EQUILIBRIUM

Dufour 41 — Sailing the Greek islands Dufour built this 41 around a simple conviction: on a cruising yacht, life happens outside. The cockpit carries a volume you would normally expect on a considerably larger hull, and it changes the rhythm of a day at anchor — long lunches that drift into the afternoon, everyone gathered in the same space rather than scattered across the yacht. At just over 12 metres, she belongs to Dufour's Vintage line, a design that brought modern lines and a genuinely bright interior without losing what the yard has always been known for. Movement on board is unhurried and logical: the spaces have been laid out so that people can pass, stow and settle without negotiating for room. Below, three cabins accommodate up to eight guests, each cabin fitted with a double bed. It is a straightforward arrangement, well suited to families or to friends sharing a week in the Cyclades or the Ionian. What stands out under way is the balance. Dufour's teams sail what they build, and it shows in a yacht that is solid, responsive and entirely at ease on a long passage as on a short island hop. She handles a fresh afternoon meltemi with the same composure she brings to a glassy morning. Based in Greece, she is ready for the archipelagos — the anchorages that only open up to those arriving under sail.