Dufour 31 Tall Rig
Description
The Dufour 31 Tall Rig is a variant of the classic French coastal cruiser-racer, designed for weekend family sailing, club racing, and short passages on lakes or protected waters. It features a fiberglass monohull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for balanced handling and protection, a masthead sloop rig optimized for light-air performance via its taller proportions, and a practical interior with good headroom for its era. The design emphasizes seaworthiness, simplicity, and efficient space use, with a moderate displacement/length ratio for responsive yet stable motion in 10–20 knot winds. Introduced in 1973 by Dufour Yachts in La Rochelle, France, the Dufour 31 was the work of founder Michel Dufour, who drew on his experience with earlier models like the Sylphe and Arpège to create an affordable, versatile 30-footer for the post-oil-crisis market. Production ran until around 1982, with approximately 900 units built, making it one of Dufour's early bestsellers that helped establish the brand's reputation for solid GRP construction and value. The Tall Rig variant, available from the outset, addressed demands for better sail-carrying power in variable winds, particularly for Mediterranean or lake sailors.
Construction Details
| Designer | Michel Dufour |
|---|---|
| Builder | Dufour Yachts |
| Length | 30.830 ft |
| LOA | 30.830 ft |
| LWL | 23.000 ft |
| Beam | 10.500 ft |
| Displacement | 9600 lb |
| Ballast | 3696 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.670 ft |
| Year Built | 1973 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 41.27 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.97 ft |
| p | 36.90 ft |
| e | 10.20 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41.27 ft | 11.97 ft | 36.90 ft | 10.20 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Dufour 31 Tall Rig - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 36.9 ft - (11247 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10.2 ft - (3109 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.74 ft - (11503 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 37.94 ft - (11564 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 194.08 ft² |
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Dufour 31 Tall Rig - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 34.38 ft - (10479 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.62 ft - (4761 mm) |
| Leech | * 30.31 ft - (9238 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.77 ft - (4197 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 236.67 ft² |
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Dufour 31 Tall Rig - GENOA
| Luff | 39.75 ft - (12116 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 16.67 ft - (5081 mm) |
| Leech | 37.25 ft - (11354 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.16 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.58 ft - (4749 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.62 ° |
| Area | * 309.74 ft² |
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Dufour 31 Tall Rig - GENOA
| Luff | * 40.82 ft - (12442 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.13 ft - (5831 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.66 ft - (11784 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.96 ft - (5474 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.96 ° |
| Area | * 366.58 ft² |
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Dufour 31 Tall Rig - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 40.82 ft - (12442 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.75 ft - (6020 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.55 ft - (11445 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 605 ft² |
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Dufour 31 Tall Rig - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 40.82 ft - (12442 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 21.55 ft - (6568 mm) |
| Foot | * 21.55 ft - (6568 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 748 ft² |
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Dufour 31 Tall Rig - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 23.63 ft - (7202 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 8.78 ft - (2676 mm) |
| Leech | * 19.92 ft - (6072 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 59.98 % |
| Length Perp | * 7.18 ft - (2188 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 18.94 ° |
| Area | * 84.86 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.