Dufour, long one of France’s most well respected builders, has been producing sailboats in La Rochelle since the dawn of fiberglass boatbuilding. Having recently merged with another La Rochelle-based builder, Fountaine-Pajot, Dufour has now joined other European mass-production yards in producing a large-scale luxury cruising yacht. Its new Dufour 61, winner of SAIL’s 2022 Best Boat Award in the Flagship Monohull category, combines a competitive price point with high-end comfort and some seat-of-the pants performance.
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Dufour has been working with Italian designer Umberto Felci since the turn of this century, when it bifurcated its models into a Grand Large cruising range and a Performance racing range. Stepping now into the big-boat luxury cruising market, Dufour has again teamed with Felci to create a boat that hews to the contemporary design idiom: lots
