Boating USA — February 2018

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