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Next to the companionway, a pair of Harken Quattro winches with double-deck drums provide power for halyards and speed for spinnaker sheets. Winches for the jib sheets are located forward on the cockpit coamings, while another pair of winches, for the Admiral's Cup-style double-ended mainsheet, sit farther aft.

The mainsheet traveler is on the cockpit sole, forward of the centerline steering pedestal and the big wheel, which almost seems anachronistic given the current popularity of twin helms. That said, it works well in this setting. One nice touch here is the simple access to the steering quadrant via a hatch in the cockpit sole. On the + model, the otherwise standard centerline helm seat isn't supplied, so the cockpit well is open to the transom.

Wide side decks allow tight sheeting angles for the headsail and are easy to negotiate. Toerails that run all the way aft, though perhaps not relished by hikers, are a welcome extra security measure for cruising sailors. Still, to give those hikers an extra inch or so of leverage, the stanchions have been moved outboard of the toerail.

Wichard padeyes that are set into breaks in the toerail provide extra sheeting points and replace the midships mooring cleats that might otherwise snag running rigging. A bow roller and windlass are provided but were not installed. As a result, the foredeck looked clean from a racer's standpoint but rather bare from a cruiser's.

The double-spreader aluminum mast is deck stepped and, in the + package, supported by a PBO backstay and rod shrouds, which terminate at a single chainplate on each side, well inboard. Other + add-ons include barberhaulers for the headsail sheets and a high-performance boom vang.

Under sail, I found that the Dufour 40 Performance+ was agile. Although the wind was uncooperative, I sensed that the boat had the same responsiveness to inputs from the big steering wheel and tweaks to the sheets as its larger sister, the Dufour 44, which I sailed a few years ago.

Naval architect Umberto Felci, the 40's designer, has given the hull and its appendages conservative proportions. As a result, while changes in trim and wind strength are signaled quickly to the helm, the boat remains easy to control. Indeed, Felci's feel for sailing essentials and Patrick Roseo's sense of interior arrangement and style are a formidable combined force.

The Dufour 40 Performance+ also reflects feedback from talented and experienced sailors (such as the owners of Quum), a sign that the company seeks to be flexible in responding to its customers. Any keen sailor who likes to both race and cruise, and who is willing to accept minor concessions in a boat that accommodates either activity, will find that the Dufour 40 Performance+ has much to offer.

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Jeremy McGeary is a CW contributing editor.

Specs
LOA    40' 5"     (12.32 m.)
LWL    35' 3"     (10.74 m.)
Beam    12' 10"     (3.91 m.)
Draft    6' 11"     (2.11 m.)
Sail Area    886 sq. ft.     (82.3 m.)
Displacement    17,160 lb.     (7,782 kg.)
Ballast    5,918 lb.     (2,684 kg.)
Ballast/D    .35
D/L    175
SA/D    21.3
Water    87 gal.     (329 l.)
Fuel    42 gal.     (159 l.)
Mast Height    60' 0"     (18.29 m.)
Engine    40-hp. Volvo saildrive
Designer    Umberto Felci
Sailaway Price (base model)    $285,000
Dufour USA Inc.
(410) 757-9401
www.dufouryachts.com

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