Cervetti Catamarans built the boat in Italy under the Dufour name. It arrived just as catamaran specialist Fountaine Pajot took control of Dufour in May 2018, a change that redirected the model’s trajectory. The 48 Sail debuted at Cannes that year. Hull number 29, the first example to reach Australian waters, was later tested there.
Design and Construction
The 48 Sail has a solid-fiberglass hull and deck, a spade rudder, and twin keels. Its beam is 26 feet 3 inches, and its waterline length is 46 feet 3 inches.
Structurally, a one-piece solid-fiberglass grid is chemically fused to the hull and tabbed in high-load areas. The hull-to-deck joint uses an inward-facing flange formed by a two-part mold—Dufour’s established method for creating a secure inward-flange joint.
A streamlined nacelle reduces windage. The fractional sloop rig carries 1,335 square feet of sail and drives a displacement of 36,376 pounds, producing 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, Tankage, and Handling
The mast rises 72.8 feet above the waterline. Draft is just 4 feet 3 inches, helping keep the boat manageable in shallow anchorages.
The modest bridgedeck clearance shapes the deckhouse profile and guarantees generous cabin volume. However, as Multihulls World noted, it also risks slamming in bigger seas. That creates a tradeoff between interior space and offwind comfort that any prospective offshore owner should weigh.
Despite the boat’s charter roots, tankage supports extended cruising: fuel capacity is 238 gallons, while water capacity is 214 gallons.
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. Its 26-foot-3-inch beam and 47-foot length, combined with the solid-fiberglass construction, produce a roomy interior footprint. The sources describe the benefit in overall volume but don’t itemize berth or head counts.
The Australian test of hull number 29 confirmed that the production layout was reaching new cruising markets by 2018.
Known Issue and Later Production History
The only documented structural caveat is the bridgedeck-clearance tradeoff: good cabin volume below, but a tendency to slam as seas build.
The boat’s molds and northern Italian yard space, operated 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 design office better known for monohulls. Felci’s cruising sensibility comes through in a beamy, shallow-draft platform with serious tankage and a clean nacelle.
Its charter origins are evident in the volume-maximized bridgedeck, and the risk of slamming in heavy seas is the price of that space. For coastal and island cruising, it offers a modern, well-built Italian catamaran backed by Fountaine Pajot’s multihull expertise.
Pros
- First Felci catamaran, designed with co-founder Lorenzo Giovannozzi
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck with a secure inward-flange joint
- Streamlined nacelle minimizes windage
- Shallow 4-foot-3-inch draft
- Large fuel and water capacities for extended cruising
Cons
- Modest bridgedeck clearance risks slamming in bigger seas
- Volume-oriented layout trades offshore bridgedeck comfort for interior space
