BoatsDufour Yachts 40

Dufour Yachts 40

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 2005

A 12.32-metre fractional sloop featuring a 1.65-metre draft and a balanced 36% ballast ratio for coastal cruising

Designed by Umberto Felci.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

See her sail

The Dufour Yachts 40, on the water

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

Footage from A Son de Mar

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

1.99 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.99
LightHeavy

175 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 175
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.7
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Draws less than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2754 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Dufour Yachts 40, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Dufour Yachts 40 is a 12.3-meter fractional sloop designed by Umberto Felci and built by Dufour Yachts since 2005, featuring a fin with bulb and spade rudder hull. It displaces 7800 kg with a standard draft of 1.6 meters, though optional drafts and displacements are available, including a performance variant. Hans Hellinger and his wife, Inma, completed a 12-year circumnavigation aboard their Dufour 40 Performance, *Tuvalu*, departing Barcelona in 2010 after a year of refitting and preparation.11:11 They chose the Dufour 40 for its long-passage capability, despite it being a production fiberglass boat.10:57 Aboard *Tuvalu*, the crew used PredictWind via satellite phone for weather routing and Iridium for communication, adapting from earlier shortwave radio setups.20:48 They intentionally sailed slowly to avoid cyclone seasons, leaving the boat in marinas like Shelter Bay to explore inland.40:13 Hellinger emphasizes the psychological growth required to live disconnected from modern digital infrastructure during such a voyage.28:06 The couple identified hatches, acrylic windows, and deck cable glands as common points of water ingress requiring proactive sealing.1:00:47

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Dufour Yachts 40 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.7
Displacement / length
175.4
Comfort ratio
24.2
Capsize screening
1.99
Hull speed
8.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1612
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Cast Iron
Production
Years built
First built 2005
Designer
Umberto Felci
Builder
Dufour Yachts

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.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.312.20 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.2-metre masthead sloop featuring a 1.95-metre fin-and-bulb keel designed for stable, mid-2000s cruising
Krait sailboat. Around the world in 2 yearsfrom Velero Regina
Centurion 40S12.35 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented fractional sloop by Berret-Racoupeau, featuring a deep fin keel and a balanced, modern hull form
Alone Through the Night - Sailing to Tenerife | Ep. 154:08from Jakob Lang Sailing
Beneteau First 40512.40 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.4-metre masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.19-metre fin keel and a balanced displacement for offshore performance
Is the Caribbean Becoming Too Dangerous for Cruisers?21:54from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Elan Marine 41012.27 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.27-metre performance cruiser with a 2.2-metre draught and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 20.52
Elan 410from SVN solovelanet
Jeanneau Sun Fizz 4012.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop also marketed as the O'Day 39 and 40, available in both fin and keel/centerboard.
Special Feature: Detailed budget for living on a sailboat year-round.from LE VOYAGE DE NAMASTE
Linjett 4012.35 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA decade-long production run defines this 12-metre performance cruiser, balancing a 44% ballast ratio for stiff sailing
Linjett 36 won Boat of the Year - See Linjett's reactionfrom SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

Dufour Yachts 40EA 2006 performance cruiser with a 2.1-metre bulb keel and a balanced 17.92 sail-area-to-displacement ratioDufour Yachts 44A 2024 Felci-designed fractional sloop balancing a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio with a spacious Ardizio interiorDufour Yachts 37A modern fractional sloop from Felci Yacht Design, balancing a performance-oriented hull with a stable, comfortable beamDufour Yachts 430 Grand LargeA 2019 Umberto Felci design with a 2.1-meter bulb keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited cruisingDufour Yachts 45EA 13.95-metre fractional sloop launched in 2008, featuring a 1.95-metre draft and a 30% ballast ratio

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