The Dehler 45 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

Published Specification for the Dehler 45

Underwater Profile: Bulb fin keel with spade hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 44'11" (13.7m)

Waterline Length: 39'4" (12.0m)

Beam: 12'6" (3.9m)

Draft: 7'3" (2.2m)

Rig Type: Fractional sloop

Displacement: 21,385lb (9,700kg)

Ballast: 7.782lb (3,530kg)

Designer: Simonis Voogd

Builder: Dehler Yachts (Germany)

Year First Built: 2010

Published Design Ratios for the Dehler 45

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 21.7

• Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
• 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
• Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 36.4

• Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
• Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 157

• Under 100: Ultralight
• 100 to 200: Light
• 200 to 275: Moderate
• 275 to 350: Heavy
• Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 27.4

• Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
• 20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
• 30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
• 40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
• Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 1.8

• Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
• Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Dehler 45

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 21.7 suggests that, in the right hands, the Dehler 45 will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern. 

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.4 would usually mean that the Dehler 45 would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of her keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 157 tells us the Dehler 45 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 27.4 suggests that crew comfort of a Dehler 45 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not the best of news for anyone prone to seasickness. 

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.8 indicates that a Dehler 45 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.