Design and Construction
Felci's first catamaran carries a solid fiberglass hull and deck, with a spade rudder and twin keels on a 26-foot-3-inch beam and a 46-foot-3-inch waterline. The structural logic is a one-piece solid fiberglass grid chemically fused to the hull and tabbed at high-load zones, while the hull-to-deck joint is formed by an inward-facing flange from a two-part mold — Dufour's established method for a secure inward-flange joint. The streamlined nacelle reduces windage, and the 1335 square feet of sail area on the fractional sloop rig drives a 36,376-pound displacement at a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 19.45. With a capsize screening value of 3.17 and a comfort ratio of 15.58, the platform reads as a stable cruising catamaran rather than a racer.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop carries a mast 72.8 feet above the waterline and draws just 4 feet 3 inches, keeping the boat manageable in shallow anchorages. The modest bridgedeck clearance that defines the deckhouse profile guarantees generous cabin volume but, as Multihulls World noted, risks slamming in bigger seas — a tradeoff between interior space and offwind comfort that any prospective offshore owner should weigh. The 238-gallon fuel and 214-gallon water capacities support extended cruising despite the hull's charter roots.
Accommodations
Originally drawn as a charter boat, the 48 Sail uses its modest bridgedeck clearance to maximize belowdeck volume across the beam, prioritizing cabin space over bridgedeck silence. The 26-foot-3-inch beam and 47-foot length combine with the solid-fiberglass construction to produce a roomy interior footprint, though the sources describe the volume benefit rather than itemize berth or head counts. The Australian test of hull #29 confirmed the production layout reaching new cruising markets by 2018.
Known Issues
The only documented structural caveat is the bridgedeck clearance tradeoff: good cabin volume below, but a tendency to slam when seas build. The boat's molds and northern Italian yard space, run by JJL Catamarans in Forli, were later acquired by Croatian charter operator Under the Heavens.
The Verdict
The Dufour 48 Sail is a thoughtfully executed first catamaran from a monohull-focused design office, leveraging Felci's cruiser sensibility into a beamy, shallow-draft platform with serious tankage and a clean nacelle. Its charter genesis shows in the volume-maximized bridgedeck, and the slamming risk in heavy seas is the price of that space. For coastal and island cruising it offers a modern, well-built Italian catamaran with the backing of Fountaine Pajot's multihull expertise.
Pros
- First Felci catamaran; designed with co-founder Giovannozzi
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck with secure inward-flange joint
- Streamlined nacelle minimizes windage; shallow 4'3" draft
- Large fuel and water capacity for extended cruising
Cons
- Modest bridgedeck clearance risks slamming in bigger seas
- Volume-oriented layout trades off offshore bridgedeck comfort
