With the new ship, the yacht builders in La Rochelle are retiring the predecessor model, the Dufour 430 Grand Large, after a market presence of just five years. At the same time, the new model generation is being updated and further expanded, following the types Dufour 37 and Dufour 41 which recently celebrated its world premiere. And, of course, the long-standing design partners from Felci Yacht Design have once again been commissioned to design the new Dufour 44.
The design and layout on deck were generously adopted from the smaller Dufour 41. However, the designers have provided more space between the helm stations and the coaming and also installed a step to make it easier to get from the cockpit to the running deck. The steps also serve as a locker for the lines. What's more, Dufour has now installed a total of six winches in the cockpit of the new boat. This means that the sheets for the mainsail and genoa can be operated individually on both sides and do not necessarily have to be folded down during manoeuvres. The buyer also has the choice of having the boat equipped with an overlapping genoa with hoisting points on the coachroof or with a smaller self-tacking jib. The sail plan and sail areas are still being calculated and are therefore not yet precisely defined.
Dufour 44:Great variance for owners and charterers alike
The arrangement below deck is also interesting. The most striking detail is the hexagonal saloon table. With additional stools, up to eight people can sit together in the saloon. The concept also shows flexibility for the saloon layout, where the galley can either be installed as a long row with large work surfaces and plenty of storage space to the side or split forward against the main bulkhead. In this case, the free space on the starboard side is occupied by an additional sofa.
For owners, the boat is built with three very generously equipped double cabins, each with their own bathrooms and with the option of converting one of the two aft heads as a separate shower cubicle. The toilet room and shower are also separate in the foredeck. For use in the charter business, the new 44 can also be equipped with two compartments and two toilet rooms at the front. This means that Dufour can offer the ship with a maximum of four double cabins, each with its own bathroom, which is still a novelty in the length class. The layouts of all four layout variants are shown in the picture gallery above. And of course combinations are also possible.
Dufour Yachts plans to present the new 44 as a world premiere at the trade fair in Düsseldorf in January 2024. An initial price has also already been announced: the boat will cost 327,250 euros, including 19% VAT, with a built-in engine and a single set of Dacron sails.
Technical data Dufour 44
- Designer: Felci Yacht Design
- Interior design: Ardizio Design
- Hull length: 13.10 m
- Total length: 13.91 m
- Waterline length: 12.23 m
- Width: 4.45 m
- Weight: 10.2 tonnes
- Draught: 2.20 m
- Ballast/proportion: 2.85 t/28 %
- Motorisation: Built-in diesel 36.7 kW (50 hp)/ Saildrive
- Fuel capacity: 250 litres
- Fresh water capacity: 250 litres
