Dufour 512 Grand Large: Yacht Review

The latest 50-foot offering from the French Dufour brand not only exudes a high-quality feel, but a luxuriously sized deck and interior places her firmly in the luxury-class.

OVERVIEW
- Enlarged by name and nature
The Dufour 512 Grand Large is certainly an impressive yacht and one that builds on the success of the previous 500 Grand Large model that achieved 140 sales.

The updated model is strongly influenced by the solo around-the-world races with features like a fixed bowsprit that can fly an asymmetrical spinnaker.

The upward angled boom from a low gooseneck is another solo-race idea that makes it easier to reach the mainsail. It also makes the Dufour 512 safer to sail offshore.

The race-boat pedigree is evident in the  powerful hull with wide transom and hull chines. This big Dufour maximises waterline, and hence speed with a straight-edge bow and stern.

A modern  swept-back rig with shroud chainplates anchored out to the gunwales confirms she will be easy to handle offshore, too.

Dockside, you notice the spacious deck with plenty of places for sunbaking and room for guests to move about. A massive T-shaped cockpit can easily host 12 guests whilst you're out sailing.

The cockpit incorporates an electric opening transom, which is ideal for stern docking in the Med’ fashion or enjoying a swim in a cove somewhere, while down below is an innovative galley-forward open-plan layout.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Good value for a maxi performance cruising yacht
The base price of the Dufour 512 GL starts at $550,000 commissioned and ready to sail ex-Sydney. That seems very good value considering the size and the build quality of the yacht.

Our test boat included an A La Carte option package that includes items like the Jet thrusters, Panda 8000i Generator, 60-litre water maker, Fusion/Bose sound system, Raymarine autopilot and radar.

She also has the optional Grand Prix pack with 1.4m taller mast and performance-level sails instead of standard Dacron.

Price as tested ex-Sydney was $656,000 fully commissioned and ready to sail away including antifouling and dock lines.  

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- Innovation and lifestyle enhancements
Dufour has made the cockpit a truly social location by adding an outdoor cooking centre. This includes a fridge and sink in the cockpit table console and a gas BBQ in the rear transom seat.

If friends are staying aboard overnight there's more than the usual 'broom-cupboard' guest cabin. This yacht has three luxury-sized en-suite double-berth sleeping cabs to choose from.

Meantime, this new 50-footer exudes an elegance about her that only comes from a very high quality finish. That's real teak decking in the cockpit and below the interior features a very attractive oak panel finish with tastefully matched, expensive upholstery.

There is definitely a stylish look about the Dufour 512 GL that's directly be attributed to her Italian naval architect, Umberto Felci. The Italian touch is very evident in the low, aerodynamic cabin blending superbly with the modern-styled hull.

According to her Australian agent, Dufour is currently the number one European yacht brand with a 400 boat annual output. Not surprisingly it's a very popular marque in Italy where they know a thing or two about style and quality!

But with this new model, Dufour has done something very different which I suspect many yachties are going to love. They've moved the galley amidships, ahead of the main saloon dining area. The galley floor is also one step down from the saloon so all the mess of cooking is not in the face of the guests so to speak.

As you descend below there's a very clean, classy saloon finished in a modern oak with an attractive coral fabric upholstery. It's all very tasteful with a soft cream overhead liner and darker timber floor panels. Skylight hatches add natural lighting, however at night the saloon comes into its elegant best shown off by floor and overhead spot lights.

The saloon has a large settee lounge to starboard and equally comfortable dinette to port with outboard seating. The latter accommodates six to eight dinner guests. There's also a navigation table and seat on the starboard side with a large house instrument panel outboard. I love the clearly marked and large seaman-like switches.
The galley spreads across the boat and has a U-shaped cooking/food preparation zone with large sink, Corian bench top and 3-burner oven/stove. To starboard are a double draw fridge/freezer and more bench space. It's galley that's going to work well on offshore trips as well because you can wedge yourself in.

The master cabin is for'ard with an impressive island berth and en-suit bathroom split over two compartments. There is plenty of stowage here in two clothes lockers, roll-out bed drawer and side upper-level lockers.

Guests can choose from two double-berth staterooms either side of the companionway. Both have decent-size bathrooms with showers, though the port one has dual doors so it can be a general guest toilet/washroom as well.

Luxury refinements include a 32-inch slide-away TV on the starboard side of the saloon and electric-flush toilets. There's also an Espresso machine in the galley.
Back on deck, I was pleased to have the optional canvas dodger to take some of the chill off the winter day. There are also comfortable cushions for the cockpit seats plus something that would be brilliant on a quiet Sydney winter days….

The portside cockpit seat has a fold-up flap that turns it into a large sun bed, protected from the wind. With the flap upright it becomes snug day berth for offshore sailing.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Designed and engineered for bluewater sailing
Dufour became one of the pioneers of fibreglass mass-production after Michael Dufour launched the brand in 1964. The company has stayed faithfully to its core market of offshore cruiser/racer yachts ever since.

Dufour's willingness in the last few years to invest in new models across the Grand Large and Special range has seen its popularity soar.
Certainly the emphasis on a wholesome offshore boat is very evident in this yacht with its hand-laminated, polyester/GRP hull. It has a vacuum-bonded foam sandwich core. Floors are all laminated into the hull and keel bolts bear onto massive stainless steel backing plates. There's also an epoxy barrier against osmosis and all the deck gear is strong and the best available.

There's a lot more for bluewater sailors to like such as the tape-drive headsail furling line that won't jam-up like conventional rope systems. Also, there's a removal inner forestay which is handy when setting a storm sail, plus optional self-tacker headsail.

Some of the other examples of a real bluewater yacht are the rounded furniture corners in the cabin and the stainless steel bow strip protector.

Admittedly this model misses out on a dedicated dinghy garage but there is a transom locker big enough to stow a folded inflatable plus 9.9hp outboard.

ON-WATER TEST
- Strong performance in light airs
As I boarded the Dufour 512 at Darling Harbour, I could see a vintage steam yacht in the background. The dramatic contrast between the old and the new became apparent as we left the dock.

That timber yacht would need a few lusty lads to get a big craft out of her berth. However, Dufour agent, Matt Hayes, had our modern beauty out of the berth and about face within seconds thanks to her bow and stern Jet thrusters.

Under the auxiliary power of our Volvo 110hp saildrive diesel, the Dufour 512 slipped along easily at 9 knots. The sound-proofing of the engine compartment is such you hardly hear the motor running, which only adds to the enjoyment of a late afternoon cruise.

Once past ‘The House’ we had the sails up quickly. With the mainsail stowed on the boom within a lazy-jack bag and the genoa on a roller furler, it's all ready to go.

Having electric T45 halyard and T55 sheet winches certainly helps to make the job easy when you have such big sails.

Mainsheet and genoa sheets lead back to electric winches alongside the twin steering wheels so it's dead easy to trim the sails from the helm. A set of rope clutches and a German-style double-ended mainsheet means you can trim either the headsail, or mainsail while steering.

With a second set of sheet winches within the cockpit you could easily handle the big asymmetrical spinnaker that's designed for the Dufour 512. I can only imagine the spinnaker would turbo-charge her performance and it would add to the enjoyment of sailing her offshore.

Our test sail was limited by a fading breeze and winter light, however, it was pleasing to see the Dufour 512 making the most of these conditions. In a light 5-11 knot WNW breeze we were doing an upwind speed of 5-7.2 knots and on a beam reach 5-7.5 knots.
In such light airs, it's sensible to tack downwind rather than try and run square. In this fashion we headed down harbour before sailing upwind past the Naval Base and towards the Opera House.

Not even the chill of a winter breeze could take away the pleasure of sailing this big Dufour. With each gust she heeled gently and accelerated nicely, moving through the water in the smooth, untroubled fashion only big yachts deliver.

It was only after I hopped onto our RIB photo-boat did it become apparent how turbulent and lumpy this stretch of the harbour is with all the ferry wakes.

Aboard the Dufour 512 Grand Large you simply aren't troubled by harbour waters and she sails on serenely, ideally, somewhere up or down the coast to a dream destination.

VERDICT
- Proven pedigree, fresh design and classy finishes
This is a French yacht with a proven pedigree that will appeal to those sailors looking for a large but easy-to-handle yacht for offshore cruising.

She also has enough turn of speed to do quite well in fun regattas, or that local twilight race, while the classy layout and fresh design would be especially nice to live with over an extended time.

LIKES
>>  Spacious cockpit and on-deck cooking option
>> Very elegant saloon and galley amidships
>> Bow and stern thrusters

NOT SO MUCH
>> Needs weather cover over cockpit engine controls
>> No dedicated dinghy garage

Specifications: Dufour 512 Grand Large
Overall Length: 15.20m
Waterline: 13.67m
Hull Beam: 4.80m
Draft: 2.30m
Displacement: 15,245kg
Keel Weight: 4042kg
Water Tankage: 720lt
Fuel Tankage: 500lt
Engine: 75hp Volvo Diesel
Optional power: 110hp Volvo Diesel
Working Sail Area: 100.8sq m

Supplied by:
Performance Cruising Yachts,
2 Murray St
Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW.
Phone (02) 9281 4422
More at Performance Cruising Yachts.