The Dufour 29 Sailboat
Specs & key Performance Indicators

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

Download this eBook to make sure you buy wisely!

1. 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.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.5 means that a sailboat like the Dufour 29 (which doesn't have a stiffness-enhancing bulb keel), is likely to benefit from being reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. 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.

4. 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. 

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.0 indicates that a Dufour 29 would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas that is associated with sailboats with a CSF of 2.0 and above.