Dufour aimed the 44 Performance at avid racers and speed-minded sailors moving into cruising, placing it between affordable production boats and something far more serious. The marque’s pronounced shift in design and marketing followed Cantieri del Pardo’s purchase of the French company in 2002, and the Italian influence is clear in the boat’s streamlined form.
Design and Construction
The 44 Performance measures 44.85 feet overall and 38.78 feet on the waterline, with a beam of 13.94 feet. It displaces 22,366 pounds and carries 7,275 pounds of ballast.
Its nearly plumb bow, flat sheerline, and low cabin profile give it an appealing, streamlined shape. The ends are shorter than those of previous Dufours, and maximum beam lies well aft. Seamagazine called the hull efficient as well as eye-catching and reported that it cuts through chop with authority.
The hull is fiberglass with a PVC foam core above the waterline. Dufour built the boat to Bureau Veritas Category A standards, which set strict requirements for engineering, scantlings, and safety details. The deck is nicely detailed, with molded risers beneath major fittings. Those fittings are either through-bolted or tapped into backing plates.
Access to all systems was adequate, including the far recesses of the bilge—an unusual benefit in a boat with an interior liner. In a departure from typical high-volume builder practice, the bilge-hatch corners are rounded and the edges sealed, helping to keep the veneer from delaminating or chipping.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The standard sail plan uses a 130-percent genoa on a 9/10 fractional rig with swept-back spreaders. This high-aspect-ratio arrangement has a reported sail area of 924 square feet and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 18.70. Buyers could also choose a performance package with a tapered three-spreader mast and Dyform standing rigging.
Genoa sheets lead to primary winches just forward of the single wheel, and the lead blocks can be adjusted from the cockpit. The mainsheet traveler spans the cockpit just forward of the binnacle.
Test sailors on Biscayne Bay, in winds of 9 to 11 knots, were impressed by the boat’s speed, acceleration, and handling. The helm was very well balanced. On a reach, the boat tracked well unattended but remained responsive to small rudder changes. It tacked quickly through 90 degrees or less, recording 6.7 to 7 knots to windward and accelerating to 7.3–7.5 off the wind.
The wide beam and deep ballast produced a stable, fairly stiff ride. The test boat’s owner reported that it handled a long beat into more than 30 knots off New Jersey without drama.
Under power, the Volvo drove the boat at 7.6 knots at 2500 rpm. It needed no bow thruster in close quarters.
Cockpit, Steering, and Machinery
The molded fiberglass binnacle houses the steering sheaves and digital repeaters. A removable pedestal table allows four people to dine in the spacious cockpit. The helm seat folds away to open the sugar-scoop transom, although the arrangement is awkward.
A Volvo Penta diesel with saildrive provides auxiliary power, a setup typical of modern high-performance cruisers. Soundproofing was thin, however: testers recorded 83 decibels in the saloon and 90 in the port quarter berth.
Each Dufour intended for the U.S. market was designated as such at the beginning of its production run, allowing the yard to fit appliances and other equipment suited to American standards.
Accommodations
Despite its modest length, the interior feels surprisingly roomy. Clever design choices create living spaces that rival those of larger yachts.
The main saloon has 6 feet 4 inches of headroom. An L-shaped dinette sits to port, with a settee to starboard. Either can serve as a sea berth, although the starboard settee is a little short.
Owners could choose three or four sleeping cabins. The more common version sailed had port and starboard aft doubles, plus a forward V-berth with 6 feet 2 inches of headroom, a hanging locker, and shelf space. The four-cabin layout adds stacked bunks forward of the saloon.
The U-shaped galley includes a deep double sink, a three-burner stove, and ample lockers. Some drawers have milk-crate-style bins that ventilate stored produce. A guest head is located to starboard of the companionway, with a generous navigation station forward of it.
Four deck hatches and six opening portlights provide adequate ventilation, although the aft double cabins will be stuffy in the tropics. Joinery ranges from good to excellent, with varnished veneer, blonde trim, and teak-and-holly floors.
Known Issues
Practical Sailor’s survey of the test boat found a disconcerting amount of saltwater backing up through the anchor-locker drain while sailing. The chain and rode were left sloshing in at least an inch of water. Dufour’s head of marketing said the problem had not been reported on other boats.
The batteries beneath the port aft berth lacked terminal covers, and the aft propane-locker lid had no gasket. The through-hull valves were in-line types that appeared to mix alloys rather than use rugged bronze flanges. Six closely aligned through-hulls served the head hoses, a grouping the tester disliked.
The teak decks fitted to the boat sailed were judged an option not worth the trouble.
The Verdict
The Dufour 44 Performance is a genuinely dual-purpose yacht that minimizes the usual compromises of a high-performance cruiser. It combines racer-like speed and handling with a roomy, well-finished interior and Category A construction. It should appeal to sailors who want speed without giving up livability, although several system details deserve an owner’s attention.
Pros
- Quick, well-balanced helm, with a stiff, stable ride and strong light-air acceleration
- Roomy three- or four-cabin interior with excellent joinery and clever storage
- Category A construction, good access to systems, and a U.S.-specified fitout
Cons
- Anchor-locker drain admitted seawater under sail on the test boat
- Mixed-alloy in-line through-hulls and an ungasketed propane-locker lid
- Thin engine soundproofing and an awkward transom-passage seat
