405 Sails Above Its Size
‘IT IS NOT the European Yacht of the Year 2010 for nothing’. This was, in fact, a throwaway quip from Miles Stratton at the end of a short, but inspiring Clyde sail on Dufour’s 405 Grand’ Large in light winds. With the mountains laden with snow and scarcely enough breeze to ripple the waters of the Gareloch, it may have been a day which illuminated the picture postcard backdrop to best effect, but a few knots more breeze would have been welcome, writes Yachting Life racing editor Andi Robertson. The 405 Grand’ Large has sold well over 120 boats since it was launched at the Paris Boat Show in December 2008 and without doubt it has been something of a slow burn success story, just building a real reputation now. And being awarded Yacht of the Year in the Family Cruiser division will certainly accelerate sales as the global economy picks up. It is easy to understand why the accolade has been awarded, but of equal merit is simply empathising with the enthusiasm of the owner of our test boat. He went aboard all of his short listed craft at Southampton last autumn but he knew the 405 was what he wanted. Its appeal to him was as much in the solid look and feel, to the large deck area, the lovely styling of the hull and deck, a great interior and the feeling of light and space down below. He is a regular charterer and sails on many friends boats, and so is a relatively discerning buyer of his first boat. It is certainly different from the stock offerings from other production boat builders. Dufour went to Umberto Felci and Patrick Roséo for the design of the 405 and they have imbued the boat with signature Italian flair linked to French practicality and what appears to be a good all round sailing performance. The balance between a fairly sporty, stylish appearance and excellent comfort and space hits the mark like few other cruising boats of this size do. It is a boat you’d be as happy cruising on the west coast, as heading to more distant waters such as the Mediterranean. In every respect, both on deck and below, the 405 gives off the feeling of being bigger, especially in the living accommodation areas. On the boat, you would be forgiven for reckoning this is a 44-45 footer. The 2.03m draft hull is a good compromise between all-weathers performance, but without excessive volume in the quest for accommodation. The Dufour trade mark almost vertical bow rises gently and the stern overhangs are short, maximising the effective waterline length. The forefoot sits just out of the water at the dock. Freeboard is also a pleasant compromise, not so high as to be aircraft carrier like, but it is very much a cruising boat, although the hull ports are really well executed, breaking up the hull space as well as offering interesting as well as practical views from inside. Cockpit space is excellent with plenty of room for the helm who has generally good forward visibility. We liked the drop down stern platform/helm’s FSC Iroko seat which gives excellent access and there is a smart little telescopic swimming ladder integrated into it. We used this as the main stepping on point in the marina and life was so much easier, especially for bringing aboard bags, boxes, dogs and so on, moving through the gap between the two wheels. Access to the primary sail controls is good for the helm who will be able to sail relatively short handed with the two 40ST primary winches. Especially good is having these winches at the butt edge of a high cockpit coaming. Ergonomically this means that the helm is not having to stoop forward if he or she wants to trim the primary winch. There are two large cockpit lockers either side of the main area with the gas cylinder locker on the starboard quarter. There was ample space in the cockpit layout and it felt safe with the deeper coaming. The central table is good, although I am not so keen on the laminate edge finish which rather draws the eye. Working spaces are generally good and are kept free from clutter. The mainsheet is led forward from the track which is forward of the companionway, and the track itself is of a decent width as to make it useful. Certainly in the light breeze our crew were working hard to optimise the twist and shape in the mainsail. The standard sail plan is with the stacking main and roller furler genoa, and for us that seemed ideal. Sails are a little basic and the performance of the boat could almost certainly be enhanced with performance sails, but that would be an investment for the future. A good cruising chute or spinnaker would push the 405 along nicely. The teak deck on our test boat is a further €11-13k, but it really enhances the feel and the appeal of the boat immeasurably. With such an excellent working deck and side deck area, this is money well spent. It proved an enjoyable boat to handle under sail, albeit in conditions which were not exactly taxing. We only had a maximum of five knots but the 405 responded well to the little puffs, accelerating nicely and tracking well. There was next to no wake and she responded positively to the helm which is direct and feels a little heavier than perhaps I expected, but it is hard to confirm at slow speeds. Certainly there were notable differences as we moved through the gears, responding positively to small changes in sail trim. Down below is different and exciting in its own way. The linear galley, in the three cabin version, is a real bête noir for this tester, so often a waste of space, but in this case it really does work well, mainly because the cooker is moved aft and the island between the nav station and galley is common to both. The use of the area around the galley is excellent so there is no feeling of lost space. There is a load of clear work surface in the galley and the big advantage is that the cook does feel part of the ambience. The fridge has top and front opening, and one of the larger lockers will house a microwave oven. Nice touches include the ‘wine cellar’ in the floor and the crumb tray! There are a couple of layout options: Two cabins with two heads or the three cabin version such as Bill Blyth’s Yesnaby as tested. The two cabin version offers a more conventional L-shaped galley and double aft cabin to port with a larger locker space to starboard. The owner’s forecabin, with a large central double berth and ensuite, is literally first class, again echoing the feel and space of a 45 footer. Engine power is provided by a Volvo 40hp (29.1kW) Sail Drive complete with two blade fixed propeller. Overall the Dufour 405 Grand’ Large is a refined and well executed cruising boat which will have a good sailing performance. Dufour are moving their product upmarket with a boat which delivers for the discerning owner who wants flair and class, as well as practical touches at a price which many would consider modest. And on that subject, the 405 comes out of the wraps, with a good comprehensive spec delivered and commissioned by Nick Stratton Yachts at Rhu Marina, with a price tag of £160,000.