Design and Construction
Dufour's construction logic for its over-50-foot models is evident in the 61: the fiberglass hull laminate is solid below the waterline, while the topsides are cored in end-grain balsa and the infused deck is also balsa-cored, with an internal aluminum grid supporting the keel and an efficient T-bulb keel carrying the lead ballast. The hull carries beam aft with a hard chine to increase initial stability, paired with a low-profile cabinhouse and an open flush foredeck that, together with wide side decks and an expansive open foredeck, give the 61 a genuine big-boat feel. Finish quality is better than average for a mass-production vessel, and a carbon-fiber arch over the companionway anchors the double-ended mainsheet with two blocks, keeping the deck and coachroof free of lines when sailing. A large fold-down transom opens to a modest-size under-cockpit dinghy garage, while grabrails on the mainsheet arch and coachroof plus solid gunwales of reasonable height outboard address crew security — though the deck forward of the mast is flush and free of handholds in the modern style.
Rig and Handling
All lines are led aft under the deck to two pairs of Lewmar 65 winches just forward of each helm station, and the double-ended German mainsheet is controlled via a narrow bridle atop the tall carbon-fiber arch. The jib is self-tacking, and there are no genoa tracks or a molded place to mount them on the teak decks; the boat can be ordered with a slab-reefed main, an overlapping jib, and downwind sails for those who want to depart from the test boat's in-mast furling mainsail and self-tacking blade jib on a modern "half-halyard" rig. Twin wheels aft turn one deep rudder, and test sailors found her helm well balanced with just the right amount of friction, offering excellent feedback and response, while the powerful rudder had good bite with no tendency to lose its grip. She proved easy to handle, like a giant dinghy, turning easily within her own length and easy to control when backing down.
Performance Under Sail and Power
On the water, the 61 validated the "simple, instinctive sailing" claim from the company brochure with concrete numbers: in 12-15 knots of true breeze she flew at 8.5 knots at a 40-degree apparent wind angle, continued at 7.8 knots pinched to 35 degrees, and still made 5 knots inside 30 degrees without stalling. With just the blade jib she topped 7 knots on a broad reach and over 8 knots with wind on the beam. Under power the standard turbocharged 175hp Volvo diesel turning a four-bladed shaft prop made 7 knots at 1,450 rpm, 8 at 2,000, and 9.4 knots at cruising rpm of 2,200; full out at 2,950 rpm she flew along at 10 knots. A second tester recorded 8.7 knots at suggested cruising rpm and 9.7 wide open, confirming the shaft-drive Volvo's authority.
Accommodations
The 61 is blessed with an array of layout options featuring three different galley treatments and berths for up to eight crew plus a captain's berth in the forepeak. Two layouts feature twin aft cabins — the starboard stateroom with a full-size double berth, the port with a pair of singles, both with en suite heads — while the third truncates the port aft cabin to a single berth behind an aft galley. Forward-galley iterations stretch the galley across the beam with twin sinks near centerline and a huge front-loading fridge, or delete a passage cabin for the same; the aft-galley option frees midships for a larger passage cabin opposite a large head. All layouts share a spacious saloon with robust handholds, an L-shaped port settee around a height-adjustable folding table, a starboard settee with a movable modular insert, a modest nav desk, and a palatial forward owner's stateroom with an offset island berth and en suite. A tiny crew cabin sits in the peak. The cockpit seats eight around a drop-leaf centerline table with a deck fridge, and an optional outdoor galley unit under a bench seat adds a grill and small sink.
Known Issues
Judges reviewing the 61 noted one concern: when loaded, the dinghy appears to cover the socket for the emergency tiller, a detail worth weighing for any owner who intends to stow a tender in the aft garage. Beyond this, the flush foredeck forward of the mast lacks handholds, a characteristic modern styling choice rather than a defect but one demanding crew awareness. The test boat's in-mast furling main and half-halyard rig with self-tacking blade jib needed more halyard tension — a tuning note rather than a structural caveat.
The Verdict
The Dufour 61 is a thoughtfully engineered flagship that balances volume and performance, with a Felci-designed hull that carries beam aft for stability, a clean deck plan centered on the carbon arch, and a genuinely flexible interior program. She sails and motors with unusual verve for her size, and her finish exceeds mass-production norms. The emergency-tiller access when the dinghy is stowed is the one documented design friction.
Pros
- Winner of SAIL's 2022 Best Boat Award, Flagship Monohull
- Solid-below-waterline hull with balsa-cored topsides and deck, aluminum keel grid
- Three distinct galley layouts; up to eight berths plus crew cabin
- Excellent helm feedback and maneuverability within her own length
- Strong powered performance to 10 knots from the 175hp Volvo
Cons
- Loaded dinghy covers emergency-tiller socket
- Flush foredeck forward of mast lacks handholds
- In-mast furling/half-halyard rig needed more halyard tension on test boat
