Written by Scott Alle
27 January 2021
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The word versatility is overused as a boat descriptor, but Dehler’s new one-design racer/cruiser can rightly claim to set the bar at a new level.
By my count, it has at least four legitimate modes: offshore; water-ballasted short-handed weapon; competitive offshore fully-crewed; twilight round-the-cans racer; and finally, competent family cruiser.
The project team at Dehler aimed for and came up with something that was free of any rating rule confines, which was as light as possible, stable as possible and as fast as possible.
In the case of the Dehler 30od, that translated into a strict one-design built boat with little in the way of major options. It comes out of the box with twin rudders, water ballasting, carbon mast and a variable sail plan with split running backstays, inner and outer jibs, a fixed sprit for flying Code sails and A-kites plus outriggers (reaching struts).
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Very much aimed at the explosion in double-handed sailing, its power reached into the space where a number of boats such as the new Sun Fast 3300, JPK, J/Boats and Pogo have also been successful in developing interesting boats.
Since its debut at the 2019 Cannes International Yachting Festival, it’s gone on to scoop major awards and quickly found favour among sailors, with 40 boats sold or under construction, with one hull in Australia and another about to be commissioned in New Zealand.
The genesis of the Dehler 30 began in 2016 when Karl Dehler – son of company founder Willi Dehler – had been considering a concept for a new, small one-design racer/cruiser.
They had been looking at utilising the Hanse 315 hull from parent company Hanse AG, but then Dehler and Judel/Vrolijk series-boat chief designer Matthias Bröker decided they wanted to check out the Pogo 30, so they rang charter company Speedsailing in the Baltic coastal town of Rostock.
After a breezy day out on the beamy French speedster, a visit to the big short-handed Silverrudder event as well as a close look over several of the VO 65 fleet, they were convinced something entirely new was required.
They brought in Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt from Speedsailing and he says the project team was impressed by the Pogo’s 30 power but wanted to incorporate racing concepts from the VO 65s.
Other options such as a canting keel, different types of foils, and a complete carbon hull were contemplated before settling on a composite build that weighs in at just 2.8 tonnes. Speedsailing now boasts their own fleet of five Dehler 30ods in Rostock.
“Yes, we had calculations ready for all sorts of design decisions, like DSS-foils,” says Schmdit-Rybandt, who has now obviously clocked more hours sailing and racing a Dehler 30 than anyone else.
“It was fascinating,” he continues. “We even had a canting keel-version and all sorts of crazy ideas for the 30od, but in the end, this hull in combination with that great, great keel-bulb configuration proved so fast and stable that we were able to skip these fancy ideas.”
He confirms blast-reaching is a highlight and the 30 can comfortably average above 10 knots at 90 degrees TWA, and the boat’s brief for improved performance in light to moderate winds was met – and surpassed.
“I was surprised by the angles upwind,” he relates in a video with leading US yacht dealers North Point. “The Pogo 30, for instance, is almost two feet wider than the Dehler, but the 30od’s low centre and hull design means it’s an all-round better performer.”
A quick work-up on Sydney Harbour confirmed Herr Schmidt-Rybandt’s complimentary observations.
In a puffy 12 knots with the North Code Zero and flat-top main, the 30od accelerated quickly and we easily hooked into the swells between the Heads, surfing at over 12 knots.
Immediately noticeable was the smooth power of the hull/rig/sail plan combination married to the 2.20-metre-deep aluminium T-keel with lead bulb. The twin rudders ensured efficiency on the heel and finger-tip control via the tiller, and that degree of assurance apparently continues as conditions freshen.
I also realised the advantage the 30od’s chamfered bow offers, reducing windage and panel weight. The boat handles like a big skiff, responsive to every tweak and burb.
The rig is a deck-stepped carbon spar while the boom is aluminium. There are various sail wardrobes available, including a staysail on its own detachable furler, which has been trialled and proven as a heavy weather jib.
The boat sits nicely on the aft chine, which should assist with downwind control when flying the hefty 95-square-metre A2 downwind off the carbon bowsprit.
The cockpit layout is set up for ease of handling and sail manoeuvres, while the mainsheet track is set way aft, with 4:1 and 16:1 trimming settings.
The sprit is detached for the switch to cruising mode that enables a family to slip away to enjoy a lazy afternoon off a beach or overnight in the six berths – a double in forepeak with twin berths aft. The wood laminate saloon benches can also be converted to berths, while the table completely folds down under a central safety bar allowing swift access in a seaway.
Catering options can originate from either the Eno gas stove or a portable fridge in its dedicated space. The sink has a flexible tap arrangement and foot pump, and there are handy textile zip bags to store food and utensils.
The head is located to port and aft, separated from the saloon by a functional and not unstylish wood laminate door – a rare concession to privacy on a serious offshore racing boat.
While all this is eminently practical and functional, there are a couple of great engineering innovations that set the Dehler 30od apart and reflect the thought that has gone into the project.
The so-called Stealth Drive is usually seen on custom high-tech race boats, but Dehler have managed to do it on a 30-footer, the drag saving equivalent to an estimated 7–8 seconds a mile. The shaft and prop are on a retractable strut, easily operated by a lever in the cockpit. When lowered, the three-blade prop pushes the boat along well; over six knots with ease. When retracted, the strut is hermetically sealed behind a cover.
The batteries are energy-efficient lithium phosphate, less than half the weight of conventional batteries that deliver the power to the efficient two-cylinder Nanni diesel engine. The engine compartment is accessible from both aft berths for engine maintenance and checking the seawater intake.
Two other welcome big -boat features are the water-ballast system and the life raft. The 200-litre tanks, equivalent to four people on the rail resulting in an extra half-a-knot; again a big deal in the offshore stakes. Those of us of a certain age who sailed on certain boats would recall a spaghetti type arrangement of colour-coded strings that seem to fail at the most inopportune moment. This bears no relation to that. Centralised with a single pump, transfer takes under a minute. The life raft has its own dedicated stern locker, making it easy to reach and deploy.
I found the Dehler 30od to be one of the most fun and involving boats I’ve sailed in a long time.
Its many attributes will shine in a variety of situations, and I expect it will attract a cohort of loyal owners. Its offshore potential, in particular, may be a revelation to some.
The landed price is $299,000 plus sails, which come in three different options.
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