Dehler 46: Yacht Review

There are certain brands that definite the word prestige — Mercedes, BMW and Audi spring to mind — and in the sailing world you could add Dehler to that class.

Dehler has evolved into an exceptional high-end product under the wing of the giant German Hanse Group, who also builds the Hanse yacht and Moody deck saloon ranges but, sensibly, pitch each brand to different sectors of the sailing world.

In the Dehler case, it's all about providing that extra sailing performance you just don't see in normal production cruiser/racers.

Recently, I had the pleasure of sailing this new Germanic beauty on Middle Harbour through its agent, Team Windcraft.

From the moment I spied her glide under the Spit Bridge it was obvious she has strong race boat DNA within her sleek lines and tall rig. However, within the same package are creature comforts for cruising like moulded backrests and dining table in the cockpit and a folding rear swim platform.

Stepping aboard you immediately notice the teak decks, which turn out to be synthetic teak and actually more hard wearing than the real thing.
And there's lots more to admire aboard such as the lovely twin wheel setup and a powerful diesel auxiliary that speeds her along at 9 knots when the wind fades.

An electric bow thruster helps dock the Dehler 46  and it's fully retractable so it won't hurt sailing performance. Other mod-cons like furling headsail and mainsail and electric winches make her easy to sail. And our test yacht was also fitted with the optional self-tacking jib, so you can play the solo sailor.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Loads of options to personalise your yacht
In typical Dehler fashion there's a big choice of
hull colours, deck options including real teak, and factory options
like air conditioning. You can also order a bigger 72hp diesel, also a saildrive with three-blade folding prop.

This quality doesn't
come cheap, however, and the base price with alloy spars and T-shaped 2.25m

keel starts off at a reasonable $575,000 delivered here in Australia.

The test yacht with extras comes to about $836,000, but obviously the
price could vary anywhere between. For starters, there's a chunky
$140,000 saving by going for the standard alloy rig with a soft mainsail
stow bag and lazy-jacks.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- Two interior plans and an espresso machine
What strikes you
first as you descend the curved stairway is the roominess of the main
cabin and lightness coming from the side ports and a large, overhead
skylight. The latter can be open for extra air ventilation but also has
sliding blind and insect screen to suit cruising in our Aussie summers.

There
are two interior plans" one with twin sleeping cabins flanking the
companionway steps (as tested); or a double berth to starboard and a
comfy single berth cab to port, with plenty of room for pushbikes!

A
well-equipped, sea-friendly galley is on the starboard side with all
mod-cons including a big icebox/fridge. There's a communal
toilet/bathroom opposite.

Next along is the spacious saloon with a
big curved settee around a saloon table. There is an outside bench seat
here to provide extra dining seating for up to six adults. Opposite is a
comfy two-seater lounge and behind this a for'ard facing navigation
station with sliding table. Moulded timber lockers outboard of the
settees provide plenty of that nick-knack stowage all boaties need.

Going
for'ard you enter the master cabin with a generous-size island double
berth and big en-suite bathroom. Like the other bathroom this has a
Dehler Uni-door that acts as either bathroom or toilet door. The showers are located within both toilets and toilets are the electric
flush type.

There's a choice of timber panel and cabin floor
finishes but our test yacht featured a warm mahogany with light-coloured
Acacia floor boards. Combined with the attractive cream-toned woven
upholstery and concealed lighting it sets a classy ambience below.

The
fit and finish of the Dehler 46 is certainly outstanding but the items
that tickle your fancy are the flat-screen TV and James-Bond like
slide-up drinks locker below. I also love the extra fridge-draw in the
saloon and the espresso coffee machine in the galley.

HULL AND ENGINEERING

There is a choice
of four keels sizes but our yacht had the extra deep (2.5m) competition
keel. She also has the optional taller carbon mast that saves weight and
makes her faster when heeled over.

For extra speed on that trip
up north the Dehler also carries a gennaker that flies off the bowsprit.
The bowsprit also incorporates a Lewmar Delta anchor, controlled by an
electric windlass further aft.

ON THE WATER
- Sailing within minutes and powering along
With a fresh southerly beckoning, I wasted no time hopping aboard with the Windcraft team of Ric and Kirsten. Actually there wasn't a lot for me to do, the headsail unfurled in seconds, whilst the mainsail unfurls out of the beautiful Southern Spars black carbon-fibre boom. This all magically happens within a minute thanks to electric halyard winches alongside the companionway.

With sails set we were flying before a fresh south westerly breeze and heading for the sun-kissed open waters of Sydney Heads.

Gripping one of the twin black GRP steering wheels I was soon in sailor's heaven.

The Dehler is surprisingly light and responsive to touch and has the sporty feel of a true pedigree racer. Glancing over the B&G wind helm instrument displays I could see we were doing 9-10 knots reaching in a 15-18 knot wind. With the big headsail set she powered along nicely, yet moving smoothly and untroubled through the small white-cap waves and sharp gusts.

Moving to a close reach we held 8-9 knots, still very fast for a luxury cruising yacht. The wind was cold and bracing yet this was fun sailing and with little or no spray on deck a real pleasure to sail going upwind at 7.8-8knots.

VERDICT
- Fast and easy sailing for club racing and short-handed cruising sorties
There was no doubt the Dehler was easy to handle in these conditions thanks to the electric mainsheet winches at each helm station.

As I hopped off to take photos Ric and Kirsten put the big Dehler through her paces. The way they effortlessly handled this big 10.7 tonne yacht confirms she could just as easily dance around the twilight race course — and win!

The Dehler 46 is an impressive craft but, more to the point, she
epitomises what a prestige brand is all about. She's beautifully built
and combines top class design and engineering. And she features
cutting-edge technology.

LIKES
>> Sails exceptionally well and points high
>> Light and airy interior
>> Ease of sailing short-handed

NOT SO MUCH
>> Mainsheet traveller right in front of helm
>> Galley serving area could be bigger
>> Toilet shares shower space rather than being separate

Supplied by:
Team Windcraft
Bayview NSW
Phone  02 9979 1709
email  boats@windcraft.com.au
Visit www.windcraftdehler.com.