Spoilt for choice

Comfort, speed and a whole host of options, Dufour’s 530 has it all, as Sam Jefferson discovers

- Sam Jefferson

The freedom to make decisions for ourselves is one of the foundations of modern western culture. Sometimes too much choice can be a bad thing, but generally, we all agree it’s for the best. All of which brings me to the Dufour 530 – yes, that’s right, this boat is arguably the ultimate demonstration of all that is great and good about liberal democracy. Alright, I jest, but it is an example of how the big boatbuilders are wrestling with the concept of trying to provide customers with plenty of choice while also providing value for money.

You see the whole problem for the big boatbuilders is that they can’t really afford to provide masses of choice. They have to look at the bottom line, which essentially means turning out a lot of boats quickly and efficiently. To do that, you can’t afford to be pandering to the needs of each individual customer.

Dufour has come up with its own solution to this problem by offering its new 530 in three distinct versions: Easy, which is aimed at the charter market; Ocean, for the cruising family; and Performance, which is a bit more sporty and could be raced.

By providing three very distinct packages for its customers, Dufour cuts out on a good deal of the general faff that comes with catering to general customer requirements because the options are already there in the DNA of the boat. To add to this feeling of extra choice, the manufacturers have also opted to offer an unusually high range of five different interior layouts.