Dufour 29 Souveraine
Description
The Dufour 29 Souveraine is a French sailboat designed by Michel Dufour as a seaworthy coastal cruiser-racer, suitable for family day sailing, weekend overnights, and club racing on lakes or protected waters. It features a fiberglass monohull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for balanced handling and protection, a wide beam for stability, and a masthead sloop rig for straightforward sail management and good upwind performance in moderate winds. The design prioritizes durability with a moderate displacement/length ratio for stable yet responsive motion and a high ballast ratio for stiffness in gusts. Introduced in 1975 by Dufour Yachts in La Rochelle, France, the Dufour 29 Souveraine was Michel Dufour's evolution of his early fiberglass cruisers like the Arpège, targeting the mid-1970s demand for affordable, versatile 30-footers during the fiberglass production boom. Production ran until 1984, with approximately 500 units built, reflecting its popularity as a value-oriented family yacht. Contemporary reviews praised its "solid construction and easy handling," noting its racecourse competitiveness and seaworthiness for coastal passages. It's distinct from the later 2003 Dufour 29 (a short-run Felci design) and remains a vintage favorite for restoration.
Construction Details
| Designer | Michel Dufour |
|---|---|
| Builder | Dufour Yachts |
| Length | 29.330 ft |
| LOA | 29.330 ft |
| LWL | 25.080 ft |
| Beam | 9.670 ft |
| Displacement | 7250 lb |
| Ballast | 2645 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.250 ft |
| Year Built | 1975 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 35.73 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.52 ft |
| p | 30.83 ft |
| e | 10.33 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35.73 ft | 11.52 ft | 30.83 ft | 10.33 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Dufour 29 Souveraine - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 30.83 ft - (9397 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10.33 ft - (3149 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.96 ft - (9741 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 32.17 ft - (9805 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 164.12 ft² |
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Dufour 29 Souveraine - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 30.03 ft - (9153 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.28 ft - (4657 mm) |
| Leech | * 26.04 ft - (7937 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.25 ft - (4039 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 198.93 ft² |
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Dufour 29 Souveraine - GENOA
| Luff | * 35.66 ft - (10869 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.62 ft - (5675 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.52 ft - (10217 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.28 ft - (5267 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 308.09 ft² |
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Dufour 29 Souveraine - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 35.66 ft - (10869 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.01 ft - (5794 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.81 ft - (10000 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 508 ft² |
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Dufour 29 Souveraine - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 35.66 ft - (10869 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 20.74 ft - (6322 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.74 ft - (6322 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 629 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.