Leisure 22 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The Leisure 22 stands as a pivotal transition model in the history of British production yachting, bridging the gap between the diminutive "pocket" cruisers of the 1960s and the more sophisticated family cruisers of the late 1970s. Introduced by Cobramold Ltd. in 1970 and designed by Frank Pryor, the Leisure 22 was a significant departure from the Arthur Howard-designed Leisure 17. While the 17 was a coastal day-sailer with overnight capabilities, the 22 was engineered as a genuine small cruiser capable of extended family holidays. Built in the company’s Stansted Airport facility, the model utilized heavy-duty GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) construction, a hallmark of the era when builders were still conservative regarding laminate thickness. According to the technical archives of the Leisure Owners Association, the Leisure 22 was produced until approximately 1975, at which point it was superseded by the wildly successful Leisure 23, which utilized a very similar hull form but offered increased headroom through a revised deck molding.