I sailed the cruising version of this boat offshore from Narragansett Bay to Annapolis and found it to be a moderately priced, nicely put together cruiser with plenty of accommodations, decent performance, and the strength to go ocean-sailing. The Dufour is a solidly built boat, with recognizably European styling. Construction is solid fiberglass below the waterline, with NPG gelcoat to retard osmosis. Above the waterline, Dufour sandwiches fiberglass around high-density PVC foam. Layup is by hand and vacuum-bagged.
Decks are standard balsa core.
The deck and hull are joined with Sikaflex 221 and screws that are tapped through the toerail into wood backing that is glassed into an inward turned flange. Dufour stands by its construction with a 10-year limited warranty on the structural integrity of the hull and supporting stringer system. Also, the boat comes with a 10-year warranty against blistering on all underwater surfaces except the keel and rudder. Both warranties are transferable to owners only with the express permission of Dufour. The mast base isn't pinned.