Nicolas Berenger, Dufour’s Sales & Product Director and an experienced offshore sailor, outlines the development of the French builder’s new, high-volume models and his hopes for the brand in Asia.
Interview: John Higginson; Photos: Dufour, VP Yachts & Boot Dusseldorf

Nicolas Berenger (far right), Kevin Corfa (second right), Dufour’s Head of Asia, and dealers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan at the Dufour 41’s Asia premiere

Dufour’s 60th anniversary celebrations started at Boot Dusseldorf with the world premiere of the Dufour 44, so where does this yacht fit among the brand’s updated portfolio?

The current renewal of the range started with the Dufour 530, which debuted at Boot in 2020. However, the first product from under the umbrella of the new management team was the Dufour 470, which was the first boat with the chine that runs the length of the hull below the sheerline. It’s a very specific silhouette.

On the 470, we also introduced a step in-between the helm and the bench to facilitate the circulation on board. We really wanted people to be able to circulate. We had the image of kids running on the deck and jumping in the water, coming back and running again. This is the nature of the boat we wanted to develop.

The Dufour 470 introduced a chine that runs the length of the hull below the sheerline

The Dufour 44 sits in the middle of Dufour’s range of nine models and is a good mix of the 470, which is not a flagship but a big boat, as well as two recent launches, the 37 and 41, which are smaller but not small. We learned a lot from the 470 and then the 37 and 41. I think the 44 has all the advantages, such as the same silhouette, the same kind of performance and sail capacity.

You also have this good circulation on board because you have double access from the back, a bigger aft platform, plus the step in-between the helm and the bench. Also, the side decks are huge – we even had that comment by one of our competitors visiting the boat. Even if we sacrificed a lot of things for the outside, we’re very surprised to have such a big volume inside.

The 44 is also the second Dufour with an interior by Luca Ardizio of Ardizio Design.

We started our collaboration with Luca on the Dufour 41, so we learned how to work with him along with [Umberto] Felci, because everything is linked together. For example, Umberto wants the boat to sail well so may want a narrower hull, but at the same time Luca wants more space inside, so it’s all linked. On the 41, we all learned how to work together and improve our product, and the 44 is a more mature boat because of those learnings.

The Dufour 44 (on right) was a world premiere at Boot Dusseldorf this year

Do the beam and volume inside the 41 and 44 distinguish them from their predecessors?

The 470 was the first step. The previous generation of boats were a bit narrow, and we even saw offshore racing boats getting wider. I’m from this world along with others at Dufour, so we knew it was a good thing. At the same time, our clients sometimes use their engines, if it’s too windy or if there are big waves. We were confident in adding a big bow, but we wanted to keep some wave-crossing capacity.

Proportionally, we probably reached the maximum beam on the 37 for its hull size. Because she’s short, she has a ratio of volume in front that’s bigger than the other ones. We reduced that ratio on the 41 and then again on the 44, because we had enough space inside, and we think the compromise was even better.

Personally, what catches your eye on the Dufour 44?

It’s a very specific silhouette. When I travel, I always try to look at all the boats and you can immediately identify a Dufour because it has a very specific silhouette. And I really like Umberto Felci’s drawing and design, which is very clever, very well balanced. It creates a nice atmosphere.

The Dufour 44 features an exterior by Felci Yacht Design, which has designed for Dufour since 2002

I like the shapes below the waterline, as it’s convex instead of concave, so it helps to cross waves and to reduce the noise. I think the boats are a little bigger in front because the designs are more recent, so we’ve been able to explore a new way of creating volume. I think we’re a little bit ahead of everyone in that respect.

What options have clients been choosing?

We have a lot of discussions with them because we offer two different galleys, one forward and one along the starboard side. When we developed the boat, I wanted the forward-galley option even though I didn’t think it would sell well.

I thought it might be too small or not have enough storage, so only a few per cent of clients would choose it, but people who have seen it are very excited about it. Some said they’re cooking outside most of the time because we offer a real outdoor galley.

The Dufour 44 is the brand’s second model to feature an interior by Ardizio Design

We even see that some people use the boat without cooking. On one hand, I have lots of examples in Australia, US and France of owners spending days, weeks, months sailing around on their boat, but we also have some dealers who said a boat comes back after one year and the galley hasn’t been touched, whether the owners just go day sailing, eat at restaurants or cook outside.

Because the forward galley’s a little bit smaller, you have more social space and can have a facing sofa, so people can lie down, speak with each other and create a yacht club ambiance. It suits some people, but most people who sail for long periods or distances typically choose the larger galley along the side.

Like the Dufour 530 and 470, is the Dufour 44 available in an electric version?

We’re now able to offer electric versions of most of the range, although we’re just fine-tuning some details. An example is on the 37, where we’re working on how to install the generator in the back of the boat despite the limited space and include enough room to be able to service it.

The 530 kicked off Dufour’s latest generation of models by Umberto Felci

Within the Fountaine Pajot group, we’re developing our own alternative energy solutions for our brands. The solution is based on each model, and we have the electric motors and batteries we need.

We also have the propellers we need for the shape of our hulls. The propeller is very important in the solution because of efficient propulsion but also because you need the same propeller to regenerate electricity, so it needs to be the right shape.

How much demand is there for the electric versions of Dufour models?

People are asking for it, while we’re also promoting the option as part of the group’s plan and journey to become carbon neutral. It’s very important for us, but we see a growing demand anyway. Speaking with my sales team, they said that at the Cannes Yachting Festival last September, there weren’t so many requesting electric. However, at Boot Dusseldorf this year, maybe over 50 per cent of visitors were asking for the electric motors. It’s really growing fast.

The Dufour 37 debuted at Cannes in 2022 and features large volumes in a 32ft 9in hull with a 12ft 6in beam

It’s still new technology, so we decided to reduce the number of electric versions we’ll deliver this year, to make sure it all works well. We’re delivering 10 units of the electric Dufour 530 to Dream Yacht Charter, with the first to be delivered in September. We also had a Dufour 470 with electric engines sailing all last summer. We need feedback first before pushing the option hard in every market.

What led to Dufour’s appointment as the exclusive supplier of monohull sailing yachts to Sunsail and The Moorings from 2024?

In French, we say l’alignement des planetes, so ‘the alignment of the planets’ or the stars aligned. They wanted to see if there was something else on the market, so they looked around and saw several brands, including in France and Germany. When we hosted them at the factory, we opened our book and showed them what we were developing and our plans for the next three to four years.

The three-cabin Dufour 41 will double as the Sunsail 41.3

We were transparent with them – and they were transparent with us. We had some honest, frank discussions about upcoming designs. We learnt a lot and it was very fruitful. We’re on the same page. We have lots of common pillars and they’re aligned with us on the carbon-neutrality journey, so it appeared quite natural to work together.

Does the appointment by such big charter companies affect your designs?

No. It was very important for us that one client would not impact the full range. About 50 per cent of Dufour orders are by private owners, with 50 per cent from charter companies. We make sure our boats respond to all demands, which is why we have two types of galley, three or four cabins, and several other options.

A premiere at last September’s Cannes Yachting Festival, the Dufour 41 is expected at this year’s Singapore Yachting Festival

Model choices include rigging options and deck layouts or ‘versions’, such as Easy with two winches, Ocean for serious sailors with six winches (on the 44), and Performance with a longer boom. We can’t answer every single demand, but in our head, the private owner is our priority client, our first target.

How do you view the current global market for sailing boats?

Today, the market is low everywhere, but I feel we have a good base and I believe we’re gaining some market share. We’re the only shipyard to have renewed our full range, so creating new models helps to sell.

Dufour’s flagship 61 is lined up for the 2024 Singapore Yachting Festival

Like everyone else, we’ve increased our price, but we try to be at a fair level. Even when our prices increased, so has the quality of the boat. We put a lot more things inside the new boats including storage and details that weren’t there before. We’ve developed in terms of design and quality, so I think our boats are priced correctly and offer good value.

Since 2018, Kevin Corfa has overseen Fountaine Pajot and Dufour in Asia, where you attended the Asia premiere of the Dufour 41 by VP Yachts at the Hong Kong International Boat Show in December, before The Yacht Sales Co displayed the flagship 61 at this year’s Thailand International Boat Show in Phuket and Singapore Yachting Festival.

We initially appointed The Yacht Sales Co as Dufour’s dealer for Australia and they’re growing, so we’ve since expanded their scope to include New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. In the past (under sister company Multihull Solutions), they already proved they were very good when selling Fountaine Pajot, which is why we decided to work with them. When they entered the market with us, we immediately saw a growth in sales.

Kevin Corfa, Dufour’s Head of Asia, and Nicolas Berenger, Dufour’s Sales & Product Director

They’re super active, super good in marketing and super good in servicing boats. All the customers we have in Australia are very happy with the service, which is a big plus point for us. Also, the team give us a lot of feedback because their market is a little bit different, so we try to adapt a bit for them. I really trust them. They’re strong, very positive and very pro-active, so I don’t see why they won’t keep growing in other markets.

Where else in this region is Dufour doing well and where else can it grow?

Japan is already a strong market for us, and our dealer Active Marine is selling a lot of Dufour 37s. I think they could also sell the 41, but I don’t know if boats much bigger than that will sell well there.

Taiwan is very active. We have a very good dealer with Sofia and Peter of Taiwan Marine Service Company. I think they can build something very strong for the brand. It’s a good market for us because people there are willing to learn sailing and start racing at a fun club level. I think Dufour fits well with the Taiwan market. Mainland China has potential but is a difficult market now.

Corfa, Berenger, Vivian Chan (fourth left) and her VP Yachts team; Chan also runs Sun Hing Shipyard, Dufour’s service centre for North Asia

We should grow in Hong Kong, where VP Yachts is our dealer and runs our North Asia service centre at the Sun Hing Shipyard. When I was in Hong Kong, I could see there was a market, even if it’s very geared around club racing. We need to find a setup where we can adapt ourselves to that market, which is very interesting. I think we can gain some market share there.

Most of the cargo ships to Asia arrive in Hong Kong, so it could be one of our main distribution points and Vivian [Chan of VP Yachts] is very good at working with other markets like Taiwan and Japan. We had long discussions with all the dealers when we were in Hong Kong, so I think we’re at the beginning of a new story in Asia.

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