Class CHeavy displacementCruiser/Racer

Dufour 34 (Dufour)

Dufour · Michel Dufour · 1974

Updated

The Dufour 34 (Dufour) is a 10.28 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by Michel Dufour and built by Dufour, first launched in 1974. It races in Class C.

Dufour 34 (Dufour) - Michel Dufour - DufourP 11.68 mLOA 10.28 m

Length

10.28 m

33′ 9″

Beam

3.27 m

Draft

1.87 m

Displacement

5.8 t

Sail area

60 m²

This design does not carry a Race Edge. The speeds below still come from measured boats.

On the podium

Where a Dufour 34 (Dufour) finishes when she goes racing.

On the podium

3%

of 97 starts by 2 boats

Wins

0%

Wins0%0
Seconds3%3
Thirds0%0
Off the podium97%94

Read from 97 starts by 2 boats between 2018 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.

Recent regattas

The latest events where a Dufour 34 (Dufour) was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.

  • Greece9ο Κυπελλο Καλλιθεας2026
  • Greece"Αγκιστρι 2026"2026
  • Greece43ος Ιστιοπλοικος Αγωνας Κορφος ΄262026
  • Greece"Νικολαος Σαρικαβαζης 2026"2026
  • Greece"Επιδαυρος 2024"2026

Raced one we are missing?

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Round the buoys, or offshore

A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.

Round the buoys

—

Not enough data yet: 3 races of 10 NM or less carry a published distance.

Offshore & coastal

3%

of these races end on the podium

94 races over 10 NM

Who she races against

The designs a Dufour 34 (Dufour) actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.

This design aheadRival ahead
Atlantic 3128%ahead in 36 of 130 meetings, 67 races
Dufour 3028%ahead in 29 of 105 meetings, 62 races
Discovery 30026%ahead in 25 of 96 meetings, 61 races
Moody 3436%ahead in 27 of 74 meetings, 58 races
Nereis 3033%ahead in 21 of 64 meetings, 54 races
First 35 (Berret)26%ahead in 19 of 74 meetings, 53 races
Dufour 32520%ahead in 12 of 61 meetings, 52 racesalmost always behind
First 31.72%ahead in 1 of 55 meetings, 48 racesalmost always behind
Bavaria Holiday 357%ahead in 6 of 88 meetings, 46 racesalmost always behind
Gin Fizz35%ahead in 28 of 79 meetings, 44 races
Oceanis 39337%ahead in 26 of 71 meetings, 44 races
Sun Shine 3628%ahead in 14 of 50 meetings, 43 races
Bavaria 3614%ahead in 7 of 49 meetings, 41 racesalmost always behind
First 30 (Berret)2%ahead in 1 of 45 meetings, 40 racesalmost always behind
Oceanis 38143%ahead in 20 of 47 meetings, 39 races
Feeling 92025%ahead in 10 of 40 meetings, 38 races
Hanse 31540%ahead in 17 of 42 meetings, 38 races
Sun Fast 372%ahead in 1 of 40 meetings, 35 racesalmost always behind
Carter 375%ahead in 2 of 40 meetings, 34 racesalmost always behind
Sun Odyssey 4018%ahead in 7 of 40 meetings, 33 racesalmost always behind
First 45 (Farr)19%ahead in 7 of 36 meetings, 32 racesalmost always behind
First 3815%ahead in 8 of 53 meetings, 31 racesalmost always behind
Dromor 2618%ahead in 9 of 51 meetings, 29 racesalmost always behind
Elan 4513%ahead in 4 of 31 meetings, 28 racesalmost always behind
Feeling 10927%ahead in 9 of 33 meetings, 27 races
Sun Odyssey 45.119%ahead in 6 of 31 meetings, 27 racesalmost always behind
Grand Soleil 34 (Finot)14%ahead in 4 of 29 meetings, 26 racesalmost always behind
Bavaria 3131%ahead in 10 of 32 meetings, 26 races
Dufour 39021%ahead in 6 of 29 meetings, 26 races
First 283%ahead in 1 of 29 meetings, 26 racesalmost always behind
Sun Odyssey 33.118%ahead in 6 of 34 meetings, 25 racesalmost always behind
Catalina 32021%ahead in 6 of 28 meetings, 25 races
Grand Soleil 37 (Design)0%ahead in 0 of 26 meetings, 24 racesalmost always behind
Triton 4823%ahead in 8 of 35 meetings, 24 races
Elan 3445%ahead in 13 of 29 meetings, 24 races
Dehler 38 (Stadt)8%ahead in 2 of 26 meetings, 23 racesalmost always behind
Sun Odyssey 34.217%ahead in 6 of 35 meetings, 22 racesalmost always behind
Grand Soleil 39 (Jézéquel)4%ahead in 1 of 24 meetings, 22 racesalmost always behind
Sun Odyssey 33 (Andrieu)42%ahead in 10 of 24 meetings, 22 races
Feeling 3916%ahead in 4 of 25 meetings, 22 racesalmost always behind

Some of the boats it races against

How the Dufour 34 (Dufour) has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.

Dufour 34 (Dufour) vs Atlantic 31ahead 28% of 130 head-to-heads
Dufour 34 (Dufour) vs Dufour 30ahead 28% of 105 head-to-heads
Dufour 34 (Dufour) vs Discovery 300ahead 26% of 96 head-to-heads
Dufour 34 (Dufour) vs Bavaria Holiday 35ahead 7% of 88 head-to-heads
Dufour 34 (Dufour) vs Gin Fizzahead 35% of 79 head-to-heads

Speed at every angle

The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.

3630°60°90°120°150°WIND8.0

Upwind VMG

4.48

40°

Beam reach

7.28

90°

Broad reach

7.88

135°

Downwind VMG

6.69

170°

Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.

Where it wins and where it pays

Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.

There is no obvious weak spot here. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.

Where it gains

Its best ground is on a reach in moderate air, where it goes better than its measurements say it should, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage on a broad reach as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.

Where it pays

It falls short cracked off once it pipes up, giving away time it never gets back. That is weight that has to be driven rather than released.

Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.

True wind
Upwind-0.00 kn
Beam reach+0.23 kn
Broad reach+0.15 kn
Downwind-0.01 kn

Full width is 0.4 kn either way.

At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the beam reach.

How fast is a Dufour 34 (Dufour)

Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.

Angle6 kn10 kn14 kn20 kn
Beat VMG2.873.934.404.48
52°4.425.806.366.49
60°4.666.026.546.71
75°4.826.206.727.03
90°4.836.426.917.28
110°4.936.547.177.80
120°4.776.447.148.00
135°4.296.086.937.88
150°3.665.426.517.34
Run VMG3.174.705.706.69

How they are set up

The range each sail spans across the fleet.

Mainsail24 m² – 25 m²
Headsail33 m² – 39 m²
Gennaker72 m² – 77 m²

Most run a fixed propeller. A bowsprit is standard across the fleet. Crew weight is declared around 420 kg.

Rigging

Dufour 34 (Dufour) rig and sail dimensions

A Dufour 34 (Dufour) carries 11.68 m of mainsail hoist on a 3.49 m boom, a forestay 13.11 m above the deck and a 4.19 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 3 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.

Rig

Mainsail hoistP11.68 m11.66 – 11.70
Boom lengthE3.49 m3.47 – 3.51
Forestay heightIG13.11 m12.98 – 13.23
Fore triangle baseJ4.15 m4.13 – 4.18
Spinnaker hoistISP13.06 m12.94 – 13.18
BowspritTPS4.19 m4.13 – 4.24
Boom above deckBAS1.43 m1.43 – 1.43

Sails

Mainsail24.2 m²23.6 – 24.9
Headsail35.8 m²32.8 – 38.9
Gennaker74.3 m²71.6 – 77.0

Other designs under the same name

The name has been carried by more than one design. They are different boats.