Aimed at avid racers or speed junkies making the transition to cruising, the Dufour 44 slides neatly into the niche between affordable boats with lackluster sailing capabilities and racer-cruisers with price tags in the stratosphere.

The boat is the third in Dufour’s new line of performance cruisers designed by Italian Bruno Felci (hull) and Frenchman Patrick Roseo (deck and interior) that aims to redefine Dufour Yachts. The pronounced shift in both marketing and design began shortly after Cantieri del Pardo, the Italian builder of Grand Soleil Yachts, purchased the French company in 2002. …