This Dehler 30 OD is a real eye catcher!
In their quest for performance, ocean racing yachts must limit their weight and lower their center of gravity. These criteria dictate the architect's pencil strokes on his drawing board at every moment.
The reputation of German design firms is well established and we must admit that the Dehler 30 OD catches the eye with its racy lines. It evokes performance, the card is so well played that it even reminds a bit of the Imoca Hugo Boss.
Shapes that evoke lightness and power
Thus, to save weight, the Dehler 30 OD is low on the water, to throw spray in your face. Like the latest Imoca boats, the freeboard, usually vertical or bulbous, is reversed at the bow. This reduces the width of the deck and the volume of dead weight. Combined with a partially inverted bow, these details reduce the weight at the front to generate less pitching.
To gain power, the hull is equipped with chines and the front section of the hull is voluminous like all the latest generation of racing boats.
Sport rigging
On the spars side, the fixed bowsprit extends the bow by 1.2 m. As for the black carbon mast, it is set back, close to 50% of the hull length. The rake is very pronounced, about 6°. The slope of the forestay and gennaker halyards thus created directs the wind thrust upwards and thus gives the boat lift to glide well when reaching.
Match race in Rostock
The Dehler yard invited Bateaux.com to Rostock on the Baltic Sea to discover their latest addition, the Dehler 30 OD. The #001 and #002 are ready to sail, two sailors per boat. I have a hunch that it will soon turn into a match race.
Of course, the weather conditions are not optimal. This morning in Rostock, the sky is as gray as it is low, it's raining and the wind is evanescent. But no matter, we are two identical boats and the erratic wind will make the match even more exciting. Because that's what the Dehler 30 OD is all about, offering similar boats to have fun in a race. Whoever is in front will have better trimmed his boat or will have tacked better.
First we have to leave the harbor, and there surprise I am told that we have to put the propeller in the waterâeuros! Sorryâeuros? Indeed, to limit the drag, the shipyard has developed a system of pivoting propeller shaft that retracts completely into the hull in the manner of the Volvo 65.
Not only does this reduce drag considerably, but it is also an opportunity to use a devilishly efficient fixed three-blade propeller. This way the small power of the engine is transmitted in an optimal way. Despite the 10 HP engine the boat reacts very fast, both in reverse and in forward motion.
Adjustable linkage bar system in navigation.
First moments, first sensations
We leave the harbor. By giving a few movements of the starboard and port helm I notice that the rudders are very reactive, leading the bow directly to one side or the other.
Deep and wide, they are connected by two length-adjustable linkage bars. This allows you to adjust the parallelism of the rudders while sailing to optimize drag. For example, when sailing on the beam, well loaded on the gennaker, the leeward rudder will have an important and useful incidence, while the windward rudder will only be a brake. The windward rudder will only act as a brake, so you can set a neutral incidence to limit the water drag. Parallelism adjustments are also made upwind and downwind.
A little further on, I have enough space to do a 360°, this maneuver shows me that the boat turns around its keel with a relatively short radius. Between the turning radius and the good response of the rudders, there will be a match on the starting phases!
Still under engine, we have the opportunity to meet a powerful tugboat. I head straight for its wake. If the boat shakes in all directions and takes a long time to lose its roll and pitch, it is a sign of a high center of gravity and overweight. Here our Dehler behaves as I imagined it would: it pays little attention to the waves it encounters and quickly regains its balance.
Let's set sail!
So much for the first sensations! Now it's time to prepare the sails. I'm working on the installation of the mainsail horn, a lashing allows the connection to the Rutgerson roller slider running in the luff tape of the mast.
I hoist the 35 m2 from the cockpit without excessive effort and adjust the tension with the Leewmar roof winch with its remarkable carbon finish. The 110% solent is mounted on a light carabiner. It is equipped with a reefing band, which is a very relevant system for performance when you have to reduce the sail area. Especially since reefing a solent is not complicated, it's just a trick to take.
The wind blows timidly at 5 knots from 3/4 astern. To get out of the river that crosses Rostock and reach the Baltic Sea, we quickly hoist the 95 m2 spinnaker, not bad for a 30' sailboat, in any case sufficient to start at the slightest breath of wind.
The boat is very responsive, the lightness and low drag of the Dehler allow to have fun luffing and tacking to exploit the slightest reef.
A good cockpit for double-handed racing
The two boats are side by side and it is necessary to be busy with the adjustments not to let the playmate #001 escape. The cockpit lends itself well to fine tuning. The spinnaker sheet can be easily returned to the wind to adjust it from the helm. The mainsheet hoist is coupled to a fine tuning system, and the mainsheet traveler is easily adjusted from the helm station. In addition, the Spinlock telescopic stick allows the helmsman to intervene in the piano maneuvers without losing his course.
At the helm, you can sit on a small overhang that protects you from the water flowing over the sidewalks. It is also a good wedge for the buttocks of the helmsman, and associated with the adjustable footbraces we can find a good position for long hours of navigation to the list.
At ease without the chop
We take advantage of the reef and finally leave the river, still under spinnaker. Our Dehler 30 OD #002 and the #001 are only separated by a few meters and despite the rain that keeps trying to ruin our autumnal sailing everyone is enjoying trimming, steering and playing with the windâeuros¦. Long live one design and contact racingâeuros!
Once at sea we had to face a one meter chop with only 4 to 8 knots of wind. Fortunately, we have more water to run with to luff and support our spinnaker. The work of lowering the center of gravity and the narrow hull works wonders in these demanding conditions, with 6 knots of real wind we maintain a speed close to it.
Upwind departure
After a few gybes, we drop the spinnaker to hoist the solent and come in close to the wind. Again, the Dehler 30 OD sails at approximately wind speed. We organize a sort of "hare-brained start" to spice up our trial and get the game going again.
The variable wind and swell require a lot of tolerance in the sail trim. The 3D adjustment system of the solent pulling point allows to optimize the shape of the solent and we can correctly twist the sail.
The boat is very pleasant to steer upwind, the fine tuning is efficient, the helm is precise and the whole thing reacts quickly to wind variations: a reef is immediately translated by an acceleration.
So, what is the outcome of this trial?
The weak autumnal light is quickly fading as the rain continues to drench us. The # 001 preferred to tack offshore while we tried our luck ashore in the hope of a match.
This test turned into a real regatta and nobody let go the least regalage. At the passage of the headlights which mark the entrance of the river, only 3 or 4 m separate us, we would like to continue this regatta, but the night fell.
Obviously, I would have liked to test the power of the Dehler 30 OD in 20 knots of wind, under gennaker and fully ballasted. But I have little doubt that it would have been a lot of fun, it is light and powerful, it promises double-digit speeds and great surfing.
I have to admit that there is more to learn in light and irregular wind on a rough stretch of water than in a steady breeze of 15/20 knots. And the sailing qualities of the Dehler 30OD are very convincing: it is responsive, precise and gives an immediate feeling to the sail.
The regattas will be exciting and exhilarating, but it remains to build up fleets throughout Europe. In order to make sure that the sauce takes, Dehler is attacking the market with a very reasonable price considering the quality of manufacture and the equipment on board.
We wish them success in attracting the first customers, which will have a magnetic effect on the others. One-design is a very interesting way of racing. It puts forward the skills of the sailors and if the support is fun and fast, we can only wish to participate in off-shore races on board.
