Overview
The Dehler 46 is a Judel/Vrolijk performance cruiser from Dehler in Germany, built from 2015.
Design and Construction
sailboatdata.com lists a fin keel with a bulb and a spade rudder, 48.43 ft overall on a 42.32 ft waterline, 14.27 ft of beam and 7.38 ft of draft. Displacement is 25,353 lb with 7,716 lb of ballast, and the fractional sloop carries about 1,236 sq ft. SAIL’s 2015 review describes the hull as a vacuum-infused cored laminate in vinylester resin with an integrated carbon-reinforced GRP grid, and notes a watertight bulkhead aft of the forward sail locker. A large backing plate at the keel attachment spreads the loads beyond just the keel bolts. Keel options included a deep L-shaped version meant to keep kelp from hanging on the appendage.
Ocean Racing Record
Wings (Ian Edwards) finished the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024. Llama II (Jon Linton) finished the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 2022. Raider finished ARC 2025, from Las Palmas to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.
Buyers Notes
It is a performance cruiser with a deep bulb keel and a fractional rig; check the keel and rudder bearings on boats that have raced hard.
In SAIL’s San Diego trial the boat made 8.6 knots in 17 knots of breeze at a 45-degree apparent wind angle and carried its speed up to an apparent wind angle of about 38 degrees. The reviewer found the helm light with Jefa steering and the boat tracked well. The same review criticized the cockpit for lacking full binnacles with handrails by the wheels, leaving little to hang onto aft. Tankage is 119 gallons of water and 58 gallons of fuel, which the reviewer called more than adequate for coastal cruising.
