The French shipyardJeanneau currently offers three model series of cabin cruisers: Velasco, NC and
Leader. Our test boat, the Leader 30, belongs to the latter and is the smallest in the series. Boats in this category are designed to fulfil both sporting and family requirements, which is why they are designed more as day cruisers and are equipped with a Portion of luxury are provided.
In addition, the shipyard attaches great importance to comfortable equipment and shineswith intelligently realised ideasThis is what sets the Leader 30 apart from its competitors. The boat is equipped with either a diesel from Volvo Penta or one or two petrol engines from MerCruiser.Z-drives with twin propellers bring the power into the water.
Our test boat is one of the first and was built under great time pressure. In terms of workmanship, the entire fine tuning in the engine compartment suffered in particular.
We have seen better from Jeanneau. Our main criticism of the technical installation is that cables and hoses rub against untreated openings. This is unacceptable and is rated as unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, you can see that Jeanneau is endeavouring to live up to the standards it has set itself. The plastic finish inside and out as well as the wooden elements and upholstery are impressive.
Driving and manoeuvring
If you order the Leader 30 with an engine, you should also tick the bow thruster box to ensure that mooring and casting off manoeuvres and longer reverse journeys in crosswinds or crosscurrents go smoothly. Without wind and current, the test boat otherwise moves forwards and backwards to where it is supposed to go. When reversing from one side to the other, it takes a while to turn in, and when travelling slowly forwards, people changing places in the boat have a minimal influence on the heel. We sail the slow passages at a maximum of 1200 rpm or 6 knots so that the waves generated by the boat do not interfere.
Without using the trim tabs and with the sterndrive fully trimmed, our Leader 30 goes from displacement to planing speed with the best of foresight and without trimming too much. This phase is short. At full throttle, the engine turns 120 rpm more than permitted because the boat is almost empty, and the GPS logs a top speed of a good 31 knots.
According to our measurements (which are based on the shipyard's consumption data), the test boat runs most economically at 3000 rpm and a speed of 24 knots. One tank of fuel is then theoretically enough for a range of 154 nm plus 15% reserve; our minimum range requirement is therefore met. Even at full throttle, this is just 9 nm less - a good value. However, as the test boat already cruises nicely at 2200 rpm or 10 knots, it is easy to be tempted to maintain this speed as a cruising speed. The only problem is that the engine consumes more than one and a half times as much as at 3000 rpm, but the range shrinks to less than 100 nm plus reserve. So slow does not mean economical; at cruising speed: step on the gas!
When it comes to extreme manoeuvres, all of which are performed at top speed, there is nothing negative to report. On the imaginary slalom course, the test boat is made to sway safely over its longitudinal axis; when the rudder is torn, the boat follows the course once set without complaint, and the 180° turns are completed unspectacularly with a rocking and settling movement in a radius of three to four boat lengths with stable centrifugal forces. The waves of commercial shipping on the Rhine pose no challenge. Only when the distance between the waves corresponds to the length of the boat is caution required; then you should approach the waves at an angle. We didn't do this and caught a lot of water spray, which was due to the somewhat bulbous bow.
The driver sits on a neat, adjustable chair at the clearly laid out driving position. The reflections in the windscreen are annoying; it is also a little too low for us, the frame is exactly at eye level when gliding. The windscreen wiper costs extra, as does the depth sounder; the compass comes as standard. Despite the lack of engine compartment insulation, the sound pressure at full throttle does not exceed
than 83 dB(A) at full throttle. Passengers sit on the cockpit bench seat on the port side, the backrest of which can be folded forwards and backwards.
Technology
Part of the rear seat bench and (depending on the folding direction of the backrests) also the rear sun lounger forms the engine compartment lid; this is moved electrically. There is no access aid to the engine compartment. The engine is exposed all round and, like the tank, batteries, fuel pre-filter and other fittings, is therefore easily accessible. However, not everything is optimally positioned in the engine compartment, screw ends protrude and hoses and cables rub against untreated cut edges in bulkhead openings. The electrical and technical installations are therefore downgraded. The main battery switches are located under the companionway to the living area and the fuses behind a flap in the underfloor cabin - both easily accessible.
Security
The storage compartment floor in the rear bench seat can be removed, making the engine compartment accessible from above in an emergency. An automatic fire extinguishing system and an electric plus a manual bilge pump in the engine compartment are standard, but a water alarm in the diesel pre-filter is absurdly absent. The handles of the remotely switchable fuel taps are concealed in the wardrobe in the underfloor cabin. The holding options on the boat are strategically well distributed. The swim ladder can be operated from the water and grab handles are integrated into the platform.
Living and comfort
For a boat in this category, the Leader has an astonishing amount of space. In the space available, the shipyard has created two attractive separate cabins with sleeping space for four adults. These are divided between the cabin under the cockpit and the saloon at the front when the seating area is converted into a lounger. There is also an acceptably sized bathroom with WC and a passable galley. The headroom is also sufficient.
Not forgetting the storage spaces on and below deck. The cockpit shines with its clever bench seat - it can be turned into a large sunbed by folding down the backrests at the rear. The sunbeds on the foredeck, which can be converted into loungers in a few simple steps if the appropriate accessories are purchased, should also be mentioned here. The fact that the navigation lights are not approved for the German part of the North Sea, Baltic Sea and parts of the German inland waterways and that the canopy and tarpaulin (as well as the equipment carrier required for a canopy) can only be found on the accessories list leads to a devaluation.
Conclusion
With the Leader 30, Jeanneau has almost created a jack-of-all-trades - others usually need more hull length for this amount of space. The handling characteristics are also first-class, even if you have to
you have to step on the gas to save fuel. An almost perfect boat for families and water sports enthusiasts, if the shipyard doesn't lose sight of fine-tuning the workmanship.
This article appeared in the BOOTE issue 03/2017
