jeanneau 40 motorboat

• Subscribe Now
• Digital Editions

Motor Boat & Yachting drives the Jeanneau Leader 40

Cannes dishes up a F8 and big seas to stretch Jeanneau’s new sportscruiser to the limit

Cannes at the end of March, the setting for Jeanneau’s annual press event. We expect zephyrs and balmy weather and dappled light dancing across a gently rippled sea. Instead, the glamorous French port decided to dish up the sort of weather that boat testers dream of and boatbuilders have nightmares about.

At its worst, we saw 40 knots registering on our anemometer, the top end of F8. For a brief spell, the waves a mile offshore rose to three metres high, although mercifully those were flattened down to half that size as the wind swung through 180° in the space of two hours.

Jeanneau’s new sportscruiser is available in two distinct forms; a hardtop boat designated ‘Sportop’, and a conventional wind-in-the-hair Open boat. We’re normally unashamed fans of open boats, but with its big windows providing such terrific views out at any speed, and its far less fiddly canopy set-up, the Sportop was the clear winner for us. Up close and personal, it has a cleaner and more attractive appearance too.

Our two Volvo sterndrive engine options – D4 300hp and D6 370hp – gave over 31 and 34 knots, down a smidgeon on Jeanneau’s own figures but hardly surprising given the sea state.

Recommended videos for you

On this size of sportscruiser, it’s extremely difficult to deviate from the standard issue twin-cabin, single-heads, compact-galley layout. And so it is with the Leader 40 . However, Jeanneau’s designers have managed to conjure a midships cabin which is sufficiently impressive that owners will be torn between the feeling of space and better appointments back aft, and the convenience of the forward cabin’s en-suite heads.

Cockpit layouts can and do vary a little more. Whereas Princess majors on maximising its big U-shaped seating area on its V39, Jeanneau has traded some space for versatility, incorporating a hinging backrest which allows the rear end of its principal seating area to convert quickly into a respectable sunbed.

Irrespective of the nuances of design and the differences between rival boats, our guess is that Jeanneau has Bavaria firmly in its sights. Excluding VAT, you can pick up the Leader 40 for around £183,000 – value for money indeed.

All the boats I have driven with hulls penned by US designer Michael Peters have been very impressive indeed. So keep an eye out for our forthcoming full test report on the Leader 40 to find out how Jeanneau’s new baby sportscruiser handled the Riviera’s strong winds and big seas.

Subscribe to the print version of MBY Subscribe to a digital version of MBY

Nordkapp Coupe 830 hits the mark on World debut

Ultra-exclusive zeelander 8 set for launch, pardo gt65 first look: 64 footer with expansive foredeck lounge, latest videos, galeon 440 fly sea trial: you won’t believe how much they’ve packed in, parker sorrento yacht tour: 50-knot cruiser with a killer aft cabin, yamarin 80 dc tour: a new direction for the nordic day cruiser, is this the best compact cruiser money can buy aquador 250 ht tour.

Jeanneau Leader 40

• 7 Passengers

Description

The Leader 40 pleasure boat has been produced by Jeanneau since 2013. It has international CE (B) certification and can be operated at sea up to two hundred miles offshore. The hull is made of fiberglass, its length is 12.33 meters, width - 3.8 meters, and draft - 1.1 meters. The vessel has ten seats and four berths for passengers.

The cockpit of the model is equipped with a hardtop cab with a built-in observation hatch. Inside there is a captain's post with an electronic control panel, an adjustable steering wheel and a swivel chair. Behind it there is a galley equipped with a sink, grill and food boxes. There is a corner sofa on the left side of the cockpit, which can be transformed into several sun loungers, and next to it there is a dining table.

Through the passageways on the sides, equipped with metal railings, you can enter the bow of the Jeanneau Leader 40 , where a double sun lounger is installed. On the starboard side, there is a passage leading to the stern - there is a spacious platform with a ladder for access to the water and a towing attachment.

The main cabin of the vessel is equipped with a double bed, a galley with an oven, a sink, a refrigerator, a separate room with a bathroom, as well as hanging boxes. The second cabin has two single beds, a spacious wardrobe and a small sofa. The model is equipped with two stationary engines with a capacity of 300, 350 or 370 hp. Its fuel tank capacity is 724 liters, and the fresh water tank capacity is 250 liters.

• Main Deck 2
• Main Deck (Optional)
• Lower Deck (Optional)

There are no reviews yet

Be the first to write a review

• Sort by date added
• Sort by price: low to high
• Sort by price: high to low

• Length 12.33 m
• Beam 3.80 m
• Draft 1.20 m

• Draft 1.10 m

new from $ 290 655

• Advertising

Customer reviews

• Netherlands
• United States
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom

• 2024 BOAT BUYERS GUIDE
• Email Newsletters
• Boat of the Year
• 2024 Freshwater Boat and Gear Buyers Guide
• 2024 Boat Buyers Guide
• 2024 Water Sports Boat Buyers Guide
• 2023 Pontoon Boat Buyers Guide
• Cruising Boats
• Pontoon Boats
• Fishing Boats
• Personal Watercraft
• Water Sports
• Boat Walkthroughs
• What To Look For
• Best Marine Electronics & Technology
• Watersports Favorites Spring 2022
• Boating Lab
• Boating Safety

2022 Jeanneau DB/43

• By Phil Draper
• July 14, 2022

I like the way the DB/43 looks. It’s got a touch of bodybuilder about it—toned but pumped, with a high freeboard, substantial windshield and hardtop, plumb bow and chopped-off transom. 

That profile conceals important surprises. The aft bulwarks fold down, creating two cockpit-extending platforms that virtually double the deck space at the transom. Those, combined with a large hydraulic platform ($36,670), deliver a fabulous beach-club vibe. With those platforms down, the maximum beam dimension aft swells from 12 ½ feet to 18 ½ feet, which, to put it in better context, means its stern is much the same size as a 70-something motoryacht.

Interior and Accessories

Overall, the cockpit layout packs in all the essentials without feeling cramped, whether those platforms are up or down. There’s a sun pad aft, beneath which is a locker big enough for fenders and the life raft, plus perhaps a Seabob docking station. Then there’s a large double-leaf dining table that will easily seat six. Both benches that address the table have storage beneath and two-way backrests, and then there’s a great wet-bar/galley module amidships. There are three pilot seats beneath the windshield, all with bolstered cushions and armrests. The driver’s seat and bridge console are offset to starboard. Overhead, a hardtop provides weather protection for about three-quarters of the cockpit. This includes two small skylights that help take away some of the shadows. When you want proper UV rays, hit the switch—there’s also a large electric-opening sunroof. Optional ($9,000) 12,000 Btu air conditioning cools the cockpit and helm, while 20,000 Btu serves the cabin.

Although ostensibly competing with the likes of European brands Fjord and Pardo, the DB/43 has dispensed with easy-to-walk-around decks. You have to climb three steps on each side to get up onto the foredeck. But what you get in return is plenty of headroom in the master stateroom forward. Ringed by a low guardrail, the foredeck is still packed with utility. There’s not only another sun pad here, but also a forward-facing mini seat with a footwell and the option of a small table.

Light-oak veneers are standard in the cabin. In standard guise, there’s a secondary galley module to port of the companionway. But an alternative to this is a second head and shower-room compartment. The standard layout includes two staterooms and just the one shower room that has Jack-and-Jill doors, one to the master stateroom in the bow and the other to the lower salon area. If the second shower stall is installed aboard, the other loses a door and becomes a regular en suite to the principal cabin. The master stateroom location is given away from the outside by those long hull windows running virtually to the stem.

The second stateroom also has a pair of low-slung hull windows on both sides. They’re not so obvious. This cabin is amidships, tucked behind the companionway and beneath the cockpit, but with a proper door. Despite the generous freeboard, it’s still rather headroom-deprived yet manages to provide a comfortable double berth to port, plus another overspill single berth to starboard that can double as a low-slung sofa. Although, it has to be said that only very young children would be able to sit there with straight backs.

We tested the first DB/43 IB, powered by the standard-fit twin Volvo Penta D6-380s and Aquamatic drives. That combo was good for a top speed of 38 mph during our Côte d’Azur sea trials in April. We were running in a 15 mph breeze and some pleasantly lively seas off Cannes at approximately two-thirds load, meaning full water, 40 percent fuel and seven people aboard. At an all-day planing speed of 28 mph, the most efficient fast cruise for that setup, the boat burns 29 gph, which, given the twin-tank capacity of 211 gallons, means a practical working range of 180 miles allowing for a 20 percent fuel reserve. Enhance comfort by adding a Seakeeper 3 gyrostabilizer ($78,430).

The ergonomics at the helm of the Jeanneau DB/43 are good. Steering is precise, and it turns faster than those lines would suggest, carving its way nicely through the meter-high seas we encountered. Moreover, the slow in-harbor stuff is oh-so-easy given the latest Volvo Penta joystick and much-improved hydraulic clutch system that make slipping in and out of gear smooth at low rpm. And for those who prefer their boats to come with a whiff of gasoline and yet more horses, there’s an outboard version powered by triple 350 hp Mercury Verados (starting at $1,036,000), which is said to top out around 46 mph. In fact, Jeanneau states the boat gets a range of 220 miles cruising at 32 knots. The Michael Peters hull can certainly cope with the power; the design’s speed is 52 mph.

Shoppers should check out the MJM 42 (starting at $1,616,910 powered like our test boat). It’s another fine-running boat with unique lines and offered with a choice of either twin Mercury 600 hp V-12 outboards or twin Volvo Penta diesel Aquamatic drives. It comes with a larger fuel tank and is built with epoxy-infused construction. Also consider the Cruisers Yachts Cantius 42 , powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS 500 pods (starting at $1,290,485).

How We Tested

• Engines: Twin Volvo Penta D6-380 diesel Aquamatic sterndrives
• Drive/Prop: Sterndrive/H4 Duoprop propset
• Gear Ratio: 1.69:1 Fuel Load: 84 gal. Water Load: 10 gal. Crew Weight: 1,200 lb.

High Points

• Those beach-club platforms give this boat the cockpit of a 70-footer. 
• Buyer’s choice of diesel sterndrive or gasoline outboard power.
• New Volvo Penta DPI hydraulic clutch means no more clunk during shifting. 
• Small fuel tank lowers the range compared to similar sterndrive boats. Note: The outboard version nets a 220-mile range at 32 knots with its 340-gallon fuel supply.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, efficiency, operation.

Jeanneau – Annapolis, Maryland; 410-280-9400; jeanneauamerica.com

• More: 2022 , 40-50ft , August/September 2022 , boat tests , Boats , Cruising Boats , jeanneau , Sterndrives

Honda Announces the New Seabrook Boat Line

Ilmor one drive, 2023 boat of the year: montara surf boss 2.0, best fishing pontoon boats in 2024, essential boating safety equipment & checklist, choosing the right shore anchor, selecting the right insurance policy for your boat or pwc.

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Cruising World
• Florida Travel + Life
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Boating may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site.

Copyright © 2024 Boating. A Bonnier LLC Company . All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

• Go to navigation
• Go to content
• Go to footer

Intense Experiences, Pure Happiness on the Water

Jeanneau designs and builds boats for every way you can love the sea. High-performance boats with outstanding seaworthy qualities... Boats with elegant lines and timeless style... Liveable boats, where clever layouts and comfortable features are carefully considered, down to the smallest detail... Boats to create your own unique experiences on the water with complete confidence: for shared moments of pure happiness.

News highlighted by Jeanneau

Begin your journey with jeanneau.

Are you ready to get started?

FIND YOUR BOAT

Online tools

Are you imagining yourself heading to sea aboard your boat? Our online tools will help you discover our model lines and narrow your search according to your cruising plans and preferences.

OUR DEALER NETWORK

Make your dream a reality and visit your dealership! For advice and recommendations, available options, prices, etc., your dealer is your preferred contact.

SECOND-HAND

Pre-owned Jeanneau boats

Discover the very latest offers for pre-owned JEANNEAU powerboats and sailboats with Band of Boats partners!

Jeanneau News and Love Stories

Sharing your voyages, your adventures on the water, as well as our new models and our news to help you experience truly unique moments on the water.

Jeanneau Underway Episode #12 - Andreas B. Heide

Kristina's Travels Shove Off Aboard the Jeanneau Yachts 55

27 FEBRUARY

What I Love About the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380

Our Favorite Features onboard the Jeanneau Yachts 65

Leader 10.5 CC: the New Flagship of the Center Console Range

Become part of the jeanneau family.

Take advantage of all that the sea has to offer, and experience exceptional moments on the water!

For over 60 years, and with over 250,000 boats cruising on waters around the world, Jeanneau is distinguished by a unique family spirit. A great point of pride for the brand is to have built boats as partners in adventure for thousands of people around the globe. Trust in boats constructed by our shipyard is associated with a passion for exploration, a friendly spirit, a drive to excel, a desire to share… At Jeanneau, our mission is to enable you to discover the many pleasures of the sea and to experience exceptional moments on the water.