Design and Construction
The Leisure 20 was launched with a more modern style from the beginning, pairing a German-drafted hull with a British-designed deck anchor. Below the waterline the boat was offered in fin, twin, or centreboard configurations: the fin and twin keels are cast iron, with the twin keels carrying a high aspect ratio hydrofoil section that gives shallow-draft grip, while the centreboard version houses a galvanised mild steel plate inside a cast iron stub tube. The rudder and skeg are moulded GRP with steel framework and stainless steel fittings, and a teak rubbing strake is standard along with moulded non-slip deck areas intended to keep crew safe on deck. Two large coach-roof windows per side and a translucent fore-hatch flood the cabin with light.
Rig and Handling
The masthead sloop rig sits on aluminium alloy spars — originally gold anodised, with later boats wearing black or silver — and all standing rigging and rigging screws are stainless steel with internal halyards. Under sail the Leisure 20 is extremely stable, vice-free and fast, performing well under all conditions, and the long waterline with generous beam underpins that balance. Under power a five to seven horsepower outboard moves her happily and economically, and she stays very manoeuvrable both ahead and astern. A twin-keel outboard model carries a Portsmouth Yardstick of 1342 and a Byron Club Number of 1198, and apart from the Leisure 17 the marque's boats are seldom raced.
Accommodations
For a 20-footer the interior is surprisingly roomy, finished in teak timbers and veneers with four sensibly sized cushioned berths and ample stowage. The deep, wide cockpit carries an outboard motor well in the stern whose cover doubles as an extra seat or table, and the cabin itself offers 5-foot-4-inch headroom. A full galley with cooker and sink sits to starboard, and the large windows and fore-hatch make the space particularly light and airy for its size.
Refits and Ownership
Owners shopping a Leisure 20 will find a straightforward trailer-sailer whose spar colour signals build era and whose twin-keel, shallow-draft layout invites both inshore pottering and serious offshore passage-making. The standard 24-foot mast and an optional 26-foot lake rig widen the sail-plan choices, and the boat's settled, predictable hull rewards careful keel-metal upkeep.
The Verdict
The Leisure 20 is a compact, genuinely versatile cruiser that punches above its length through smart use of beam and waterline, offering safe handling under sail or outboard power and a teak-trimmed interior that sleeps four without feeling cramped. Its multiple keel options and trailerable nature make it unusual among small cruisers for the range of waters it can legitimately work.
Pros
- Long waterline and generous beam deliver a balanced, roomy four-berth hull
- Twin keels with high aspect ratio hydrofoil section give shallow draft and offshore stability
- Deep wide cockpit with motor-well cover that becomes seat or table
- Light, airy cabin with teak finish and full starboard galley
Cons
- 5-foot-4-inch cabin headroom limits taller crew below
- Seldom raced, so limited one-design performance data beyond yardstick numbers
