Dufour Prestige 48

Description

The Dufour 48 Prestige is a French sailboat designed by Jean Berret as a spacious performance cruiser-racer, suited for coastal cruising, club racing, and occasional offshore passages. It features a fiberglass monohull with a fin keel and spade rudder for agile upwind handling, a wide beam for stability, and a masthead sloop rig providing strong sail power in moderate winds. The design balances speed (high sail area/displacement ratio for acceleration) with comfort (moderate displacement/length for a stable ride), making it ideal for families or couples seeking luxury without sacrificing performance. Introduced in 1992 by Dufour Yachts in La Rochelle, France, the Dufour 48 Prestige was part of the builder's prestige line of larger yachts during the early 1990s, a period of growth in bluewater cruising designs amid the fiberglass production surge. Designed by the acclaimed Jean Berret of Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design (known for fast racers like the X-Yachts series), it emphasized hand-laid construction and foam-core hulls for lightweight strength. Production was limited to 1992–1995 (exact numbers unknown, estimated <50 units), reflecting Dufour's focus on custom-quality builds rather than mass output. It was succeeded by models like the Dufour 48 Classic,