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Yaya review
Sailing yacht · 39 ft (12 m) · Marina di Portisco
expert score
Key specs
- Builder
- Dufour Yachts
- Model
- Dufour 390
- Length
- 39 ft (12 m)
- Guests
- 6
- Cabins
- 3
Verdict
The Dufour 390 Grand Large is a modern family cruiser that prioritizes volume, easy handling, and flexible layouts over outright sailing excitement. In this 2023 charter version, the 3-cabin/3-head setup and 50 hp engine make it especially practical for relaxed cruising, though the standard model’s more modest power an
Pros
- +Spacious interior for a 39-footer, with up to 3 cabins and 3 heads in this layout.
- +Practical charter-friendly equipment: air conditioning, Wi‑Fi, fridge/freezer, and cockpit grill.
- +Easy to manage with autopilot, chartplotter, AIS, electric winch, and saildrive.
- +Balanced cruiser profile with good comfort under sail and under power.
Cons
- −Not a performance-focused yacht; sailing manners are competent rather than sporty.
- −Standard references show a smaller engine option, so power varies by specification.
- −Charter layout trades some storage and simplicity for extra cabins and heads.
- −Best suited to coastal and island cruising rather than heavy offshore ambitions.
The Dufour 390 Grand Large is a contemporary cruising yacht with clean styling, a generous beam, and a layout philosophy built around usable space. Public reviews describe it as a roomy, well-executed modern family cruiser, and the specific 2023 listing for Yaya adds a more charter-oriented arrangement with three cabins and three electric toilets, which is unusually flexible for a boat in this size range.[1][3][4][7][16][17]
On the water, the 390 is generally described as responsive, forgiving, and efficient rather than thrilling. Reviews note that the standard boat carries a 30 hp Volvo Penta, while some examples, including this one, are fitted with a 50 hp Volvo Penta D2-50, which improves low-speed motoring and marina handling; published tests report calm, steady cruising speeds around 6 knots under power for the standard setup.[3][4][6][9][13][16]
Comfort is the boat’s strongest point. The combination of air conditioning, Wi‑Fi, a fully equipped galley, cockpit speakers, sun cushions, swim platform, and a bimini makes Yaya well suited to holiday use, while the 200 L fuel capacity and charter-grade systems support short-to-medium cruising rather than extended passagemaking.[3][4][10][15] In value terms, the 390 competes well because it offers a strong mix of volume, equipment, and layout choice, though buyers paying for the larger engine and extra heads should expect the premium to be for practicality more than sailing performance.[6][7][11]
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