The wide-beam Dufour 44 debuted at Boot Dusseldorf, as the French builder continues to revamp its series of sailboat models ranging from the Dufour 37 to flagship Dufour 61. The shipyard debuted the Dufour 41 at last September’s Cannes Yachting Festival and followed up with the Dufour 44, which is available in an electric version (as are the Dufour 470 and Dufour 530).

Like the Dufour 41, the Dufour 44 features an exterior by Umberto Felci of Felci Yacht Design and an interior by Luca Ardizio of Ardizio Design, with an extra emphasis on beam and interior volume. The yacht has an overall length of 45ft based on a 43ft-long hull with a beam of over 14ft 7in.

Umberto Felci said: “The objective was to create a spacious outdoor living area, resulting in a proportionally larger cockpit compared to her predecessor of the same size. Our focus was on integrating elements from the Dufour 470 and Dufour 530, emphasising fluid communication in the cockpit, facilitating easy passage to the deck and optimising the overall length of the boat. We’ve also taken successful elements from the Dufour 41 while introducing new features.”

On deck, the area between the helm stations and the two winches has been enlarged to make sail manoeuvring easier. At anchor, guests can enjoy bench sofas either side of the central folding table and can move around freely around the plancha grill aft due to the new double access to the fold-down swim platform, which has also been expanded.

Down below, the saloon features a new hexagonal table that can seat up to 10 guests with the use of movable stools, while the galley can either occupy the starboard side or be set up forward, allowing for the addition of a starboard sofa.

The yacht has two double cabins aft, with the day head starboard of the stairs and the shower room to port. Forward is the option of either two en-suite cabins or an owner’s suite, which has an island bed, en-suite bathroom, separate shower room, hanging and overhead lockers, skylights and hull windows.

Romain Lucat, Director of the Dufour design office, said: “The Dufour 44 represents an exciting challenge where the search for volume and cohesion in the range combines with the innovative integration of solar panels, highlighting our commitment to sustainability. Our collaboration with architect Umberto Felci and interior designer Luca Ardizio ensures a balance between functionality, aesthetics and performance.

“Optimising the interior space, taking into account new technologies and customising with four distinct versions make the Dufour 44 an exceptional creation, offering optimal outdoor living and remarkable sailing performance.”

Dufour’s dealers in Asia include VP Yachts (Hong Kong), Yacht Sourcing (Indonesia), Omnia Marine (China), Taiwan Service Company (Taiwan), Active Marine (Japan) and Ige Yachts (Korea).

www.dufour-yachts.com