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Yachtsnet's
archive of boat details and pictures
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The following information and photographs are displayed as a service to anyone researching yacht types. HOWEVER THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD. Details and photographs are normally based on one specific yacht, but could be a compilation. No reliance should be placed on other yachts of the same class being identical. Where common variations exist, we have endeavoured to indicate this in these archive details. |
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Alden Challenger 38 centreboard yawl
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Brief details |
Builder |
Various builders, on hull/deck mouldings by Halmatic, Portsmouth, UK. |
The Alden Challenger 38 was designed by John G. Alden shortly before he retired in 1956. It is one of the last designs John Alden designed personally just before he retired in 1956. A few were built in timber before the hulls and decks were moulded in GRP by Halmatic, and fitted out by quite a number of yachtbuilders in the USA and Europe. About 50 in total of the GRP-hulled boats were built. |
LOA |
38' 6" |
Sail area |
670 sq ft designed sail area * |
LWL |
27' 0" |
Rig |
Yawl |
Beam |
11' 0" |
Cabins |
Forecabin and saloon |
Draught |
4' 3" to 7' 0" with centreplate down |
Berths |
6 |
Displacement |
7 tons ** |
Engine |
Various |
Ballast |
2.5 tons ballast (fixed lead ballast plus 350 lb bronze centreboard) |
BHP |
usually 20-45 |
Keel type |
Long keel with centreboard |
* Sail area probably calculated at 100% foretriangle working sail - actual sail area is probably greater. ** Displacement originally quoted at 14 tons Thames Measurement but T.M. is not a weight-derived figure |
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Born in 1884, John G. Alden founded his yacht design office in 1909 after serving an apprenticehip with Starling Burgess. The design office closed whilst he served in the army during the First World War, but his name was made when his 'Malabar' design won the 600 mile Newport-Bermuda race in 1923, 1926, and 1932, all with Alden at the helm. In 1932, all four top finishers were Alden designs. John Alden himself retired in 1956, by which time his design office had a workforce of 90. The John G. Alden collection of designs is now in MIT's Hart Nautical Collection.
The builder of the yacht illustrated was LeComte-Holland, N.V., a company set up in 1954, with premises in Jutphaas in Holland and New Rochelle in New York, USA. They built a number of Alden designs under license, originally in wood, but later switching to composite and then all-fibreglass construction, with very high quality timber interiors. LeCompte closed down building yachts in 1994. |
The Challenger 38 is a pretty, classic yawl, which as was common with US East Coast designs has a shallower draught and wider beam than many contemporary British yachts Her centreboard makes her a very versatile yacht, and gives excellent sailing performance when required. |
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