The Dufour 29 Sailboat
The Dufour 29, a masthead sloop, was designed by Michel Dufour and built in France by Dufour Yachts.
A Dufour 29 sailing slowly in very light winds under her spinnaker
Published Specification for the Dufour 29
Underwater Configuration: Fin with skeg-hung rudder
Hull Material: GRP (fibreglass)
Length Overall: 29' 4" / 8.94m
Waterline Length: 25' 1" / 7.64m
Beam: 9' 8" / 2.95m
Draft: 5' 3" / 1.60m
Rig Type: Masthead Sloop
Displacement: 7,250lb / 3,289kg
Designer: Michel Dufour
Builder: Dufour (France)
Year First Built: 1975
Year Last Built: 1984
Owners Association: Dufour Owners Association
Published Design Ratios for the Dufour 29
1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 15.6
- Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
- 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
- Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.
2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 36.5
- Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
- Over 40: stiffer, more powerful
3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 205
- Under 100: Ultralight
- 100 to 200: Light
- 200 to 275: Moderate
- 275 to 350: Heavy
- Over 350: Ultraheavy
4. Comfort Ratio: 20.7
- Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
- 20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
- 30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
- 40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
- Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat
5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0
- Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
- Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages
read more about these all-revealing numbers...
Summary Analysis of Published Design Ratios for the Dufour 29
A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of just 15.6 suggests that she'll need a stiff breeze to get her going. In any other conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing will be the way to go.
A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.5 means that unless the bulk of the ballast is concentrated in a bulb at the foot of her keel, she'll have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust, and she'll need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.
A Displacement/Length Ratio of 205, tells us she's a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.
Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 20.7 suggests that crew comfort in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.
Her Capsize Screening Formula of 2.0 tells us that she would not be a good choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making.
Sailboats in the Dufour range include:
- Dufour 12000 CT
- Dufour 1300
- Dufour 1800/25
- Dufour 24
- Dufour 27
- Dufour 28 Mezzo
- Dufour 2800
- Dufour 29
- Dufour 30/31 Frers
- Dufour 31
- Dufour 310 Grand Large
- Dufour 32 Integral
- Dufour 325 Grand Large
- Dufour 334 Trophy
- Dufour 34
- Dufour 34 Performance
- Dufour 35
- Dufour 350 Grand Large
- Dufour 360 Grand Large
- Dufour 360 Grand Large
- Dufour 365 Grand Large
- Dufour 36p
- Dufour 375 Grand Large
- Dufour 3800
- Dufour 382 Grand Large
- Dufour 385 Grand Large
- Dufour 39 Cc
- Dufour 39 Frers
- Dufour 390 Grand Large
- Dufour 40
- Dufour 40e
- Dufour 41
- Dufour 410 Grand Large
- Dufour 412 Grand Large
- Dufour 42 (S&S)
- Dufour 425 Grand Large
- Dufour 430 Grand Large
- Dufour 44 Performance
- Dufour 445 Grand Large
- Dufour 450 Grand Large
- Dufour 455 Grand Large
- Dufour 45e
- Dufour 460 Grand Large
- Dufour 470
- Dufour 48 Prestige
- Dufour 4800
- Dufour 485 Grand Large
- Dufour 500 Grand Large
- Dufour 512 Grand Large
- Dufour 520 Grand Large
- Dufour 525 Grand Large
- Dufour 530
- Dufour 56
- Dufour 61
- Dufour 63
- Dufour 65
- Dufour 9000
- Dufour Arpege 30
- Dufour Atoll 43
- Dufour Atoll 50
- Dufour Classic 30
- Dufour Classic 32
- Dufour Classic 35
- Dufour Classic 36
- Dufour Classic 38
- Dufour Classic 41
- Dufour Classic 43
- Dufour Classic 45
- Dufour Classic 50
- Dufour Duo 26
- Dufour F39
- Dufour Safari 27
- Dufour Sortilege 41
- Dufour Sylphe
- Dufour T6
- Dufour T7
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