At just over 50 feet overall, with a 16-foot beam and a light displacement near 31,000 pounds, the 525 is a substantial boat. Its 9/10 fractional rig and choice of keels produce a handsome, powerful, stable, and stiff yacht that testers found quick to accelerate and easy to handle short-handed.
Design and Construction
The hull is hand-laid in two halves, allowing the deck joint to release cleanly from the mold before the halves are joined. Construction of the interior begins with a rigid floor framework and an inner-liner molding bonded in place. Foam stringers are bonded inside the hull for stiffness and impact resistance.
The balsa-cored sandwich deck sits on the flat hull joint, which is liberally coated with strong, waterproof Sikaflex adhesive. The deck joint is bedded in Sikaflex, secured with large-diameter self-tapping screws, and capped by a solid-teak toerail. Plywood inserts beneath every piece of deck-mounted hardware provide a solid substructure.
Each yacht took about 10 weeks to build, and every hull was tank-tested before commissioning. Through the Awlgrip system, owners could specify any hull color.
Rig and Deck Hardware
Dufour offered two keel configurations: a standard steel-plate keel with a cast-iron bulb, and a deeper fin profile carrying a lead bulb. Both were matched to the 9/10 fractional rig, a combination that allowed the yacht to accelerate quickly out of a tack and carry a press of sail when needed.
The deck-stepped, double-spreader rig has spreaders swept to 20 degrees and a continuous cap shroud. The cap, intermediate, and lower shrouds all terminate at a single deck chainplate. A split backstay could be fitted with an optional adjuster. For heavier weather, the boat has a removable inner forestay for a storm jib, along with a standard rigid vang.
The mid-boom mainsheet track and traveler cross the coachroof, while long genoa tracks sit well inboard. A retractable bowsprit serves the asymmetric cruising chute. The full-batten mainsail comes with lazyjacks, and the standard 140 percent genoa uses a double-groove Facnor furler.
All deck hardware is from Harken. The arrangement includes two 60.2STA primary winches beside the helms, two 53STA spinnaker winches aft, and two 48STA halyard winches on the coachroof. Electric primaries were optional.
Accommodations and Stowage
Buyers could choose among eight layouts, with three or four cabins, a forward crew cabin, and three or four heads. Every version retains two spacious aft cabins, each with 6.5-foot headroom and a 5-foot-wide berth.
On the owner’s version sailed for review, the large master suite is forward and has a centerline queen berth. Its mattress splits at the midpoint and lifts on gas struts, revealing stowage for bulky gear. Despite the low coachroof, the main saloon has a generous 6 feet 5 inches of headroom.
The galley is aft to port. It includes a three-burner propane stove and oven, a microwave, top- and side-opening refrigerators, a double sink, and Corian counters edged with teak fiddles. The interior could also accommodate a freezer, watermaker, dishwasher, and washing machine.
At the foot of the companionway to starboard, the navigation station has a forward-facing seat and a full chart table. On deck, a deep anchor locker served by an electric windlass and a foredeck sail locker provide room for ground tackle and fenders. The lazaret beneath the transom can hold a liferaft, a small inflatable, and dive kit.
Tankage includes a 211-gallon water capacity, supporting the boat’s long-term cruising role.
Performance Under Sail and Power
With the optional 110-horsepower diesel and three-bladed propeller, the tester reported an economical cruising speed near 8 knots.
Under sail, the 525 reached nearly 7 knots close-hauled at a 32-degree true-wind angle. Easing onto a broad reach raised the speed to just under 8 knots, while bearing away another 10 degrees increased boatspeed to around 10 knots.
The boat could exit a tack with as much as 4 knots of headway, helping it rebuild speed on the new tack. Its tacking angle could be as low as about 86 degrees, although turning that tightly did bleed speed. The deep-V’d bow produces a very comfortable motion in any seaway, and the deck layout allows the boat to be handled by a minimum crew.
Known Issues and Maintenance
The record of known issues for this model is thin. However, the balsa-cored sandwich deck depends on a Sikaflex-bedded, screw-fastened joint beneath the teak toerail. If the bedding or screws fail on a particular hull, water can enter the balsa core. Repairing that damage is both invasive and expensive.
The electric transom lift and optional electric winches place motors and limit switches in a salt-laden environment. On a used boat, these actuators are the components most likely to have been stressed by repeated cycling.
Prospective owners should also note that the standard auxiliary is a 75-horsepower Volvo with Saildrive. Servicing the Saildrive leg seal is a distinct maintenance item that wouldn’t apply to a shaft drive.
The Verdict
The Dufour 525 Grand Large is a thoroughly modern 50-foot cruiser that trades racing edge for liveaboard volume and short-handed manageability. Its Felci-designed hull and fractional rig provide genuine speed and a soft motion, while eight interior layouts and generous tankage make long-term cruising practical.
Construction is careful but conventional for a yacht of this size. The deck joint and electric actuators deserve a buyer’s attention rather than alarm.
Pros
- Stiff, quick out of tacks, and comfortable in a seaway
- Eight interior layouts, with roomy aft cabins and 6-foot-5-inch saloon headroom
- Thoughtful short-handed deck layout, all-Harken hardware, and inboard genoa tracks
- 211-gallon water capacity and space for a watermaker or washing machine
Cons
- Balsa-cored deck joint is a potential water-intrusion point
- Electric transom and winch actuators operate in a harsh environment
- Standard Saildrive auxiliary adds leg-seal servicing to the maintenance list
