Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

The range includes larger yachts and was the first to launch Dufour 63 Exclusivefollowed by Dufour 56 Exclusive, which borrowed all the best from the 63 model, but became even more affordable for cruisers. Thus, the goal is to provide the shipyard's clients with a large, comfortable, and luxurious yacht, but not so large that the owner is forced to hire a crew. Based on this philosophy, a yacht should be affordable!

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Smart design

From the helm station aft, excellent visibility over the roofthanks to the shallow cockpit. Any safety concerns that a shallow cockpit may have become irrelevant when it comes to smart design. First, high and wide coamings are designed to provide good back support and a wide platform to provide a secure footing. The side aisles are also wide enough to flow smoothly into the stern. The coxswain seat on the transom, behind the helm, is approximately 60 centimeters wide and is possibly the widest platform on a boat of this size.

Directly in front of the transom but behind the helm there are two electric winches for the German boom-sheet system. The shoulder strap of the boom sheet runs laterally from the companionway through the roof of the saloon. Two smaller winches are located directly in front of the steering wheels for the automatic jib.

Stopper block on the side deck allows the boom sheet to be clamped, so when the large staysail is deployed, you can adjust the sheet on the electric winch. All rope ends from sheet and halyard winches on both sides of the gangway can be retracted under the teak cockpit floor hatches. While this makes the cockpit a clean and safe area to move around, the hatch covers can get stuck if you do not properly position the rope.

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

The bifurcated backstay is reduced to both aft corners, but does not interfere with sail adjustment or steering. It is mechanically adjusted by means of a drum on the port side. Aft, on the port side, actually under the helmsman's seat is a huge hatch that provides access to the tender garage. The tender only needs a little deflation of the bow section to fit into this space. There is still plenty of room on the starboard side to add a generator or watermaker.

Comfortable cockpit

Access to the yacht through a full-size transom platform is on the starboard side, and the rest of the transom is equipped with an external galley with barbecue, sink and cutting board at the ideal height for standing on the platform. The fold-out gangway folds neatly into the bathing platform, a very thoughtful piece for the safety of guests and crew.

Engine Batteries located directly in front of the engine, and others, service, are located under the center seat in the cabin. Both areas include space to accommodate more batteries if needed.

Cockpit, the seats on the left side fold out, creating twice as much space for relaxing on soft cushions in the fresh air. In a different configuration, this bench is ideal for long nights during watch hours. Cockpit table, on the stern side, hides a large enough refrigerator inside. By the way, the boom is over two meters above you, so there is plenty of room for bimini. In addition to the extremely comfortable cockpit, there are also several seating options on deck. Cushions available in abundance to lay out a whole bed outdoors, on the roof of a saloon, or even on the bow.

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

In the bow there is a double twist for the head sails and the gennaker is conveniently placed forward on the bowsprit through the open bow gallery. The electric windlass is hidden in the bow locker. The aft lockers are deep and wide for storing any deck gear. Teak deckslightly curved towards the low bulwark, which ensures safe movement on deck. LED lighting is hidden from the bulwarks, enhancing the atmosphere on the yacht at night, which also affects the safety factor at night. There are also several deck cleats in the right places, and double handrails with wickets.

Excellent seaworthiness

Naval architect Umberto Felci designed a well balanced hull, with plenty of space inside, and a wide stern. Below the waterline, in profile, the hull is smooth, rounded, to enjoy the ocean swell, both upwind and upwind. Aft with a clearance above the waterline provides a smooth gap between the transom and the powerful aft sections.

Standing at the helm Dufour 56 Exclusive, there is a feeling that you are flying an aircraft carrier. This feeling is provided by the boat's dimensions, its width, excellent visibility thanks to the low saloon roof, and an almost flat deck. But to manage it, on the contrary, is very easy, like a small yacht. Large sail-to-weight ratio combined with a relatively light displacement provide good performance in light winds. Dufour 56 Handles heavy air currents with ease thanks to the bulbous keel and deep draft. Actually, the goal was to provide maximum performance without too much effort, and the architects seem to have hit the spot.

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Generally, robust hulls, powerful aft sections and excellent seakeeping owned by yachts Dufour - this is far from news for those who are at least not very familiar with the yachts of the shipyard, or simply compared Dufour and other mass and non-mass manufacturers of monohull yachts. Yachts Dufour have long been known for their excellent driving characteristics, for example, at the beginning of this year Dufour 520, the flagship of the cruise line Grand large became the winner in the nomination "Best cruising yacht of 2018" 50-54 feet, according to the magazine Cruising world... Dufour 520 bypassed notorious competitors Beneteau Oceanis 51.1 and Jeanneau 51 precisely because of its seaworthiness, as noted by the judges.

Review of cruise yacht Dufour 520 Grand Large

Dufour yachts also made sure that this yacht is capable of making long voyages. On board Dufour 56 Exclusive a huge 500 liter fuel tank for its 82 kilowatt engine Volvo Penta... This should provide approximately 120 hours of engine operation at cruising speed! The engine room below, behind the companionway, is high enough. The battery switches are at the base and the extra thick insulation is excellent at absorbing engine noise.

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Functional and luxurious interior

The interior of the test yacht is made of oak. Two more types of wood are optionally available. A lot of natural light and fresh air gets inside, thanks to several sunroofs and side windows. Salon located right at the entrance ladder, and its height is two meters. A large table with sofas and an additional seat in the center of the salon makes the interior more comfortable. The hydraulic table is raised and lowered electronically, and retracts completely, transforming into a bed if necessary. Dining area in the salon It can freely accommodate 7-8 guests, thanks to an additional sofa in the center of the salon, and a sofa on the starboard side will accommodate another 2-3 guests.

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

The center aisle is offset to starboard to match the entrance to the master stateroom. Inside you can feel the attention to the smallest details: rounded corners of wooden furniture, for complete safety of movement, many lockers that securely fix and protect their contents even with strong rocking, and all metal handrails are sheathed with soft leather to prevent the slightest slipping. On the way to the galley, there is a chart table and another sofa on the starboard side.

Galley it is taken out in a separate area, between the saloon and the master cabin. The main part is on the port side. There is a large hob with oven, sink and cutting surfaces. A slightly smaller part on the starboard side is equipped with a large full-fledged refrigerator with a freezer, a microwave oven, a separate wine refrigerator, and a special storage for wine is built into the partition that separates the salon and the galley. There is just a huge number of cabinets for kitchen utensils, of all shapes and sizes.

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Such zoning allows several people to be in the galley at the same time, without crossing, and without interfering with each other. Given that there is another cooking area on the transom, there is no extreme need for the galley to be in the traditional location just outside the entrance. This opens up new possibilities for interior design.

Directly above the galley, there are three wide hatches. They do not open, but they provide full illumination even in cloudy weather. And in the longitudinal direction, a little closer to the passenger compartment, there are two more ventilated hatches. There are also vents on both sides of the galley at the top. And when the sun goes down, spectacular LED lighting comes on in the cabin.

Dufour 56 Exclusive luxury yacht in-depth review

Dufour 56 Exclusive offers 4 accommodation plans, including a charter version with separate crew cabins, and 5 finishes. The master cabin in the bow is large and spacious, there is a bathroom on the starboard side, and a shower room on the port side. Both aft cabins are wide, tall, spacious, with private bathrooms, and well lit thanks to side windows and cockpit hatches. In three of the four versions, the aft cabin on the port side is more spacious and includes a shower, and also provides two entrances, from the cabin and the saloon.

Specifications Dufour Exclusive 56

As noted, Dufour Yachts wanted to build a yacht that could compete in the larger yacht market, in terms of performance and quality, but at the price of mass-produced yachts. Given these criteria, experts say they may have even exceeded expectations. The Dufour 56 Exclusive has certainly become a desirable yacht for many thanks to its exclusive quality at a reasonable price!

Want to test this yacht?
Leave your contacts and we will contact you!

09.11.2018