Dufour 500 GL

[Bluesmoods]

Greetings folks
I am giving serious thought to acquiring a Dufour 500 GL. Although the market has limited options, it appears to be a meticulously designed, robustly constructed vessel with commendable sailing capabilities and performance. I would value any insights or experiences. Additionally, I am considering the Beneteau 49 & 50, the Beneteau 523, and the Jeanneau 53. Yet, my preference consistently leans towards the Dufour.

Any input would be appreciated.

 

[dLj]

Where and how will you be sailing?

All of them except the Beneteau 49 have deeper draft than I'd want to have but that's based on where I sail.

I've heard good things about the Dufour boats but don't have any direct hands-on knowledge.

I see you are in LA, I think the west coast is easier with deep draft boats than where I am located. Perhaps some West coast sailors can chime in...


dj

 

[PaulK]

The name (Grand Large, which means Offshore in French) makes it sound like it's supposed to be for long-haul cruising. The wide beam aft looks like it adds substantial wetted surface. It is surprising to see so much fuel tankage, (almost as much as the water) and a hefty 75 hp engine. Is this a motorsailer? If you enjoy sailing instead of powering the low SA/disp ratio might be a problem in anything less than 20 knots of breeze. For life at the dock it would seem quite adequate.

DUFOUR 500 GRAND LARGE - sailboatdata

Sail Area: Mainsail: 52.8 m²/568 sq.ft. Genoa: 48.0 m²/ 517 sq.ft. Total Upwind: 100.8m2/ 1076 sq.ft. Updated to DUFOUR GRAND LARGE 512 in 2016.

sailboatdata.com

 

[Bluesmoods]

Hi and thanks. Seemingly, the boat reviews provide optimistic praises regarding the boats sailing oerformance. My experience goes back into the 70's sailing Cal, (they were terrific), C&C, J/Boat. From what I know about Dufour, they have never built a "slow" vessel. I am looking to gain some more info on this. A Dufour 512 just came up for sale in Marina Del Rey that I have been admiring at the dock for sometime. Have to look into that as well. Oh ohhhh.

I like the Beneteau 523 too. They seem to come and go pretty quick if they are priced right. Dufour occupies a small 4% market share in the US. but in Europe and Australia, they are huge. Having such a small US market leverage must have a bearing on resale potential I would think. This is also a consideration.

 

[PaulK]

Hi and thanks. Seemingly, the boat reviews provide optimistic praises regarding the boats sailing oerformance. My experience goes back into the 70's sailing Cal, (they were terrific), C&C, J/Boat. From what I know about Dufour, they have never built a "slow" vessel. I am looking to gain some more info on this. A Dufour 512 just came up for sale in Marina Del Rey that I have been admiring at the dock for sometime. Have to look into that as well. Oh ohhhh.

I like the Beneteau 523 too. They seem to come and go pretty quick if they are priced right. Dufour occupies a small 4% market share in the US. but in Europe and Australia, they are huge. Having such a small US market leverage must have a bearing on resale potential I would think. This is also a consideration.

Optimistic or made up, those Dufour 500GL reviews? How many full-page Dufour ads appear in the magazines whose reviews you read? In the 70's they did have some quick boats. Since then, not so much. A boat that comes with a solid 3-blade propeller is not going to be one of Dufour's "fast" vessels. Lake Ontario PHRF rates it at 72 with spinnakers, 96 under main & jib. This puts it in league with J/35's -- boats built in the 1980's -- thirty years before the Dufour, and FIFTEEN FEET shorter. (And the Dufour rates slower than the J/35 in non-spinnaker.) Perhaps their small US market share is a better reflection of their performance than the reviews. They may be nice boats, but if you are looking for performance there are other places to look.

 

[shemandr]

..Seemingly, the boat reviews provide optimistic praises regarding the boats sailing performance...

That's being kind.

 

[jssailem]

I am giving serious thought to acquiring a Dufour 500 GL. I would value any insights or experiences.

As a Dufour 40 owner, you have experienced Umberto Felci's design thinking. Build a boat with multiple owner options while creating as much interior hull volume as possible. While Felci has early sailboat racing experience, the hull design numbers of the Dufour boats lean towards coastal cruising comfort over sailing performance.

There is a natural selection process working on sailors as they look at the beauty of a boat. Perhaps this is in our DNA. We see something we like, and rational logic will not dissuade us.

• Although the market has limited options,
• it appears to be a meticulously designed,
• robustly constructed vessel with commendable sailing capabilities and performance.

Limited market...
From SaliboatData.com:

	First Built:	2011
	Last Built:	2015
	# Built:	100
	Builder:	Dufour
	Designer:	Umberto Felci

Your thought on limited available boat choices is rooted in the fact that a limited number were built during the 4-year production run. One hundred boats spread across the world sailing market creates limited options. You will likely need to look in the Med to find a selection of Dufour 500 boats from which to choose.

Will a limited number of boats maintain your purchase value? That does not sound like a solid reason to support your boat purchase decision.

METICULOUS DESIGN AND ROBUST CONSTRUCTION
These descriptive words help drive value into a boat in the eyes of many boat owners.

Your post mentioned CAL boats from the 1970s as sparking a positive emotion. Successful CAL boat design thinking was really triggered with the build of the CAL 40, which was designed to be an ocean racer.

The Felci Dufour designs do not have that pedigree. Dufour yachts possess commendable sailing capabilities and performance, as you identify. This supports their design objective as a coastal cruiser.

Buying a boat is as much a choice of lifestyle as it is a vehicle for traveling to faraway places. The best advice I have heard about boat selection revolves around defining where you want to go and how you want to get there, then selecting a vessel that will fulfill those desires.

Best of luck.