BoatsDufour Arpege 30

Dufour Arpege 30

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1966–1976

A record-breaking production of over 1500 units, this MORC-compliant racer-cruiser defined a new standard for the 30-foot class

Designed by Michel Dufour.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Dufour Arpege 30, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from NAUTICPIOLI

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

2.01 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.01
LightHeavy

323 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 323
EasygoingPowered-up

15.7 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.7
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Dufour Arpege 30, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Dufour Arpege 30 is a 9.1-meter masthead sloop designed by Michel Dufour and built by Dufour Yachts between 1966 and 1976. Over 1500 units were sold worldwide, establishing it as a financially successful and innovative design that performed well in races. The hull features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, and the boat displaces 3492 kg with a 1.4-meter draft.17:14 Some versions had a deeper keel, and a just-under-30-foot variant was produced for the US market to accommodate the MORC rule.6:54 Aboard *NAUTICPIOLI*, the 1971 Dufour Arpege 30 *Scorpion Uno* features all running rigging led to the cockpit and a mainsheet traveler relocated forward of the cockpit for more space.7:10 The interior includes a galley, a main saloon with settee and pilot berths, and a forward head.9:39 The narrow cockpit is characteristic of its racing-oriented design.2:55 The *Admirante*, another Dufour Arpege 30, survived a dismasting in the Mediterranean Sea, demonstrating the model's structural integrity.3:56

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.

NAUTICPIOLIPioli shares his professional maritime experience through coastal sailing adventures and detailed DIY restoration projects on his classic Dufour Arpege 30 in Spain.

Seen 3 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Dufour Arpege 30 on video

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
39.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.7
Displacement / length
322.8
Comfort ratio
22.9
Capsize screening
2.01
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
780
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
1966–1976
Units built
1500
Designer
Michel Dufour
Builder
Dufour

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Lancer 30-28.99 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA masthead sloop derived from the original C&C 30 moulds, offering a stable fin-keel platform for coastal cruising
FALL BOAT AUCTION 2023: Where to buy a SUPER CHEAP sailboat! - EP3114:25from Sailing Solé
Bristol Yachts 29.99.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1977-1986 masthead sloop featuring a tall rig option and a choice between fixed keel or keel-centreboard configurations
HOW TO BUY A CHEAP SAILBOAT - $20,000 or less!4:41from Practical Sailor
Cal Boats 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series
Left a multinational, house, and car to live on a 30-foot sailboat | #SAL Clip #1451:32from Hashtag Sal
Islander Yachts Bahama 309.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1973-1985 production masthead sloop sharing its hull with the Islander 30 MKII and featuring a balanced fin keel
Diesel Overheating Dinghy Pump Hack3:07from Practical Sailor
Catalina Yachts 309.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthWith over 6,000 hulls produced, this versatile masthead sloop remains one of the most successful production yachts ever built
Perfect $20,000 Sailboat (Catalina 30 Refit on a Budget) - Ep 358 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing
Newport 30-19.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe original 1968 production run of this masthead sloop, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for coastal sailing
⛵️ I Tried Boiling Water Out of My Boat... It Actually Worked - sort of?!13:53from Living For Sail

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Dufour Yachts 31A 1973 masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a comfortable, stable design for coastal cruisingDufour Yachts Classic 30A J&J-designed masthead sloop with a shallow 1.14m draft, balancing cruiser comfort with a capable 18.46 SA/D ratioDufour Yachts 29A 1975 masthead sloop with a 1.6m draft, widely exported to the US for stable coastal cruisingDufour Yachts 27A 1972 masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, designed for stability and coastal cruising throughout the seventiesDufour Yachts 34A 1974 masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a balanced displacement-to-ballast ratio for offshore stabilityDufour Yachts 35A 10.74-metre masthead sloop with a 41% ballast ratio, built for over a decade as a stiff and stable coastal cruiser

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