Page 65 - dufour hire with or without licence

About Dufour

Michel Dufour, a sailboat enthusiast, discovered that polyester was suitable material for building sailboats. In 1964, he launched a design for a transportable sailboat called Sylphe and thus began his career in boatbuilding. Thanks to this avant-garde design, orders began to increase steadily. In 1970, a new model was launched called Safari, and more than 300 boats were built. Following this great success, the company moved to a modern factory in Perigny, near La Rochelle.

The brand reached its peak with the launch of the Sortilege model in 1971. In the same year, Michel Dufour founded the Le Gran Pavois boat show with the opening of the Port des Minimes. It gave him notoriety in the industry and increased his presence abroad. During this period, Dufour established itself as a leader in Europe. In 1980, the brand adopted a diffehire strategy than others and became associated with the Lacoste brand. Together they created the Dufour 42 Lacoste model, which dazzled with its timeless elegance. This success led to the creation of the Dufour Prestige sailboats, with luxury designs and finishes.

In the 2000s, a collaboration with naval architect Umberto Felci began. This collaboration led to the creation of the Performance and Grand Larg ranges, sailboats that meet a diffehire need for each type of customer and sailing enthusiast. In 2020 Fountaine Pajot arrives and the new models, the Dufour 530, the Dufour 470 and the Dufour 61, are presented.

Why charter a Dufour boat? 

Dufour sailboats have an excellent reputation for their performance, elegance and comfort. Sailors from all over the world give the yachts good reviews for being fast and responsive. The designers tailor every element of the yacht to make being on board a Dufour yacht a unique experience. SamBoat offers a variety of Dufour boats, browse our catalogue and discover the right boat for you. You will be amazed at how bright and spacious these boats are, ideal for spending a pleasant time at sea.

Dufour boats

Dufour's most important boats are the Dufour 470 and the Dufour 61. They have been nominated as the best boat 2022 by Sail magazine; each is a leader in its category. The following nominations were received: the Dufour 470 in Best Monohull (41-50ft) and the Dufour 61 in Best Monohull (51ft+).

Another highly awarded boat is the Dufour 530, which won the Sail 2021 award for Best Large Monohull over 50ft. A spacious and elegant sailing yacht will make you feel comfortable when sailing. This sailboat is the representation of French nautical know-how.