D-One, Done Deal?
LET’S look this month at the D-One, the new fast hiking single-hander from Devoti, says Alan Henderson. While most single-hander dinghies like Lasers and Solos have just one sail, the increasing popularity of asymmetrics since the 90s has led to two recent new designs for single-handers with asymmetrics, and the D-One was the first to enter the market. Previously the category of asymmetric single-handers has mostly been high performance designs with trapezes, principally the Musto Skiff and the RS700. But the recent pair of new designs in this area of asymmetric single-handers aim to give accessible rather than ultimate performance, meaning that they are hiking, not trapeze boats. Many fast boats demand considerable commitment to put in enough time on the water to polish the skills and achieve good racing performance. So now, instead of continuing the arms race of providing faster and faster boats to the smaller slice of the sailing public who can master them, manufacturers are looking at designs which provide a blend of good performance, easily delivered. This way, there is potentially a much wider market of people who might be tempted by a new design. The Devoti-One is Luca Devoti’s take on an asymmetric hiking single-hander which offers good speed, but without the complication of a trapeze. Here is how Luca described the design philosophy behind the D-One: ‘The world needed a new single-handed dinghy, which would provide what is missing from the popular classes raced today. The D-One would keep the best of the Finn and Laser, while improving on them in every way. It would capitalise on the huge strides made in design, engineering, and construction since the birth of these classic boats, providing comfort, ease of sailing, and the kind of downwind performance that embodies modern high performance sailing.’ The D-One was launched last summer, and 60 boats have so far been delivered to customers. It comes with a good pedigree from Devoti, a builder which has more or less taken over the Finn class and turned it into a virtual one design. That is a rare achievement in an Olympic class where everyone is looking for that extra edge. Devoti also build the Melges 24, one of the highest tech sportsboats. To that building pedigree was added the design skills of the man behind many of the top modern dinghy designs, Phil Morrison, who was recruited to design the D-One. As for equipment in the D-One, nothing is scrimped. Mast, boom and sprit are all carbon, the hull is carbon foam, and fittings are Harken throughout. A dream formula, you might think? Let’s find out. The spec of this boat aims to be fast but easy to sail. The D-One is aimed at the higher end of the medium performance category, and so is endowed with a generous sail area, especially downwind. The fully battened mainsail is 11sq.m, set on a two part carbon mast, with no shrouds. There are two foot positions for the mast, and deck level mast control is by chocks. There is plenty of hiking leverage to balance the 11sq.m of power, with wings provided which can give a beam of up to 2.31metres. The wing system is quite simple, offering a choice of just two positions for large or medium size people, with the cross over point to large being at 86kg. The spinnaker is also generous. Its 15sq.m is large for a hiking boat, and means that D-One sailors will certainly enjoy the ride downwind on broad reaches and below, but they may often decide on discretion rather than valour on breezy beam reaches. Sizewise, the D-One is 4.23 metres long, and its waterline length will be pretty similar as the bow is fairly close to vertical. The foils are vertical lifting in both cases: A daggerboard and a Musto Skiff style vertical lifting rudder blade. The test was on the estuary beside Hayling Island in winds of around 8mph. First to try the boat was Andrew, a big FF sailor. Accordingly the wings were set on narrow, to suit a heavier sailor. Watching Andrew enjoy his test sail, I was impressed by the power of the boat, both upwind and down. Andrew was hiking hard on the wings most of the time despite the low wind strength, and the boat was well powered up downwind despite a light breeze. The D-One comes with a high quality full width traveller for the main, a feature seen on few modern dinghy classes. However this was just one aspect of the D-One which made me feel that sailors of sportboats and yachts would feel comfortable on the boat. The advice was to use the traveller as the principal control, playing the traveller rather than the mainsheet. This worked fine, and I’m sure most sailors would quickly adapt to using the traveller’s 2:1 purchase. Other advice was for pretty minimal use of the kicker, with the mainsheet acting as the principal leech control. Playing with these three controls, and experimenting with pointing angles will certainly give D-One owners some good entertainment as they find the best way to go to windward in different winds. Controls for sail adjustment are all beside you on each wing. So there was plenty of power, but at that wind strength neither of the two newcomers to the D-One were able to outpace the Finn we were testing against upwind. The Finn had the advantage of being sailed by a top Finn sailor, who was used to his boat. Both the Finn and the D-One were able to point well when desired, but more time in the boat would be needed to find best angle and traveller/main settings for top VMG upwind in the D-One. That will add to the interest for D-One owners. In stronger breezes, the way to go in the D-One is said to be to crack a little and plane to windward, using that big leverage. So in the test conditions, the D-One to windward impressed with its power, with both testers sitting out comfortably on the wings all the time despite modest winds. The wings generate plenty of hiking power, allowing the boat to carry plenty of sail. Downwind, there was lots of power, enough to surf or plane, even with a big helm aboard. The speed was good, and the D-One felt like a real apparent wind boat, unlike many other medium performance boats which struggle in light breezes. So I would expect to zig zag downwind profitably in most conditions in the D-One, whereas some slower classes would be better in light breezes to go straight downwind without the kite. The D-One has an unusual full length spinnaker sock, and when standing to drop the kite you haul on the downhaul from behind you, instead of the usual in front of you. The spinnaker chute at the bow is wide, so friction is low on hoists and drops. The D-One has a generous sail area which delivers apparent wind sailing in most conditions even to big sailors, but there is one downside, the accompanying wings. Style wise, wings are perhaps a little ‘last century’, and the execution of the design of the wings while functionally fine, results in a look for the boat which is not entirely easy on the eye. If you are the sort of person who yearns for the prettiest little sports car in which to cut a dash on your trip to Monte Carlo, you may think twice. On the other hand, if you are less of a fashion victim, and prefer to drive a car which prioritises power delivery, handling and efficiency, the Devoti will certainly appeal on these criteria. Its Portsmouth Yardstick of 971 emphasises its power delivery, and places it firmly at the higher end of the medium performance segment. Sales blurbs for asymmetric boats always stress the downwind fun, and for the D-One this claim is certainly well founded, with the boat showing a great turn of speed. It is a boat which weighs in at just 75kg all up, but somehow it communicates a real smoothness and stability to the helm. It is not a boat for pumping and rocking like slower single-handers, you just concentrate on your spinnaker sheeting, and enjoy a ride reminiscent of a sportboat or small yacht. I could quite see buyers of the D-One coming from the background of people who appreciate quality, and like playing a traveller. In car terms, it has the feel of a six cylinder BMW, not a mass market product for everyman. Finn sailors are among potential customers showing considerable interest, while sailors of other highly specified, highly tuned boats such as Merlin Rockets or 505s could also find the class attractive. Larger sailors in particular are sure to welcome the introduction of the D-One, because choice of boats for them is limited, and the D-One suits this segment well. Latest price of the D-One is around £10,500, including cover and trolley, and the boat is priced in Euros so is subject to exchange rate fluctuations. Contact a dealer for the latest price. The D-One is built in Poland, and there is an attractive Italian circuit on offer, so if you decide to buy a D-One, a trip to the country of fashion and design could be on the cards. Devoti’s plan for the D-One is to offer regattas which emphasise fun, with simplified rules, and give a relaxed balance between time spent on the water, and time spent enjoying the delights of a holiday stay in an Italian resort. They expect many customers to combine a holiday with a regatta; a different feeling to the usual championship where time is spent either travelling or competing. This year’s circuit has six fixtures, and Devoti has a set of charter boats available to make your trip much easier, which sounds like a great way to try the boat. A UK circuit is expected to be added later this year, and a limited supply of charter boats may be available here too. Thanks to Rodney Cobb, Suntouched Sailboats for test sail and to Mengeham Rythe Sailing Club for facilities. Suntouched, which also supplies the latest model Devoti Finn, can be contacted on 0208 133 0104. Further info on www.suntouched.co.uk