For French giant Dufour, it’s a trio at the VELAFestival

Joining us again this year in Santa Margherita, and for the third time, will be the Rochelle-based Dufour shipyard, which has churned out four new models in the Grand Large range over the past year. Three in the ten-meter range: the 310, the brand new 350, the 382, as well as the flagship, the 560. A successful season, among which we were particularly convinced by the brand new 350 GL, which we had a chance to try on the water.

DUFOUR 350 GL: THE BOAT WITHOUT A BACKSTAY
Another vessel, the Dufour 350 GL, ideal for those who do not feel like taking a boat license but want to sail: an evolution of the 335 Gran Large from which width and length have been increased. As soon as I come aboard, I am struck by theabsence of a backstay: a solution made possible by two quartered spreaders set very far astern and the attachment of the mainsails positioned as externally as possible, at the broadside. The absence of the backstay makes the cockpit even cleaner and allows uncluttered use of the fold-down aft swim platform. Also striking is the height of the mast, for a boat that has a cruising vocation: a sign of the hand of Umberto Felci, who by nature designs performance hulls (in this case with an edge) that need adequate sail plans. Having made these observations, the desire to try the boat on the water grows.

IN NAVIGATION.
We leave Porto Lotti accompanied by a light northerly wind (8-10 knots with gusts up to 12-14) that allows us to immediately hoist the fullbatten mainsail and unfurl the jib (planned to be self-tacking in the standard version, with the possibility, among options, to rig a rail alongside the deckhouse to rig larger genoa). We immediately set upwind and sailed toward the coast to go for a few gusts, These speeds rilvate: 5.4 knots average that coming out with acceleration from the gust became 6.5. The edge in the hull did its job: as soon as the pressure under gusts increased, the hull heeled until it rested on the edge: the day of somewhat gusty northerly winds proved perfect for testing this feature of Felci’s design. We put down and let go of the sails, sailing across the beam at an average speed of 6.4 knots, touching 7.3 when we enter a gust. We do not have a gennaker on board, although there is a dolphin rig on the bow with an attachment for the headsail tack, but we still decide to try the boat on the white-sailed grand lasco recording a speed of 6.1. We also report motor speeds , a Volvo Penta 30 hp. At 1000 rpm, speed 3.4 kn; at 1500 5 kn; at 2000 6 kn; at 2400 (recommended cruising speed) 6.6 kn.