Dufour Yachts

Dufour Yachts is a French sailboat brand established in 1964 by Michel Dufour, a naval architect and engineer. The company developed around the design and manufacture of sailing yachts, building a broad model portfolio that has included compact cruising boats, performance-oriented yachts, classic-branded models, and large blue-water cruisers. Its products have generally been identified by numerical model names, with successive ranges spanning different lengths, layouts, and intended uses. The brand’s historical range includes early models such as the Arpège, T6, T7, Sortilege 41, Sylphe, 1200, 1800, 2800, and 12000. It later expanded into a substantial family of small and medium-sized production sailboats, including the Dufour 24, 25, 27, 29, 31, 34, 35, 39 German Frers, 40e, 44 Performance, and 45e. The company also used the Classic and Grand Large designations for distinct product orientations. Classic models included yachts from the Classic 30 through the Classic 50, while the Grand Large range covered models such as the 325, 335, 365, 375, 380, 385, 405, 410, 425, 445, 450, 455, 460, 485, 500, 512, 520, 525, and 560. By the model listing referenced for February 2021, Dufour’s current range included the Dufour 310, 360, 390, 412, 430, 470, 530, 56, and 61. This lineup indicates coverage from relatively compact cruising yachts to substantially larger sailing yachts intended for extended cruising and broader accommodation requirements. The brand’s range architecture has historically allowed it to serve owners seeking different balances of handling, interior volume, cruising comfort, and performance, although detailed specifications and positioning vary by model and production period. Dufour Yachts was acquired by Fountaine Pajot in 2018. Following the acquisition, Dufour continued as a separate brand rather than being presented as a replacement or renamed product line. The ownership relationship places Dufour within the wider French yacht-manufacturing sector while preserving its own name and model identity. Publicly available reference material identifies the company primarily as a sailboat manufacturer and does not provide sufficient information here to establish a current headquarters address, detailed distribution footprint, financial performance, or current executive roster.

Dufour Yachts was founded in France in 1964 by Michel Dufour, a naval architect and engineer. From its beginning, the company focused on sailing yachts and developed a manufacturing identity around serially produced boats rather than a single flagship design. Its historical catalog shows an evolution from early named and numbered designs into a large family of models organized by size, intended use, and design character. Among the earlier boats associated with the brand were the Dufour Arpège, T6, T7, Sortilege 41, Sylphe, 1200, 1800, 2800, and 12000. The company subsequently produced a wide variety of smaller and mid-sized models, including the Dufour 24, 25, 27, 29, 31, 34, 35, and 39 German Frers. Other historical models included the 40e, 44 Performance, 45e, 34e, and 40 Performance, reflecting the brand’s use of both cruising and performance-oriented naming. Dufour also developed the Classic and Grand Large families. The Classic range included models from the Classic 30 to the Classic 50, while the Grand Large range extended across many sizes, from the 325 Grand Large and 335 Grand Large through substantially larger models such as the 525 Grand Large and 560 Grand Large. The breadth of these lines suggests a strategy of addressing multiple segments of the monohull sailing market, with model differentiation based principally on hull size, accommodation, cruising role, and performance characteristics. In 2018, Fountaine Pajot acquired Dufour Yachts. The transaction changed the company’s ownership but did not eliminate the Dufour identity; the brand continued to operate as a separate name within the broader Fountaine Pajot group. This preserved Dufour’s established product architecture and market recognition while linking it to another significant French yacht manufacturer. The model range referenced for February 2021 consisted of the Dufour 310, 360, 390, 412, 430, 470, 530, 56, and 61. This selection covered a progression from smaller cruising yachts to larger vessels suited to more spacious accommodation and longer voyages. The available reference material does not provide enough information to document later model changes, current production facilities, leadership, revenue, or geographic sales markets.

• 2021

  Nine-model range documented

  [1]Dufour Yachtsen.wikipedia.org

  The model listing referenced for February 2021 included yachts from the Dufour 310 through the Dufour 61.

• 2018

  Acquisition by Fountaine Pajot

  [1]Dufour Yachtsen.wikipedia.org

  Fountaine Pajot purchased Dufour Yachts, while the Dufour name and brand continued separately.

• 1964

  Dufour Yachts is founded

  [1]Dufour Yachtsen.wikipedia.org

  Michel Dufour, a naval architect and engineer, founded the French sailboat manufacturer.

A French sailing-yacht brand with a broad production range covering compact cruisers, performance models, and larger yachts for extended cruising.

• Cruising sailboat

  Dufour 310

  A compact model in the Dufour range, representing the brand’s entry into smaller production cruising yachts. It sits at the lower end of the model lineup documented for 2021.

• Cruising sailboat

  Dufour 390

  A mid-range Dufour model included in the 2021 lineup. Its position between smaller and larger yachts reflects the brand’s strategy of offering several graduated sizes for cruising customers.

• Cruising sailboat

  Dufour 470

  A larger model in the documented current range, extending Dufour’s offering toward yachts with more interior space and long-cruising capability than the compact models.

• Large cruising sailboat

  Dufour 530

  One of the largest numbered yachts in the 2021 range. It represents Dufour’s upper-size production offering before the range’s 56 and 61 models.

• Large cruising sailboat

  Dufour 56

  A large Dufour cruising yacht included among the models documented for 2021, intended to provide greater scale and accommodation than the brand’s smaller series.

• Large cruising sailboat

  Dufour 61

  The largest model listed in the referenced 2021 range. It demonstrates Dufour’s coverage of the larger cruising-yacht segment.

• Cruising sailboat family

  Grand Large range

  A broad historical family spanning models from the 325 Grand Large to the 560 Grand Large, with numerous intermediate sizes. The range formed a major part of Dufour’s cruising-oriented product architecture.

• Classic-design sailboat family

  Classic range

  A historical family that included the Classic 30, 32, 35, 36, 38, 41, 43, 45, and 50. The designation distinguished these models within Dufour’s wider catalog.

• 2018

  Transfer of ownership to Fountaine PajotM&A

  Background

  Dufour Yachts was acquired by Fountaine Pajot as part of a change in ownership within the French yacht-manufacturing sector.

  Action taken

  Fountaine Pajot purchased the company and retained Dufour as a separate brand.

  Aftermath

  Dufour continued to use its own brand identity and model naming after the acquisition.

  Source

1. 1Dufour Yachtsen.wikipedia.org