The Dufour 37, introduced to the market at the end of 2022, is an excellent example of how modern yacht design has progressed. This Dufour has a long waterline length of 9.31m/30ft 7on on a hull length of 9.99m/32ft 9in (excluding bowsprit). Yet thanks to her modern hull shape and distinct hull chines, she offers all the space and comfort of a much larger yacht without sacrificing any of the performance or handling qualities.
When Michel Dufour set up his business in the 1960s, I recall seeing his first production yacht – the 22ft Sylphe that he designed in 1964 – lurking in the Pembroke Hall extension at the back of the Earls Court Boat Show. Its wide beam, bulbed fin keel, skeg-hung rudder and spacious accommodation for a boat of its humble size were way ahead of its time.
In 1966 Dufour went on to design and build one of the most important and influential GRP boats of all time. The 30ft Arpège came with spacious accommodation – thanks to its beam of 3m – and was such a successful cruiser-racer that around 1,500 were sold. Amazingly, it also won the inaugural Half Ton Cup held in La Rochelle in 1967. The Arpège put Michel Dufour well and truly on the map as a designer and builder of fast cruisers.
After several decades with various
