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Yachtsnet's archive of boat details and pictures
 

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. 

Alden Challenger 38 centreboard yawl

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

 

 

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.

The example illustated was built by A LeCompte Co Inc. N.V., Jutphaas, Holland

in 1960 and launched in 1961.

Yachts seen here are no longer for sale - the data is online as a free information service for buyers researching boat types. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD.

Go to our brokerage section for boats currently for sale

The Halmatic-moulded GRP hull has a single-skin (no balsa sandwich) deck, and is stiffened by both wooden internal frames and stringers and encapsulated steel sections - the early 1960s being the early days of GRP and quality builders were reluctant to dispense with traditional strengthening.

She has a two-berth forecabin, open to the chain locker apart from a curtain, with an enclosed heads compartment to port.
The keel-stepped mainmast foot is just inside the heads.

In the saloon she has two settee berths, which both pull out to make a wider berth, and pilot berths above.

The galley is to port, and a chart table with icebox below to starboard.

The example illustrated has a stove fitted in the saloon: apart from this the layout is as designed.

Yachts seen here are no longer for sale - the data is online as a free information service for buyers researching boat types. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD.

Go to our brokerage section for boats currently for sale

The centreboard is raised and lowered with a handle inserted into the socket next to the two instrument displays on the cockpit bulkhead. This operates a S/S wire which is led along the saloon deckhead, and down a S/S pillar through the saloon table. The centreboard case itself is entirely within the keel, and does not intrude into the cabin.

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