French sailboat maker Dufour Yachts is arriving in Annapolis this summer. The company just announced Chesapeake Bay-based Atlantic Cruising Yachts is its new U.S. dealer, covering New Jersey down to Florida.
Dufour is planning an arrival celebration and sea trials in the coming months, expecting to bring yachts to Annapolis by August. The company will also have a large presence at the U.S. Sailboat Show in October.
Atlantic Cruising Yachts, which has locations in Charleston, South Carolina, St. Petersburg and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was formerly the nation’s largest dealer of Jeanneau Yachts.
Christian Bent, Atlantic Cruising Yachts CEO, says the shift to Dufour monohull sailboats is about performance.
“We feel Dufour really will have a strong position in the U.S. market,” Bent says. “We think that sailors that are buying monohulls today are wanting something more.”
Dufour monohull sailboats, built in La Rochelle, France, range from 31 to 63 feet. Dufour plans to modify boat layouts to accommodate the North American market.
Atlantic Cruising Yachts is also a major dealer of Fountaine Pajot catamarans, which bought Dufour in 2018, and will continue to sell Fountaine Pajot boats alongside Dufour.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
