Boating USA — February 2018

(Jacob Rumans) #1

C


CERTIFIED
TEST
RESULTS

AVAILABLE POWER:
OUTBOARD

PHOTO: COURTESY JEANNEAU AMERICA

the steps and tunnel work well together.
Credit it to Jeanneau, which worked out
airflow over the helm’s windscreen and the
free-standing hardtop to minimize sound.
The skipper pilots from the center of three
bolstered chairs at a dash large enough to
flush-mount a pair of 12-inch electronic
displays, plus Yamaha engine monitors.
The chairs mount on an athwartship gal-
ley unit, with an (optional) electric grill
and a pair of sinks over a 1.5-cubic-foot re-
frigerator. It’s as sociable as it is functional.
Running in seas? We admired the re-
cessed grab rail on the aft edge of the galley.
The cockpit holds a wide transom seat,
with a pair of folding seats port and star-
board to offer an L- or U-shaped lounge
with a teak table. The table can drop to
form a rear sun pad. With the port seat
folded down, there’s easy access through
a sturdy transom door, swinging on robust
hinges, to a large swim platform.

The best sun pad, though, lies on the
bow deck, via the main (9-inch-wide) re-
cessed port side deck or the secondary
(6-inch-wide) recessed starboard-side,
with a thigh-high rail from helm to bow
for support if needed. The sun pad is wide
enough for two, with lifting backrests for
reading, conversation and watching sun-
sets. A central cushion lifts to expose a
skylight for the cabin below when desired.
Forward of the pad, a windlass mounts
over a rode/chain locker, controlling an
anchor mounted on the stemhead.
Comparison shopping will be challeng-
ing. We know of no other boat featuring a
broad, comfortable forward sun pad, rid-
ing on a double-stepped hull and powered
by quiet, virtually smoke-free outboards.
We think these features, especially the lay-
out, will find appeal among boaters.
From the first glance, the Jeanneau’s
cabin is surprisingly bright with natural
light. The secret lies in strategic place-
ment of the aforementioned bow skylight,
another placed just forward of the wind-
screen, port lights on the lower sides of
the cockpit galley, and smoked safety-glass
windows built as accents into the hull’s

topsides. From the companionway to port
of the helm, the space opens to a large
salon with a two-burner galley to port op-
posite an enclosed head with separate
shower compartment. The forward space
holds a two-sided lounge with a pedestal
table that converts to a double bunk. The
midcabin offers another double with sit-
ting headroom. Both berths can be closed
off with curtains for privacy. Jeanneau’s
design team has cleverly built in multiple
storage spaces, including drawers, shelves
and a pair of hanging lockers, as well as ac-
cess to plumbing, wiring and (if fitted) the
air-conditioning system.
Continuing with the “built with the me-
chanic in mind” theme, the large cockpit
hatch provides human-size access to ma-
jor systems, from tanks, plumbing, and
wiring to the generator. The hatch also
demonstrates Jeanneau’s commitment to
seaworthiness with surrounding deep gut-
ters that drain water to screened scuppers,
with hoses that lead aft through the tran-
som. Yes, they are neatly double-clamped
and readily accessible below deck should
they become clogged.
Jeanneau’s Leader 10.5 should draw
appreciative glances, especially if spied
underway at speed. But it’s also designed
and built to get the crew home safely and
to provide reliable long-term confidence
in ownership. —Capt. John Page Williams

High Points
XSophisticated Michael Peters’ double-step
hull and a CE rating of B (offshore).
XThis boat sports a low profile and a roomy,
well-equipped cabin. Wow!
XGood access throughout to wiring, plumbing
and mechanicals for maintenance.

Low Points
XWe’d like to see grab handles for crew
standing on each side of the helm chairs.
XMinimum planing speed — about 20 mph —
is higher than some other boats.

· LOA: 34'8" · BEAM: 10'6" · DRAFT: 2'9" (engines
down) · DISPLACEMENT: 9,370 lb. · TRANSOM
DEADRISE: 21.5 degrees · BRIDGE CLEARANCE:
7'5" · MAX CABIN HEADROOM: 5'11" · FUEL
CAPACITY: 210 gal. · WATER CAPACITY: 42 gal.
· MAX HORSEPOWER: 700 · AVAILABLE POWER:
Twin outboard motors to 700 hp total

Price: $180,000
(base with test power)

T he Leader 10.5 boasts
a sophisticated version
of Michael Peters’
patented Stepped-Vee
Ventilated Tunnel hull.

HOW WE TESTED
ENGINES: TWIN 350 HP YAMAHA V-8 FOUR-
STROKES DRIVE/PROPS: OUTBOARDS/15.5" X 19"
YAMAHA SALTWATER SERIES XL 3-BLADE
STAINLESS-STEEL GEAR RATIOS: 1.73:1 FUEL
LOAD: 100 GAL. WATER LOAD: 8 GAL. CREW
WEIGHT: 700 LB.
JEANNEAU AMERICA
Annapolis, Maryland; 410-280-9400;
jeanneauamerica.com

SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION
rpm knots mph gph^ naut. mpg stat. mpg range range n. mi. s. mi. angle levelsound
1000 5.04 5.80 3.40 1.48 1.71 280 322 0 61
1500 6.78 7.80 5.60 1.21 1.39 229 263 1 64
2000 8.26 9.50 9.40 0.88 1.01 166 191 3 68
2500 9.21 10.60 14.10 0.65 0.75 123 142 5 73
3000 11.21 12.90 19.60 0.57 0.66 108 124 6 73
3500 20.73 23.85 23.90 0.87 1.00 164 189 6 73
4000 27.98 32.20 26.80 1.04 1.20 197 227 4 74
4500 33.02 38.00 34.90 0.95 1.09 179 206 3 75
5000 37.54 43.20 43.40 0.86 1.00 163 188 2 71
5500 41.36 47.60 57.30 0.72 0.83 136 157 2 69
6000 45.97 52.90 67.90 0.68 0.78 128 147 2 69
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

62 | BOATINGMAG.COM | FEBRUARY 2018

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