Leisure 17


Leisure 17 is one of a series of cruisers manufactured by the British boatbuilder Cobramold Ltd. until the company went into liquidation in 1980, the moulds were then taken over by Brinecraft Ltd. The boat is capable of offshore sailing.

History

The Leisure 17 was built between 1967 and 1996. A total of between 3000 and 4500 units were built, the exact numbers are not known due to the company records being lost in a fire in 1990.
Designed to be a family cruiser, the hull is made from Glass-reinforced plastic and came in two designs: a double-keel version and a fin-keel version. The keels of both versions are made from cast iron. Since the double-keel version has a quite low draft, it is popular in tidal waters.
Later, the Leisure 17 SL came in a new shape, designed by Brian Meerloo. This used the same hull but had a redesigned upper deck, giving a larger cabin.

Deck

The cockpit provides space for up to four persons. A locker is placed between the cockpit and the stern. The stanchions and guard rail gives the Leisure 17 the appearance of a bigger cruiser and provide fixing points for protective fenders. A small pipe placed at the bow leads to the anchor chain locker.

Sails

SailSail area Sail area
Main sail7.783
Genoa9.3100
Working jib6.065
No. 1 jib7.985
Storm jib3.740
No. 1 spinnaker19.3208
No. 2 spinnaker13.9150

Mechanical Propulsion

Most Leisure 17 are equipped with an outboard.
3.68 kW is sufficient to reach hull speed.

Cabin

The cabin is just a single room. The seats placed in the saloon provide two bunks. Two additional bunks can be found below the cockpit seats. The Leisure 17 was designed as a 4-person cruiser, but just two crew will fill the available storage and sleeping space. Although the boat is only 17 feet overall, it is equipped with a small galley and a chemical toilet.

Point of interest

The Leisure 17 is a seagoing cruiser. The sea-keeping abilities of the yacht were proved by John Adam, who crossed the Atlantic with his Leisure 17 in 1967 within 32 days.
In March 2012, Turkish sailor Noyan Culum, left Bodrum in Turkey and sailed single-handed over eight months to Plymouth in the UK, via Gibraltar and crossing the Bay of Biscay.