where are dufour yachts built

Sailing Yachts Dufour

Dufour yachts dna.

Constantly looking to the future, Dufour as a boat Manufacturer , designs each new model to provide pleasure and feel in complete serenity, whatever your cruising project and however you use your yacht. For over 60 years, we have been designing and building innovative, high-performance sailing boats . Marked by an assertive character and an identity recognisable among the crowd, Dufour yachts suit your desires and your boating programme to offer you amazing and comfortable sailing experiences and the pride of owning an elegant and safe yacht from an emblematic brand…

Our range of sailing yachts

The Dufour range of sailing boats comprises 9 iconic models, designed to suit every sailing programme. For long-term family cruising, or enjoyable weekends along the coast, or for racing and pushing the experience of heeling to the max. For over 60 years, Dufour yachts has a boat manufacturer have demonstrated their adaptability and versatility through beautiful innovations.

Dufour 37 sailboat

Private: Dufour 390 sailboat

Dufour 41 sailboat

Private: Dufour 430 sailboat

Dufour 44 Sailboat

Dufour 470 sailboat

Dufour 530 sailboat

Private: Dufour 56 sailboat

Dufour 61 Sailboat

Dufour Virtual marina

Just as if you were really there… Embark aboard the model of your choice from the Dufour sailing yacht range thanks to an immersive tour that begins on the pontoons of the new Dufour Virtual Marina, offering the most realistic visiting experience ever! Exterior views of the range, visits from the deck of the boats to the interior by choosing the Vintage and the version that suits you… Everything is brought together to offer you a complete and interactive opportunity to discover the range from the comfort of your own home…

Dufour Sailing boats experience

Owners of Dufour sailing boats are sailing all the seas of the world… Because their stories are our greatest pride and joy… Because these sailing stories are for us the best proof that the Dufour experience is both unique and shared… We invite you to discover, through real stories, Instagram photos or even from the Dufour community site, a glimpse of what life on board a Dufour Yacht is all about…

Environmental commitments

Dufour is committed to preserving the oceans and marine wildlife, and is launching with Fountaine Pajot, its own collaborative innovation platform #ODSeaLab . An accelerator of technological solutions whose goal is to transform production processes and the choice of materials, and mainly to implement innovations in renewable energy production , electricity storage and the electrification of propulsion and life on board..

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Discover the film of the new sailboat Dufour 44

Private tours and sea trials in la rochelle, setting sail for the palma international boat show.

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CANNES YACHTING FESTIVAL 2024

Genoa international boat show 2024, dufour cup | préveza, grèce, follow the dufour experience.

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Why choose a sailing boat from Dufour Yachts?

Elegant lines, exceptional marine performance, sleek design, comfortable living spaces, a wide choice of models… These are just some of the promises made to you when you buy a boat by Dufour Yachts .

Whether you enjoy boating with friends and family, long-distance cruising, or you’re more into racing, you’ll always find a boat from Dufour Yachts that’s just right for you.

For decades now, Dufour has been committed to designing and building yachts with character that place innovation, performance and comfort at the heart of its work.

Dufour yachts also offer modular interior designs and flexibility when it comes to equipment. Each yacht can offer a combination of layouts, ambiances and equipment to suit the different sailing projects of its owner.

Buying a boat by Dufour means opting for an incomparable sailing experience, aboard a comfortable and elegant yacht that will provide you with an unforgettable and rich sailing experience.

Where are Dufour Yachts built?

Dufour’s historic shipyard at La Rochelle on France’s Atlantic coast is the birthplace of every Dufour yacht. All the boats that leave our nautical workshops meet the most stringent of quality requirements. The renowned build quality of our sailing boats is the result of long experience in the boatbuilding industry and the unwavering passion of our teams to design and build ever more innovative yachts.

Buying a boat by Dufour Yachts is above all the answer to a quest for excellence. The 100% French know-how of our brand is translated in the construction of boats for both recreational sailing and water sports.

We offer you the opportunity to sail aboard yachts that combine comfort, elegance and safety, with several ranges to suit your needs and desires.

Where can I find a Dufour luxury yacht for sale?

Are you interested in yachting, blue water cruising, recreational sailing, and boating in general? Would you like to buy a sailing yacht from Dufour Yachts?

If you’re thinking of buying a yacht and becoming the owner of a luxury sailing boat , our yachts are distributed throughout France and around the world. In France, you can find a Dufour Yachts dealer on all the French coasts, in Belgium and near the Swiss lakes. Internationally, our partner dealerships are present on every continent, so that yachtsmen all over the world can discover the excellence of our sailboats.

The many boat shows we attend, along with our private events, are also an excellent opportunity to step aboard our yachts and enjoy an immersive and exclusive experience.

Come and discover how Dufour will enhance your yachting experience and let you sail differently and discover life on board in a new light with your future boat from Dufour Yachts !

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Dufour Yachts :: How the Boats Are Built (Part 2)

All dufour yachts are built in our facility in la rochelle, france. they all combine fine hand craftsmanship with innovative high-tech construction techniques. it all starts with the hull, and this is how it’s done., click here to read part 1 of how dufour yachts are built.

Both hulls and decks are built of fiberglass in a state-of-the-art facility in La Rochelle, France, but they are actually built in very different ways. As explained in  Part 1 , each hull is built of layers of hand laid fiberglass and resin in open molds.

Decks, on the other hand, are “injection molded” in closed, 2-piece molds. This process allows the finished decks to come out of the molds strong and smooth, so smooth in fact that a finished boat won’t need a liner, but, it does require sophisticated engineering and incredible attention to detail during construction.

A smooth out layer of the deck

Injection molding requires the entire deck to be laid out with specific layers of fiberglass and reinforcing material in high load areas like winch pads and jib tracks etc to laid up all at once on the “bottom” part of the mold that is first sprayed with gel coat that will form the smooth outer layer of the deck (pictured above).

Then the “top” which is also covered with a layer of cured gel coat is lowered on to the bottom part that’s laid out with the required sandwich material (pictured above). The two parts are then joined and form an air tight seal and then the magic happens.

It’s not actually “magic” but, once the two parts of the mold are sealed, workers can then start “injecting” the resin into the mold. The resin is pumped in through hoses (pictured above) and the seal insures complete resin saturation. This is ideal because it results in a strong deck without requiring excess resin.

Flawless precision out of the mold

Injection molded decks are virtually flawless (on both sides) when they come out of the mold.

Custom cut out areas for install

Then workers use jigs to cut out the areas for ports and hatches as well as drill all necessary holes to install all the deck hardware.

Attaching the deck hardware

Then the deck hardware is attached before the deck is the lowered on to the hull.

And the best part is, the underside of the deck is beautiful. This allows for increased headroom (since no deck liner is needed) and the sleek, modern look Dufour Yachts are known for .

For more information about Dufour Yachts, contact Denison Yacht Sales, the exclusive dealer for Dufour   [email protected] | +1 310.821.5883

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History of Dufour Yachts

In 1964 Michel Dufour worked as an engineer in a locomotive factory. In charge of of the workshop that fabricated parts out of a revolutionary new material fibreglass, he was quick to realise the potential of using fibreglass in boat building.

So it wasn’t long before his passion for sailing combined with his technical knowledge of fibreglass spawned the idea for his first yacht, the “Sylph”.

Over 400 models were sold between 1964 and 1974 and launched the company soon to be known as Dufour Yachts.

Building on this success they launched the 29 foot L’Arpege in 1967. Within 10 years over 1500 models were built and now the L’Arpege is widely agreed as being a legitimate classic.

Selling over 700 units the Dufour 24 was one of their best sellers. The Dufour 35 boasted enormous space below decks and really good performance under sail, 450 units were sold.

Selling more than 900 from 1973 the Dufour 31 was highly innovative for her time with a spacious 6 berth interior.

Then from 1978 the Dufour 2800 successor to the 27 saw 1300 yachts built over 6 years. By 1979 the German Frer designed Dufour 3800 is recognised as an exceptional yacht and the Dufour 1800 was launched as a successor to the Dufour 25, with 200 boats launched in 3 years of production.

1980 :- Dufour T7, one of the smallest centre cockpit designs at 22 feet. 250 of these were sold in 2 years. 2 berths in the saloon and 2 in the aft cabin reached via the cockpit.

1981:- The Dufour 4800 which could accommodate up to 9 people.

1982 :- Dufour T6 & T7 launched

1983 :- Dufour 28, still a strikingly modern and good looking yacht.

1985 – 1990 :- Launch of the Dufour 32, Dufour 36, Dufour 37, Dufour 39 and Dufour 42

1990 – 1994 :- Launch of the Prestige 54, Prestige 48, Prestige 56 and Prestige 65

1988 :- The Dufour Classic 32 was launched in 1988 and quickly gained reputation as a comfortable cruising yacht remaining in production until 2004.

1995 :- Dufour Classic Line launched

1999 :- Re launch of the GibSea range In 2003 the Dufour 40 is elected yacht of the year and then in 2005 Dufour began its long and fruitful partnership with famed Italian Naval Architect Umberto Felci.

2004 :- Launch of the Grand Large range of cruisers

2005 :- Launch of the 365 and 455

2006 :- Launch of the 325 , 425, 485 and 525

2008 :- Launch of the 34e and 45e Performance Cruisers

2009 :- Launch of the 40e and 405

In 2010 the Dufour 405 Grand Large is elected European Yacht of the Year. Dufour and Grand Soleil brands were sold to the Bavaria Yacht Group Launch of the 375

2011 – Launch of the 445 and 36 Performance

2012 – Launch of the 500, 380, 410 and 450 Grand Large Models

In 2013 the company was reorganised through a management buyout of the company from the Bavaria Yacht Group. This has allowed the leadership team to continue to drive forward quality build techniques and continue to invest and focus on the production of quality sailing boats.

2014 – Launch of the 560 (Feb), 382 (Sept) 350 (Dec) Dufour 500 named Cruising World Magazine Boat of the year.

2015 :- Dufour 560 named Cruising World Magazine’s Boat of the Year Launch of the D460

2018 :- Fountain Pajot acquires Dufour Yachts

Universal Yachting are proud to be the UK Dealer for Dufour Yachts and to be part of this longstanding sailing dynasty.

[email protected] www.universalyachting.com www.dufour-yachts.com/en/

Universal Yachting Ltd

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