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Sailboat Review: Dufour 41

• By Herb McCormick
• September 17, 2024

When it comes to a discussion of the great European naval architects of contemporary times—and it’s a long list, indeed—certain names immediately pop to mind. Many are French. Philippe Briand made his mark creating boats for a roster of production builders (Baltic, Jeanneau, CNB) before pivoting to the superyacht set (Perini Navi, Royal Huisman). Jean-Marie Finot was more or less the father of an era of the best Vendée Globe solo round-the-world racers ever to compete in that grueling contest. Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prévost (VPLP Design) are the current masters of offshore multihulls. The talented tandem of Jean Berret and Olivier Racoupeau are ubiquitous as the creators of many French brands, and sit at the forefront of their profession. 

To me, however, one of the more underrated European ­design mavens, and one who definitely belongs in that rarefied grouping, is Umberto Felci. While Felci was born in Milan and still operates from his base in Italy, I’ve always considered him a huge influence in French ­boatbuilding­—largely because of his longtime association with Dufour Yachts, where he’s been the principal designer for some 15 years. 

During that time, I’ve sailed many a Felci boat, as he’s been a consistent presence in Cruising World ’s annual Boat of the Year contest . He has won multiple times with his Dufour entries, including the 560 Grand Large (2014), the 382 Grand Large (2015), and the 520 Grand Large (2018). All of these Grand Large boats shared a similar DNA, and the Dufour booths at the major boat shows were easily ­recognizable for their similar lines and matching beige canvas dodgers and sail covers. The only huge difference across the fleet was their respective sizes.

All that changed in a big way in 2019, after the Fountaine Pajot group acquired Dufour and decided to make each new offering a singular model in form and styling. Which brings us to Felci’s newest design, the Dufour 41. 

Aesthetically, it’s safe to say that the bright-blue Dufour 41 at this past year’s Annapolis Sailboat Show in Maryland was one of the more distinctive-looking yachts on display. It has a rounded bow, ample beam, and not one but two chines, both carried almost the entire length of the boat—one just above the waterline, another just below the reverse sheer line, which is accentuated by prominent molded bulwarks. This boat looks and feels much larger than its 41 feet length overall. Forward, an integrated bowsprit for the ground tackle and the tack point for the asymmetric kite heightens the futuristic vibe. As does the series of three sleek windows in the hull (along with the additional pair of windows overhead in the coachroof). There is not a stick of timber to be found anywhere. 

Topsides, the ­combination of wide side decks and outboard shrouds makes for easy egress when moving forward or aft. The emphasis on “outdoor living” is underscored by a generous cockpit with twin wheels (but, as with all Dufours, a single rudder, which makes backing down easier and with more control). There’s also wraparound seating, including a cushioned daybed, as well as a drop-down transom, which doubles as the porch/platform for the barbecue well aft. All this is revolved around a table—a pretty sweet, comfortable layout that lends the impression of lounging aboard a much bigger boat. 

All the related equipment is first-rate. There’s B&G instrumentation, including the chart plotter and autopilot; a Quick vertical windlass with helm controls for the Delta anchor; and a Side-Power (Sleipner) bow thruster, which I reckon is a luxurious touch on a 41-footer. Our test boat was set up with a nice set of Elvstrøm sails, including a traditional mainsail (an in-mast furling mainsail is available) with a cool stack-pack arrangement that tucks into itself and is secured with shock cords. For our Boat of the Year trials, we test all the emergency rudders, and the one on the 41 was exceptional. 

Construction is straightforward and robust. The hull is vacuum-infused with solid glass below the waterline and a foam core above. There are a pair of molded-in channels for the plumbing and electrical wiring. The plywood bulkheads are laminated to the hull. The keel is cast iron. And, as with every Dufour going back to the company’s origins, a wine rack is stashed under the floorboards. 

Ardizio Design is ­responsible for the belowdecks accoutrements, accommodations and floor plan. Its team used those aforementioned chines and, more specifically, the voluminous interior that the chines created, to wide advantage. As with Dufour’s other models, there are three packages of features, trim and equipment—on the 41, these are labeled Adventure, Ocean and Performance—depending on how the boat will be used (basic sailing, dedicated cruising or racing). With the 41, there are also two interior options: either three or four staterooms. Both have a straight-line galley to starboard, with the dining table and wraparound settee to port.

Our test boat had the three-stateroom layout, with a spacious master forward and a pair of double-berth staterooms aft. It also had three heads, which, to be honest, seems like a bit of overkill on a 41-foot boat. The second head, in the center of the boat, can be replaced with stowage, which is the setup I’d prefer. 

The 41 sports a double-­spreader rig with swept-back spreaders and a self-­tacking jib. The double-ended German-style mainsheet, anchored at midboom, is easily trimmed with a pair of electric winches (an optional electric winch for the mainsail is ­available). There’s no traveler; after all, this is a cruising boat. 

Under power, the 50 hp Volvo Penta with a saildrive configuration had us zipping along at better than 6 knots. This was one of the quieter boats, decibel-wise, in the 2024 fleet. But we were all itching to hoist the sails, and we were not disappointed. At first, in a fitful breeze that was just filling in, we still made over 5 knots in 6 to 8 knots of wind. Soon enough, the pressure built into the 10- to 12-knot range, just in time to hoist the boat’s big asymmetric kite. On a tight reach, we made an effortless 7.5 knots, and the helm was just delightful, with only a light three-finger touch required for full control. 

Those Grand Large prizewinners from years past were, of course, all Felci designs. While this new Dufour looks absolutely nothing like its older siblings, it sails just as well, if not better. Felci may have changed the recipe under the company’s new regime, but he hasn’t forgotten that what we really want is pretty simple: We want to go for a fine sail.

Dufour 41 Specifications

Did You Know?

French boatbuilders were pioneers in fiberglass-sailboat manufacturing. Naval architect/engineer Michel Dufour joined their ranks in 1964 with the launching of the Sylphe, a radical (for its time) 21-foot pocket cruiser with a masthead rig and fin keel with attached ballast bulb. More than 400 were built in a 10-year production run.

Dufour has ramped up its introduction of new models in the past five years, and now has nine in production ranging from 37 to 61 feet, with a 44-footer on tap to be introduced in the United States this fall. Of that collection, the company’s 41, 470 and 530 are all available with electric auxiliary-propulsion options.

Dufour has laid out an aggressive growth strategy, planning to introduce two models each year for the next several years, and replacing its entire fleet within four years. As for the 41, a company representative said that about a third of the run will go to private owners, a third will be purchased by charter operators, and a third will go into charter-management programs.

Herb McCormick is a CW editor-at-large and was a 2024 Boat of the Year judge.

• More: Boat of the Year , dufour yachts , Print September 2024 , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Classic centreboard design by the famous D. Koopmans Sr. As with all his designs, they excell in seaworthiness, cruising performance and safety. This Koopmans is fully equipped for long distance cruising. Warm teak interior, with ample headroom and stowagespace throughout.

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I Loved Tudor’s Sailing Watch Even More While Aboard an Actual Racing Yacht

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The weather report in Barcelona wasn’t looking particularly promising last month as I boarded a vessel on the Mediterranean. Leaving the Spanish coast behind me, storm clouds gathered overhead as the Swiss and French teams geared up to face off in the 37th edition of the America’s Cup. Then again, I was reminded, a bit of wind was a welcome sensation—without it, this regatta couldn’t get underway.

If you’ve never been buzzed by an AC75, the class of racing yacht used during the current America’s Cup , it can be difficult to imagine the sensation. I no longer had to imagine as the Alinghi Red Bull team’s AC75 reached its top speed of 50 knots (58 mph) and seemed to be nearly levitating as it lifted out of the water. And if it’s flying in anything resembling your general direction, this can be quite unnerving.

Even if you’re not a sailor, you’re likely familiar with America’s Cup anyway because of how frequently it intersects with the watch world. Tudor , Omega , and Panerai have all gotten in on the action, the logos of their storied brands featured prominently on mainsheets attached to each vessel’s 26.5-meter mast. For each edition of the Cup in which one of these maisons is sponsoring a team, said company will often debut a special watch, sometimes with a dedicated sailing complication such as a regatta timer. Two of the most compelling of these watches were introduced just last year: Tudor’s Pelagos FXD and FXD Chrono Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition . As I discovered earlier this month, they become even more compelling aboard the actual yacht they’re inspired by.

The racing yacht wasn't the only thing that made me feel like a member of team Alinghi that day. I also got a chance to wear the FXD from Tudor's Pelagos line. The Pelagos collection comprises the brand's most professional diving watch, complete with heavy-duty specs, some military influence, and perhaps a bit more character than the brand’s flagship Black Bay collection. Introduced in 2012, the Pelagos line has seen continuous improvement, culminating in the recent “ FXD .” (The “FXD” is for “fixed,” a design with military provenance that secures a strap to the wrist without possibility of spring bar failure.) The black-dialed FXD immediately stole my heart upon its release late in 2023, when I dove with it in Florida.

I wasn’t the only one wearing this purpose-made FXD. The entire Alinghi Red Bull racing team—from team owner to engineer—was kitted out with them. For me, it’s a cool watch; for the sailing team, it’s essential gear. Timing is everything out on the open water. “We use a watch [the Pelagos FXD] that’s in complete sync with what we do here,” says Jaume Triay, a young engineer on the Alinghi Red Bull team who’s spent the past two years living in Barcelona to prepare for the competition. “It’s a low-weight, high-performance watch, and it’s made out of the same materials [as the AC75]; I think there’s a nice synergy.”

Everything about the Alinghi FXD is made with yacht racing in mind. The watch is made from carbon fiber to mirror the carbon-hulled AC75 yachts, with matte blue-purple dials to match the Alinghi Red Bull livery. The numbers on the bezel are arranged in the reverse orientation from those on a dive watch. Why? On a yacht, one needs to quickly calculate countdowns, which is why the numbers go from 60-0 in a counterclockwise direction, rather than the more common 0-60. I had never spent much time with either of the new FXD watches before, but had the opportunity to wear the time-only version during my time in Barcelona for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup. I’m officially a fan.

The dial is a classic Tudor affair: Done up in matte Alinghi Red Bull blue, it features a snowflake handset and matching white indices, all of which are nicely lumed with plenty of Super-LumiNova. (The indices, hands, and all bezel hashmarks glow ice blue in low light.) A red second hand matches up with red “Pelagos” text—no doubt in a reference to vintage Rolex models and in keeping with other Pelagos watches—and the rehaut, which contains the outer minute track, features the words “ALINGHI RED BULL RACING” in the upper quadrant.

“Timing is important in many aspects [of what the team does],” Triay says. “It’s important in planning, such as how much time we need to train before competing, and how much time we have to design the boat. But then also, you can think about maneuvers: Are we going to do a slow, nicely controlled maneuver, or a sharp turn executed as quickly as possible? What is best, and how do you find replicable timing in order to analyze different strategies?”

Indeed, timing was everything as we sailed out into the open ocean outside Barcelona aboard the yacht in order to watch Alinghi compete against the French team. The Swiss needed to win this particular race, lest it be forced to win three in a row in the double-round robin of the Louis Vuitton Challenger Section Series—or face elimination. I was eager to try aligning my bezel to properly time the race countdown as announced aboard the ship’s television, where the race was being broadcast live.

Stepping out onto the deck in the rain (we picked a poor day for sailing) Alinghi’s AC75 was visible in the distance, tacking hard in the driving wind and water. Its complement of ultra-skilled sailors, however, proved their competence and seamanship, crossing the starting line just as the countdown ended and gaining a significant start on the French team. Roughly 20 minutes of hard sailing later, up and down a course established by remote-controlled buoys to align with the direction of the wind, the Swiss team captured its much-needed victory.

After the win, high-fives were swapped, congratulations were offered, audible sighs of relief were exhaled. As we sailed back into harbor, we passed the AC75 furling its sails, yelling our collective “mazel tov” at the team and chase boat crews. I glanced down at the FXD and thought back to my childhood summer camp experience and the activity I most enjoyed: Sailing small Sunfish dinghies on Plunkett Reservoir. I haven’t sailed in over 20 years, but the thought suddenly crossed my mind: Maybe it’s time to sail again—Pelagos fixed firmly on wrist.

Koopmans yachts – web sites of sailors

https://www.facebook.com/groups/koopmans.yachts/ – under development

Polaris (DE) – 54ft Stromvogel (DE) – 48ft  – (for sale as per aug. 2015) Momos (DE) 40ft Ellinor (SE) – 48ft Moon (SE) – 47ft Sans Peur (SE/DK) – 46ft Wanderingalbatross (US) – 45ft Anaconda (NL) 50ft Barbarossa (NL) – 44ft Bannister (NL) 45ft Concord Bess (NL) 39ft Sentijn Blacklock (NL) – 53ft Callista (NL) 43ft Dikke Druyff (NL) – 44ft Elsa (NL) 47ft Concord Eva Maria (NL) 49ft Flyaway (NL) – 47ft Concord Flying Swan (NL) 46ft Gemini (NL) – 45ft Helena (NL) – 45ft Indira (NL) – 40ft Jacqueline – (NL) – 42ft Jonathan III (NL) – 45ft Kaat (NL) 39ft – for sale (Feb ’15) Sabbatical (NL) 45ft Margalliti (NL) – 45ft Marida (NL) – 43ft Mirus (NL) 41ft Mundinho (NL) – 42ft Mama-cocha (NL) 47ft Concord Popeye (NL) 47ft Concord Ritme (NL) – 33ft Santana (NL) 54ft Shalom /NL) 37ft Breehorn Sirius (NL) – 40ft Sunday Island (AUS) – 43ft ketch Tara (NL) – 41ft Vagabond (NL) – 37ft Vlieger (NL) – 39ft White Spirit (NL) – 36ft Wing IV (NL) – 41ft WonderWood (NL) – 40ft Zwerver (NL) 39ft Zwerver (NL) 47ft – for sale (Feb ’15) Snowdragon 2 (US) – 49ft Bonita (NO) – 49ft Lille Polaris (NO) – 45ft

Dick Koopmans design site  

Below listing will over time be pruned and included above, but for now…..

De Ware Jacob (NL) – 53ft Vagabond (NL) – 37ft Bylgia (NL) – 40ft Shishco (NL) – 37ft Lanata (NL) – 36ft Rode Zora (NL) – 45 ft

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