Perry Design Review: Dufour 39CC

The Dufour line was the first French line of production boats to be marketed in the United States. Dufour's first offering was the Arpege Half-Tonner, which I sailed in the 1974 Chicago-Mac race. Dufour brought out several other models, but none were as successful as the little Arpege. Dufour then disappeared for a while, but it's back now with the new Dufour 39CC.

Starting with the sailplan I would say that this boat certainly has "un air Francais." Considering the trickle-down effect the French boats have had on a couple of the American builders, however, you could easily mistake this for an American boat. It's not bad-looking, but it's a wee bit too Euro for my Northwestern taste.

With its 12-foot-7-inch beam the boat is not particularly beamy. I'd call it moderate by today's standards. The transom is not unusually broad either, and that's a pleasant change for a French boat. Note that the transom is a distinct plane apart from the hull sides and deck surface. This may be the old way of doing it, but I like to see the transom well-defined and crisp. The canoe body looks clean and fast. Note how far aft the rudder is. The D/L is 215.

The 39 is available in two interior layouts with the only difference in the layout of the owner's stateroom aft. You can get the 39 with a centerline double aft, flanked by two small settees, or you can have a double off to one side with a settee opposite. The centerline double will allow occupants of the berth to come and go without disturbing each other. The centerline berth may also look better due to its comforting symmetry.

Not trying to squeeze two heads into this boat was smart. The single head to starboard of the center cockpit is accessible from both the saloon and the aft cabin. The galley is more than adequate, and the saloon looks inviting. This is important to me. When I go below on a new boat I find the sweet spot in the settee. Then I pretend I'm relaxing and try and see if the boat "fits." I want a saloon that is a comfy place to sit, eat and chat with two or three friends. It's a bit like trying on a shirt. While I'm relaxing I might put on the new Eric Clapton CD. It's a good one and a great way to show off your boat's stereo.

The deck features narrow side decks and a reasonably sized center cockpit. Set-up areas to the center cockpit are sculpted into the aft end of the house. There is a shallow but broad swim platform aft. Halyards lead aft under a cover, exiting alongside the companionway. The focal point of this deck is the curved windshield. This is a very practical feature and looks good on this model.

The rig is normal in all respects. The SA/D is 18.92. There are double spreaders with some sweep aft. The mast appears to be deck-stepped.

Boat Specifications

This story originally appeared in Sailing Magazine, and is republished here by permission. Subscribe to Sailing.