The Dufour 455 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Dufour 455, a light displacement fractional sloop, was designed by Umberto Felci and built in France by Dufour Yachts.

Dufour 455

Published Specification for the Dufour 455

Underwater Profile: Bulb fin keel & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 45'2" (13.8m)

Waterline Length: 39'1" (11.9m)

Beam: 14'2" (4.3m)

Draft: 6'7" (2.0m)

Rig Type: Fractional sloop

Displacement: 22,985lb (10,426kg)

Designer: Umberto Felci

Builder: Dufour Yachts (France)

Year First Built: 2006

Published Design Ratios for the Dufour 455

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 16.9

Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 28.8

Displacement/Length Ratio: 172

Comfort Ratio: 25.6

Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Dufour 455

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 16.9 suggests that the Dufour 455 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 28.8 would usually mean that the Dufour 455 would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of her keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 172, tells us the Dufour 455 is a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 25.6 suggests that crew comfort of a Dufour 455 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.9 indicates that a Dufour 455 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.

The Dufour 455 Sailboat Review

The Dufour 455 Grand Large is designed by Umberto Felci, who has given it a sleek and modern look, with a nearly plumb bow, a low cabin trunk and a wide stern. The boat is also well equipped for sailing in various conditions, with a balanced and responsive rig, a spacious and secure cockpit, and a comfortable and elegant interior. Let's take a closer look at what this boat has to offer.

Accommodation
The Dufour 455 Grand Large has a bright and spacious interior, with plenty of natural light and ventilation from the large windows, hatches and portholes. The interior is finished in high-quality woodwork, with teak or oak veneer on the bulkheads and furniture, and teak or wenge on the floorboards. The upholstery is available in different colors and fabrics, and the cushions are thick and comfortable.

The layout of the boat is divided into three main areas: the saloon, the galley and the cabins. The saloon is located amidships, and features a large U-shaped settee to starboard, with a folding table that can seat up to eight people. To port, there is another settee that can be used as a single berth, and a forward-facing navigation station with a large chart table and an ergonomic seat. The saloon also has plenty of storage space in lockers, shelves and drawers.

The galley is located aft to port, and is well equipped for cooking on board. It has a double stainless steel sink, a three-burner stove with oven, a top-loading fridge/freezer, and ample counter space and storage cabinets. The galley also has direct access to the cockpit through an opening window.

The cabins are located forward and aft of the saloon. The forward cabin is the owner's cabin, which has a large centerline double berth, two hanging lockers, two shelves, two drawers and two reading lights. The owner's cabin also has an en-suite head with shower to starboard, and another head with sink to port. The aft cabins are identical, each with a double berth that can be accessed from both sides, a hanging locker, a shelf, a reading light and an opening porthole. The aft cabins share a head with shower that is located aft to starboard.

Hull and Deck
The hull of the Dufour 455 Grand Large is made of hand-laid fiberglass with an inner structural grid that provides stiffness and strength. The hull is also reinforced with Twaron®, a high-performance aramid fiber that increases impact resistance. The deck is made of balsa-cored fiberglass with an anti-slip surface. The deck is also fitted with teak on the cockpit seats, floor and transom.

The deck layout of the boat is designed for easy handling and safety. The cockpit is large and comfortable, with twin steering wheels that provide good visibility and access to the transom. The cockpit also has four Harken winches: two primaries for the genoa sheets near the helms, and two secondaries for the mainsail controls on the cabin top. All the lines are led aft to rope clutches on both sides of the companionway, making it easy to trim the sails from the cockpit. The cockpit also has a solid table with folding leaves, handrails and storage compartments.

The transom of the boat can be opened to form a wide swim platform with a telescopic ladder and a shower. The transom also has two large lockers for storing fenders, lines and other gear. The boat has a sugar-scoop stern with a stainless steel arch that supports the mainsheet traveler and the optional davits for a dinghy.

The foredeck of the boat is clear and spacious, with a large anchor locker that can hold a windlass and a chain. The boat has a double bow roller and a self-tacking jib track on the foredeck. The boat also has six mooring cleats, two bow pulpits, two stern pulpits, double lifelines with gates, and handrails on the cabin top.

Mast and Rigging
The mast is deck-stepped and made of anodized aluminum. The mast has two sets of swept-back spreaders and a fractional rig. The mast also has an in-mast furling system for the mainsail, which is an option over the standard slab-reefing system. The boom is also made of anodized aluminum and has an in-boom reefing system for the mainsail, which is another option over the standard single-line reefing system. The boom also has a rigid vang that helps to control the mainsail shape.

The rigging of the boat is made of stainless steel wire with swaged terminals. The rigging includes a forestay, a backstay, two upper shrouds, two lower shrouds and two intermediate shrouds. The backstay is split and adjustable with a hydraulic cylinder, which allows to adjust the mast bend and the sail shape. The forestay has a furling system for the genoa, which is standard on the boat. The genoa is a 130% overlapping sail that provides good power and speed.

Keel and Rudder
The fin keel has a bulb that provides stability and reduces drag. The draft is 2 m (6.6 ft) with the standard version, or 1.8 m (5.9 ft) with the optional shoal draft version. The keel also has an epoxy coating that protects it from corrosion.

The spade rudder provides good maneuverability and responsiveness. The rudder is connected to the twin steering wheels by cables and pulleys. The steering system also has an emergency tiller that can be used in case of failure.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.