Leisure Owners Association 1982-2025
Barri Hopkin's L23SL sailing the Blackwater
Leisure 23
Designed by Frank Pryor for serious cruising and launched in 1973, the Leisure 23 was an immediate success.
The first thing that impresses most people about the Leisure 23 is the ample deck space, large deep cushioned cockpit and surprisingly roomy accommodation for up to fivepeople.
With a high ballast ration of 48%, the L23 proved a most seaworthy yacht.
The hull is of one piece, moulded GRP for minimum maintenance, with interior mouldings and bulkheads bonded in for exceptional strength and rigidity.
A balsa sandwich deck provides further strength and excellent insulation.
Fin or twin keel (hydrofoil section) versions were built, keels being made in cast iron.
Rudder and skeg are moulded GRP with steel framework and fittings.
A teak rubbing strake is standard to protect the topsides.
Moulded non-slip areas on deck help to provide a secure foothold whilst working forward.
An outboard engine (8-10hp) was fitted as the standard auxiliary, but many are fitted with a 10hp inboard diesel engine, usually a Volvo Penta Saildrive unit.
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The spars are in aluminium alloy. Originally gold, the spars of later boats are black or silver. All standing rigging and rigging screws are in stainless steel and halyards are internal to the mast.
Accommodation
The accommodation comprises a main saloon cabin in a dinette arrangement, with a large fore cabin.
Two fore cabin arrangements were supplied, either with or without a separate toilet compartment.
Five berths are available, although one is very short when a separate toilet compartment is fitted.
A galley with two-burner gas stove and a sink with freshwater pump is standard.
Much use is made of teak and teak veneers throughout the cabin giving a warm appearance.
Leisure 23 SL
Introduced two years later in 1975, the Leisure 23SL has an identical hull and rig to the Leisure 23.
However the L23SL has a different, Brian-Meerloo-designed, deck moulding featuring a more modern wedge shaped coach roof and higher side decks.
This increased the headroom by an inch in the cabin.
Specification
Length Overall 6.90m 22 ft 8 in
Length Waterline 6.09m 20 ft
Beam 2.39m 7 ft 10in
Headroom L23 1.75m 5 ft 9in
Headroom L23SL 1.79m 5 ft 10in
Draft
Fin 1.19m 3 ft 11in
Twin 0.81m 2 ft 8in
Displacement 1841kg 4050lbs
Keels 886kg 1950lbs
Ballast Ratio 48%
Mast
Standard 7.93m 26 ft
Lake Rig 9.0 m 30 ft
Mainsail 8.4sqm 90sqft
Working Jib 9.7sqm 104sq ft
No.1 Jib 7.9sqm 85sqft
No.1 Storm Jib 4.7sqm 51sqft
No.2 Storm Jib 2.8sqm 30sqft
Genoa 4.7sqm 158sqft
Spinnaker 32.5sqm 350sqft
Performance
For cruising boats, The RYA has updated the Portsmouth Yardstick scheme with the National Handicap for Cruisers (NHC). More up to date information may be obtainable from the RYA NHC site and the Byron web site.
The only yardstick information we have are various Club Numbers (CN) and Recorded Numbers (RN) as follows:
Keel Engine Propeller Number (Year/Source)
Twin Inboard 2 Blade CN1250 (1999) RN1226 (1996) CN1195 (Byron)
Twin Inboard Folding CN1240 (1999) CN1160 (1999)
Twin Outboard 2 Blade CN1190 (1999) RN1240 (1988) RN1220 (1983)
Fin Inboard Folding CN1190 (1999) RN1190 (1983) CN1122 (Byron)
L23SL_Brochure.pdfL23_Brochure.pdf