Review of Dufour 40E
Basic specs.
If you have a photo you would like to share: Upload Image
Looking for a new boat? Find a Dufour 40E or similar boat for sale
The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
The hull is a double hull which improves the indoor climate. Especially when the water is colder than the air in the cabin, then the double hull insulates against cold water and reduce the condense water in the cabin.
The boat is equipped with 6-8 berths and 360.0 liter fresh water capacity.
The Dufour 40E is equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.
Fin keel
The Dufour 40E is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.
The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.10 - 2.20 meter (6.89 - 7.19 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for Dufour 40E is 1.97, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.
Dufour 40E holds a CE certification:
The boat is by European Union certified as Class A. OCEAN:The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for Dufour 40E is about 321 kg/cm, alternatively 1802 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 321 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 1802 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for Dufour 40E is 3.17.
The ballast ratio for Dufour 40E is 30%.
What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?
The SA/D for Dufour 40E with ISO 8666 reference sail is 17.9, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 20.6.
Maintenance
Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.
Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 37.2 m | (122.0 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 37.2 m | (122.0 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 37.2 m | (122.0 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 12.3 m | (40.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 12.3 m | (40.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 30.9 m | (101.3 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 27.2 m | (89.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Cunningham | 5.5 m | (17.9 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 10.9 m | (35.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 10.9 m | (35.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.
Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.
We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Dufour 40E it would be a great help.
If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.