Powering to windward in one of the breeziest starts to a winter I can remember, it was hard to tell what was rain and what was spray. Sunshine and a gentle breeze would have been lovely, but wouldn’t have revealed much about the calibre of the boat. Two reefs in the main, green water on deck and gusts of Force 6 whistling in the rigging – now that’s a proper boat test. It’s also a whole lot of fun, especially when it’s on Dehler’s latest 46-foot flagship, the 46SQ.
The Dehler 46SQ isn’t new exactly – the 46 was launched in 2014 and this is the same Judel/Vrolijk hull – but it’s now had Dehler’s ‘SQ’ treatment, for ‘speed and quality’, first applied to the 38.
While there has been some of the usual window dressing, such as a choice of colours for the new backlit Dehler logo on the coachroof or new colour options for the galley work surface, many of the changes are significant.
An optional competition keel, deeper rudder, taller carbon rig and flatdeck headsail furler are intended to turbo-charge the sailing, as will the bowsprit supported by a bobstay to allow downwind sails to be set with proper luff tension, carbon
