The DB-2 is a

West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminolo ...

that was designed by E. G. van de Stadt and Cees van Tongeren as an

International Offshore Rule The International Offshore Rule (IOR) was a measurement rule for racing sailboats. The IOR evolved from the Cruising Club of America (CCA) rule for racer/cruisers and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) rule. Rule context - past and present rating ...

Three-Quarter Ton class Three-Quarter Ton class was an offshore sailing class of the International Offshore Rule racing the Three-Quarter Ton Cup between 1974 and 1994.1994 October ''Yachting World'': "One Ton Cup, The Most Competitive Trophy", p.88-89 Boats *C&C 3/4 Ton ...

racer and first built in 1981.Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition'', pages 264-265. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. The

DB-1 The DB-1 is a West German sailboat that was designed by E. G. van de Stadt and Cees van Tongeren as an International Offshore Rule Three-Quarter Ton class racer and first built in 1980.Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of No ...

design was developed into the DB-2 in 1981, with modifications that included a walk-through transom, lighter weight, more ballast and increased sail area.

Production

The design was built by Dehler Yachts, owned by the Dehler brothers, Willi and Heinz, in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

starting in 1981, but it is now out of production.

Design

Like the DB-1, the DB-2 is one of several variations of Stadt design 320. It is a recreational

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

, built predominantly of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig with running

backstay A backstay is a piece of standing rigging on a sailing vessel that runs from the mast to either its transom or rear quarter, counteracting the forestay and jib. It is an important sail trim control and has a direct effect on the shape of the ma ...

s, a

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, a

reverse transom A transom is the vertical reinforcement which strengthens the stern of a boat. This flat termination of the stern is typically above the waterline. The term was used as far back as Middle English in the 1300s, having come from Latin ''transvers ...

, an internally mounted spade-type

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...

controlled by a

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...

and a fixed fin

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

. It displaces and carries of lead ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard keel fitted. The boat is fitted with a

Yanmar is a Japanese diesel engine, heavy machinery and agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in Osaka, Japan in 1912. Yanmar manufactures and sells engines used in a wide range of applications, including seagoing vessels, pleasure boats, cons ...

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds and the fresh water tank has a capacity of . The design has a head located forward and no "V"-berth, the bow area being reserved for sail storage since the boats were delivered with 11 different sails. The galley is amidships on the port side and includes a two-burner stove. No

icebox An icebox (also called a cold closet) is a compact non-mechanical refrigerator which was a common early-twentieth-century kitchen appliance before the development of safely powered refrigeration devices. Before the development of electric refrige ...

is provided. Sleeping accommodation consists of two settee berths, two quarter berths and two pilot berths. A navigation station id provided on the starboard side and includes chart storage. For racing all the lines are led to the cockpit. Storage is provided under the cockpit. The design uses both standing and running backstays and has winches for the running backstays. There are also two winches for the

genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

sheets A bed sheet is a rectangular piece of cloth used either singly or in a pair as bedding, which is larger in length and width than a mattress, and which is placed immediately above a mattress or bed, but below blankets and other bedding (such as ...

and two winches for

halyard In sailing, a halyard or halliard is a line (rope) that is used to hoist a ladder, sail, flag or yard. The term ''halyard'' comes from the phrase "to haul yards". Halyards, like most other parts of the running rigging, were classically made of ...

s. The mainsheet traveller is located across the cockpit. Track-mounted Barber haulers are provided for both the

jib A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast. Jibs and spinnakers are the two main types of headsail ...

and genoa to control sail twist downwind when sheets are eased. The

boom vang A boom vang (US) or kicking strap (UK) (often shortened to "vang" or "kicker") is a line or piston system on a sailboat used to exert downward force on the boom and thus control the shape of the sail. The Collins English Dictionary defines it ...

is a solid tube design and a

Cunningham Cunningham is a surname of Scottish origin, see Clan Cunningham. Notable people sharing this surname A–C * Aaron Cunningham (born 1986), American baseball player *Abe Cunningham, American drummer * Adrian Cunningham (born 1960), Australian ...

is fitted for sail adjustment. The design has a

PHRF Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) is a handicapping system used for yacht racing in North America. It allows dissimilar classes of sailboats to be raced against each other. The aim is to cancel out the inherent advantages and disadvantages ...

racing average handicap of 129.

Operational history

The design came in first, second, third and fifth places in the 1984 IOR 3/4 ton cup races held in

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...

. In a 1992 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "The db is claimed to be the fastest one-design production 3/4-tonner in the world, and she has won at Cowes, at Kiel, and in the Southern Ocean Racing Circuit. The emphasis is on racing rather than cruising." ''Sailboatdata'' notes "On the international racing circuit, the DB models proved unbeatable for a few years in 3/4 ton level racing. (1983-84)."

References

{{Reflist Keelboats 1980s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Sailboat type designs by E. G. van de Stadt Sailboat type designs by Cees van Tongeren Sailboat types built by Dehler Yachts

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References