Evolution of the 410 GL presents a fixed delfiniera, which replaces the retractable bowsprit. And always with a view to simplifying maneuvers, the possibility of having a self-tacking jib. Like the aft kitchen with barbecue grill in the cockpit.
In 2012 Dufour launched the Grand Large series with a 40 and a 50 feet. After 4 years, this family, which has reinterpreted the pure cruise with an eye to motor enthusiasts, has expanded: 310, 350, 382, 460 and 560 have arrived. The time has come to update the two founders. And so it was. The 410 gives way to the new 412 and the 500 to 512.
The Dufour 412 Grand Large does not change the setting of the predecessor, a 12 meter that has proved successful: it takes advantage of the same voluminous and fast hull and is enhanced by the functionality of the new Grand Large. Aft, for example, comes the outdoor kitchen (which more and more like), the bow at the bow, below the kitchen back and be more traditional, the finishes of woods and fabrics and attention to detail, from the handle to the lamp .. are continually evolving from a point of view, as highlighted by Paolo Serio marketing, commmunication and product manager of Dufour, more and more turned to "touch and feel". Three versions of 412: Comfort, Liberty and Adventure, the difference between them is the equipment and also the interior layouts: three cabins with one or two bathrooms and two cabins and a bathroom.
INTERIOR:
The hull is voluminous: environments, decommitments, spaces and heights are well managed and translate into excellent liveability. Going down below deck, for example, the area in front of the staircase between the kitchen and the bathroom and which introduces to the dinette is wide; the corridor leading to the forward cabin is wide (better to choose the optional sliding bench to hide it under the table when not in use) and in the cabins you move well.
Natural light widens the spaces and reigns supreme on board. It comes from the hull windows, from the walls and the roof of the deckhouse, from the cockpit, in short, from everywhere.
Well-designed cabinets, cabinets and lockers that solve well the problem of stowage and not missing what has now become a must on the Grand Large: the wine cellar under the paioli immediately at the foot of the entrance staircase. The layout of the boat we tested was the one with three cabins and two bathrooms (see right), a solution that slightly penalizes the owner at the bow to make room for his private bathroom, but we are always in front of very large cabins. This version is flanked by the one with three cabins and one bathroom (standard) and the one with two cabins and two bathrooms which, in this case, becomes "extra large".
NAVIGATION:
Light air, very light under 10 knots, and calm sea. So let's try the boat. The hull reacts well and manages to maintain good speed even in a situation where many would be tempted to turn on the engine. Once the Code 0 has been rolled out, the situation improves even further. It is a sail that in these conditions becomes almost all round: from the bowline
wide open. The rudder is light and neutral with a single, long and narrow blade. The steering position is comfortable, the wheels are well spaced from each other and the view on the sails is excellent. In front of each wheel there is a winch that regulates both the mainsail and the bow, the solution is not the most immediate, at least in the first measure, before becoming accustomed to using winches, sheets and stopper in the right sequence.
We like the deck, you move well and in the cockpit, given the important beam, the fixed table does not interfere too much. The test model is fitted with two jet thrusters from Holland Marine albow thruster place (he also had two thrust aft thrusters mounted, the latter, from the Italian Euro Sail Yacht dealer - Marina Punta Faro who made the boat available), a solution that will make the propellers in the bow disappear on the new Dufour. In maneuver they proved to be efficient even if it should be remembered that the conditions were "very easy".
