Dufour 56
Description
The Dufour 56 is a French luxury performance sailing yacht designed by Umberto Felci (Felci Yacht Design) as a spacious coastal cruiser-racer, ideal for family bluewater cruising, charter operations, and occasional offshore passages. It features a fiberglass monohull with a fin keel and spade rudder for agile upwind handling, an extended beam for exceptional stability and interior volume, and a fractional sloop rig for responsive sail trim and strong light-air performance. The design emphasizes lightweight yet robust construction for quick acceleration, a moderate displacement/length ratio for balanced motion, and a high ballast ratio for stiffness in gusts, with a comfort ratio classifying it as a capable ocean-crosser. Introduced in 2017 by Dufour Yachts in La Rochelle, France, the Dufour 56 was the flagship of the updated Grand Large range, evolving from the award-winning Dufour 560 (2015 Cruising World Boat of the Year) to incorporate larger-yacht luxuries like expansive cockpits and customizable interiors in a sub-60 ft package. Conceived during Dufour's mid-2010s focus on blending Italian aesthetics with French engineering, it targets affluent couples or families seeking shorthanded ease and style. Production continues as of 2025, with over 100 units built, praised in reviews for its "smooth cruiser" qualities that offer "style and substance" without compromising speed.
Construction Details
| Designer | Umberto Felci |
|---|---|
| Builder | Dufour Yachts |
| Length | 56.250 ft |
| LOA | 56.250 ft |
| LWL | 52.330 ft |
| Beam | 16.540 ft |
| Displacement | 38580 lb |
| Ballast | 11023 lb |
| Max Draft | 8.200 ft |
| Year Built | 2017 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 73.86 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 18.54 ft |
| p | 67.95 ft |
| e | 19.69 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73.86 ft | 18.54 ft | 67.95 ft | 19.69 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Dufour 56 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 67.95 ft - (20711 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.69 ft - (6002 mm) |
| Leech | * 69.81 ft - (21278 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 70.08 ft - (21360 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 683.28 ft² |
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Dufour 56 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 60.92 ft - (18568 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.74 ft - (7236 mm) |
| Leech | * 54.8 ft - (16703 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.99 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.32 ft - (6498 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 649.47 ft² |
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Dufour 56 - GENOA
| Luff | * 72.34 ft - (22049 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 29.26 ft - (8918 mm) |
| Leech | * 69.09 ft - (21059 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 27.81 ft - (8476 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 1005.91 ft² |
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Dufour 56 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 72.34 ft - (22049 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 30.59 ft - (9324 mm) |
| Leech | * 66.55 ft - (20284 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1660 ft² |
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Dufour 56 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 72.34 ft - (22049 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 33.37 ft - (10171 mm) |
| Foot | * 33.37 ft - (10171 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 2052 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.