome-plated bronze turnbuckles. A recessed furling drum and factory-standard spinnaker controls sit alongside a 7-foot genoa track, whose easily moved cars provide a wide adjustment range.
The German mainsheet leads to a full-width traveller just ahead of the twin wheels. Both the primary winches and mainsheet winches are within reach of the helmsman.
Cockpit and Deck
The well-proportioned, T-shaped cockpit has twin steering stations with 36-inch wheels and traveller controls immediately forward. Outboard Harken 46 winches allow the helmsman to steer and trim without leaving the seat. Two Harken 40 winches on the cabintop handle the halyards and control lines led aft on either side of the companionway hatch.
A removable foot brace provides access to the cockpit-table sockets. The controls for the 40 hp Volvo engine are mounted to starboard, clear of the wheel. One ergonomic shortcoming is that the cockpit benches are set a trifle too far apart for easy bracing.
Forward, the boat has 19-inch side decks, 25-inch double lifelines, and solid wooden handrails. Extra pad eyes are provided for the foredeck crew when flying the kite. Aft, the fold-down swim platform uses a 2:1 purchase lifting system and conceals a telescoping ladder.
Accommodations
Belowdecks, horizontal-grained woodwork and white side panels create a warm but bright interior. Integrated handrails are placed where they’re needed. Three layouts were offered, with two or three staterooms and one or two head-and-shower compartments.
The L-shaped galley is to port, opposite the companionway steps. It includes Corian countertops, a glass splash guard, counter-level sliding doors, three large drawers, a two-burner gimballed stove, and a single sink with a Corian cover. Cold storage includes both a dual-opening icebox and a front-opening icebox.
A fold-down seat in front of the galley and a drop-in bottle cabinet forward of the port settee make thoughtful use of the available space. The starboard settee measures 5 by 20 inches and folds up for storage, while the port settee is 6 feet 4 inches long. The 28-by-44-inch dinette table has a low fiddle and a crumb hole. Its legs can be removed to form a berth, and an optional version folds over to the starboard settee.
The port aft cabin has 6 feet 5 inches of standing headroom and a 6-foot-8-inch berth. The starboard aft berth is a foot longer and slightly wider. Forward, the cabin is bright and wide, with shelves along each hull wall. Buyers could also specify a forward head.
The portlights below are on the small side, though deck hatches and hull ports help compensate.
The Verdict
The Dufour 40 E is a genuine performance cruiser: quick, light on the helm, and thoughtfully arranged for both a racing crew and family life. Its deck remains uncluttered, while the accommodation plan makes good use of the volume available in a 40-footer.
Pros
- Slim, low-profile hull, with more ballast than its cruising sister to balance a larger sailplan
- Light, responsive helm and strong performance to windward and on a beam reach
- Well-arranged cockpit with twin wheels, winches within reach, and a full-width traveller
- Three flexible interior layouts, with a practical galley and fold-away seating
Cons
- Cockpit benches are set a trifle too far apart for easy bracing
- Smallish portlights below, though offset by deck hatches and hull ports
