Dufour Boats For Sale

 Dufour history goes back 40 years when Michele Dufour launched the first Sylphe in 1964. Four years later -in 1968- he created the legendary Aprege, an unprecedented success that revolutionised the design of cruising sailing yachts.

A number of successful models follow. The early '80s and the chartering boom found Dufour with a number of high quality boats in production -like the Dufour 2800 and the Dufour 4800. The Dufour boats were too good (=too expensive) to compete with the rivalry of Jeanneau and Beneteau models, so the company ceased its operations for almost a decade.

Dufour Yachts Group made an impressive come back in the '90s. In 1994 they founded Nautitech, a company that specialised in Catamarans. In 1995 Dufour re-launched the concept of the fully equipped, ready- to-sail yacht with the Classic range. It seems that Dufor had learned there lesson because these new Dufour yachts were offered at competitive prices.

In 2001 the partnership with the celebrated Italian boat builder Cantieri Del Pardo started whilst the next year, 2002, Nautitech became an independent company. For the next three years fresh wind blew for Dufour and two new lines of production started; the Performance range consisting of the Dufour 34, 40 and 44 as well as the comfort-oriented Grand Large series, were replaced. This clear adjustment does not only use customer, it relieved also technical designers the work, because compromises become redundant. As for chartering, by merging with Gib Sea company they offer the Dufour/Gib Sea series.

Although, only the Dufour/Gib Sea series yachts are designed with the charter market needs in mind -similar to the Cyclades series of Beneteau- all the Dufour boats have a successful career in chartering, as these yachts are good and there are always people who appreciate performances or luxury -even if this will cost them a little extra.