LEADER 1

[chris]

I've just been over to look at a friend's boat she needs to sell. It is a Leader 1 no.179 built c. 1964. It has been in her family since new and until a few months ago has always been kept indoors. It is now outside but has a brand new sunandrain cover to protect it. It is all complete with a wooden mast and sails and could just about be sailed as is but would benefit from paint and varnish and minor jobs. The only problem I could see is that the gunwales are de laminating in a few places but there is no damage at all as far as I could see. The gunwales are made from contrasting coloured timber and if the woodwoork was stripped back to bare wood, repaired and varnished it would all look very good indeed. The hull is white and seemed 100% sound. Jeckells dacron sails. ( I didn't check if it had a spinnaker)

It was pouring with rain when we went to have a look but I have some more photos if anyone would like to see them.

There is a trailer which is quite rusty but was used recently to move it from her old house. There is an inflatable and anchor in it which I think would go with it, but I have no idea if the inflatable isserviceable (didn't investigate it).

Its between Frome and Bruton in Somerset. offers around £150 (mainly to recover the cost of the new cover).

A leader is just a little bigger than an Enterprise and looks more comfortable, especially for the crew. The association is still active and I would say this boat would fit very well in the classic cvrda fleet with its wooden mast and being so original. But is also a good club boat etc. I recommend it and we could even bring it over to the Shearwater event for people to see.

PM me for more details and photos

leader1.jpg

(45.1 KiB) Not downloaded yet

[jpa_wfsc]

If anyone is in any doubt about how lovely the Leader is to sail - doubt no longer! They are fast and stable, easy to sail. I learned to sail in one (it was a GRP composite). No where near as fast upwind as a National 12 of the era, much much faster downwind.