ONE DESIGN DOUBLE APPEAL?

DEHLER’S AWARD-WINNING OFFSHORE BLASTER IS MANY THINGS TO MANY SAILORS. BUT CAN A SHORT-HANDED ONE-DESIGN RACER-CRUISER REALLY TICK SO MANY BOXES?

- MATTHEW SHEAHAN

Talk to those who have switched to short-handed offshore racing and you’ll be hard-pressed to find many who want to go back to a weather rail stacked with crew. It’s not that they’ve suddenly realised that they don’t like sharing the experience with others, or that the boat just feels cluttered below, but that it is just more satisfying sailing two-up. Plus, it’s often a lot cheaper.

It’s these two factors above all that surely explain the increase in popularity in this kind of sailing.

Yet, unlike the moment when we realised that planing sportsboats were a lot more fun than the tubby lead mines of the day that rolled downwind like metronomes, or the sudden realisation that gybing an asymmetric spinnaker was no harder than tacking a jib, the growth in short-handed offshore sailing has been more gradual. And it is also building from another corner of the sport as the momentum for the new Olympic offshore class in 2024 gathers pace.

As the plans for Paris 2024 are now starting to take shape, where mixed-gender entries will be a requirement, there is also a feeling that there will be opportunities for a wider range of age, experience and crew weights. This has triggered a fair bit of interest among a broader group of sailors than normal. It has also drawn the attention of some of the world’s top builders as they look into producing boats that might tap into this new scene.

Of course some, like Beneteau, have been in this space for a while with their Figaro range of offshore racers. Jeanneau has also been successful most recently with its SunFast 3200 and 3600 models, with the new 3300 starting to make an impression as well. Other builders like JPK, J/Boats and Pogo have also been successful in developing interesting boats in this area. And now one of the latest to step into the ring is Dehler.