Optima 101
Dehler · E.G. van de Stadt · 1985
Updated
The Optima 101 is a 10.11 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by E.G. van de Stadt and built by Dehler, first launched in 1985. It races in Class C.
Length
10.11 m
33′ 2″
Beam
3.41 m
Draft
1.74 m
Displacement
4.2 t
Sail area
58 m²
On the podium
Where a Optima 101 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
26%
of 109 starts by 2 boats
Wins
6%
Read from 109 starts by 2 boats between 2018 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Optima 101 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
"Πανελληνιο Κυπελο ORCI 2026"2026- "Νικολαος Σαρικαβαζης 2026"2026
- Aegean Regatta2026
XXX Lliga Social CMPO2026- XXIX Lliga Social CMPO2025
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
31%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
20%
of these races end on the podium
Sharper round the buoys. Short courses reward acceleration and manoeuvring, and that is where this design makes its money.
Who she races against
The designs a Optima 101 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Some of the boats it races against
How the Optima 101 has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
4.70
40°
Beam reach
7.67
90°
Broad reach
8.48
135°
Downwind VMG
7.34
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
There is no obvious weak spot here. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is cracked off once it pipes up, where it goes better than its measurements say it should. It holds that advantage running deep as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
There is no condition where it falls away badly, which is worth something over a season of mixed weather.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.4 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the broad reach.
How fast is a Optima 101
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.12 | 4.27 | 4.67 | 4.70 |
| 52° | 4.81 | 6.21 | 6.62 | 6.72 |
| 60° | 5.09 | 6.40 | 6.81 | 6.94 |
| 75° | 5.29 | 6.56 | 7.01 | 7.31 |
| 90° | 5.21 | 6.63 | 7.12 | 7.67 |
| 110° | 5.23 | 6.77 | 7.42 | 8.11 |
| 120° | 5.05 | 6.70 | 7.43 | 8.43 |
| 135° | 4.53 | 6.40 | 7.23 | 8.48 |
| 150° | 3.84 | 5.83 | 6.91 | 8.03 |
| Run VMG | 3.32 | 5.06 | 6.29 | 7.34 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Nearly all carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 450 kg.
Rigging
Optima 101 rig and sail dimensions
A Optima 101 carries 11.75 m of mainsail hoist on a 4.07 m boom, a forestay 11.90 m above the deck and a 3.90 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 6 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 71 to 91 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.