A new, sporty and "younger" concept
The Leader 575 marks the advent of the Leader range from the Jeanneau shipyard. Launched in 1982, it was designed by Robert Rigaudeau, architect in Jeanneau's design office, and 1,400 units were produced until 1994. Versatile, it has a tilting central console, a deep cockpit and offers a wide range of programs: fishing, sport, family.
The same year, the Vendée shipyard launched the Leader 510, which sold more than 1,000 units.
"Jeanneau was one of the first shipyards to manufacture open hulls. There were Leader Open boats, but the Leader range was sportier, had a younger design, and no cabin. When we launched the 510, it was a total success. The hull was made of polyester with a laminated wood deck. The center console tilted and there were two seats in the back. You could go fishing, water skiing. It was a welcome little launch. It didn't have a very pronounced V on the stern, but it would lift off quickly, level out right away and sail fast without being nose up. They were very stable boats." recalls Yannick Guignard, in charge of testing at Jeanneau until 2010 and retired 12 years ago.
A real success and high performance hulls
In 1984, five prototypes of Leader 510 took part in the "Niamey-Bamako" rally and the five boats won prizes: 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th place e , 5 e and 7 e place.
"The range was an immediate success. This type of sporty and modern boat did not exist elsewhere. You could do a lot of things with them, they were versatile. In addition to the Niamey-Bamako rally, Club Méditerranée ordered a fleet of 510s to create the world's first water ski school. We designed boats just for them. The 510s also took part in the Pharaohs Rally in Egypt. They were boats with very good hulls that could be motorized very strongly, up to 140 hp" says Yannick Guignard.
Leader 625, a best-seller and flawless model
The Leader 625 was launched in 1998 and became the best-seller of the range. It sold 1,900 units in only 8 years.
"If the 510 was a very, very good boat, notably because of its price, my "favorite" was the Leader 625. It was wide, had 6/7 places with a saddlery that was well suited, including a sunbathing area at the front and could be motorized up to 200 hp. It was the boat I liked best. During the hull tests, I never found a boat so seaworthy, especially for its length. It was different, it had a lot of class. Robert Rigaudeau created all the hulls of the Leader and during the tests, even at maximum speed, we never managed to fault them." shares the former test manager.
A range that has become a generic name for the open shell
Now retired, he owns a Leader 515 (launched in 2000) with which he has practiced fishing, water-skiing or even cruising. He remembers with pleasure the time of these open hulls of less than 7 m, the boat of "Mr. Everyman" sold ready to sail with engine and trailer, that many shipyards have tried to copy.
"Later on, other shipyards started to make open hulls: Bénéteau, B2 Marine, Quicksilvereuros. When our clients went to boat shows, they looked for Leader boats from the competition. The name had become so well known, like Zodiac for RIBs, Leader had become the generic name for open hulls explains Yannick Guignard.
Increasingly large American-style cab models
Walkaround models appeared in 1994 with the launch of the Leader 695 WA, followed in 1995 until 2002 by the Leader 555 WA. These last ones offer a cabin and allow to practice the small cruise.
In 2004, Jeanneau wanted to establish itself in the United States and launched a model inspired by American trends. The Leader 925 WA's hull design was entrusted to naval architect Michaël Peters, who introduced the step. However, the former test manager remembers having already seen such a hull in the 1990s on an offshore model from Jeanneau.
If he follows the evolution of the shipyard from afar, and in particular of the range, he recognizes that the latter has evolved a lot. Indeed, today the shipyard is far from its role of precursor of the small "open hull". To date, its largest model is the Leader 12.5 WA powered by three large outboard engines and offering comfort and a layout for family cruising, still very American inspired.
