Tofinou Yachts… their story 

Chandlery Yacht Sales, based in Santa Barbara CA for over 70 years, is proud to be your west coast Tofinou Yachts dealer in the USA.

Tofinou Yachts comes from the renowned French builders at Latitude 46.  Since 1987 they have been a leader in balancing the traditions of classic yacht design with modern build materials and equipment. The end result is some of the most stunning sailing yachts on the planet.

A few words from the people at Lattitude 46

Our work is always done in respect of a certain marine tradition of varnish and mahogany while remaining extremely functional and beautiful. Our craft construction site places a lot of importance on aesthetics: a boat must be beautiful. The preservation of exceptional French know-how, combined with the latest techniques in woodworking and composite.

Tofinou 9.7 – A Thing Of Beauty

The Tofinou 9.7 is one of eight sailboat created under the Tofinou name and the newest to date. At 9.7 meters (32 feet) she is the perfect daysailer and specially designed for both solo and crew sailing.

The Tofinou 9.7 is a design masterpiece due to a merging of talents. Lattitude 46 joined with Peugeot Design Lab and architect Michele Molino to create a masterpiece of form, function and grace. The team focused on creating an ergonomic design that would delight the most seasoned sailor while turning heads for classic elegance.

A few words from the design architect…

“The Tofinou 9.7 was born from the desire of the Latitude 46 site team to take advantage of the classic heritage and the characteristic quality of the site by bringing technological innovation and design to it. this is why we have worked hand in hand with the world of industrial design and the automobile to perpetuate the “family style” of the Tofinou brand, which is always so appreciated. Its family resemblance remains unchanged, but its lines have been modernized to make it more aggressive.

From a technical point of view, we sought a more powerful hull, wider, but still transportable, to experience more intense sensations downwind. With this new hull we were able to completely rethink the deck layout and appendages to improve life on board and maneuvering ergonomics. “

Tofinou 12- Gorgeous Power

Designed by the Joubert-Nivelt naval architecture firm, the Tofinou 12 is faithful to the spirit that sets Tofinous Yachths apart from the crowd. Its clean lines and ease of operation, make the Tofinou 12 a classic sailboat with elegant simplicity. yet providing the thrill of speed and power.

Let’s read a few words from Peter Neilsen at Sail Magazine

Tofinou was building pretty little daysailers long before the idea caught on in the United States. Its hulls have the sweetest of lines, and on its bigger boats, the 8, the 9.5 and the 12, gleaming varnished teak and mahogany woodwork is integrated seamlessly with expanses of black carbon fiber and subtly contoured fiberglass. I sailed the largest of the family on a chilly morning off La Rochelle, France.

The 40-foot Tofinou 12 is a Joubert/Nivelt design, moderate of beam, lean and low-slung, and drawing almost 8 feet—which would be a drawback in many areas of the U.S. East Coast, but makes for an impressively stiff and precise ride to weather. Hull and bulkheads are lightweight fiberglass/foam composites, and the bare minimum of interior furniture and systems—along with a carbon fiber spar—help keep weight down to a svelte 10,500 pounds—about 40 percent less than a typical 40-foot production boat.