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Challenger 38 Alden
Designer: John G. Alden  ·  Builder: Halmatic Ltd. (Uk)  ·  First built: 1960
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About the Challenger 38 Alden

Designed by the legendary John G. Alden in the early 1960s, this classic masthead yawl represents traditional yacht design principles applied to a mid-sized cruising sailboat. Built by Halmatic Ltd. in the UK between 1960 and 1965, only fifty examples of this fiberglass-hulled design were produced, making it a relatively rare find in today's market. The Challenger 38's substantial 16,000-pound displacement and deep 8-foot draft provide excellent stability and seakeeping abilities, making her well-suited for offshore cruising and coastal passages. Her keel/centerboard configuration offers versatility, allowing access to shallow anchorages while maintaining the deep-water performance characteristics that Alden designs are known for. The masthead yawl rig provides balanced sail handling and multiple sail plan options for varying conditions. With a comfort ratio of 33.12, this boat prioritizes seaworthiness over speed, typical of Alden's philosophy of creating capable passage-makers. The capsize screening formula of 1.75 indicates good stability characteristics for offshore work. While not built for racing, the Challenger 38 excels as a traditional cruising yacht for sailors who appreciate classic lines, solid construction, and the proven performance of an Alden design.

Core Dimensions
LOA (Length Overall) 38.50 ft / 11.73 m
LWL (Waterline Length) 27.25 ft / 8.31 m
Beam 11.00 ft / 3.35 m
Max Draft 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Min Draft 4.00 ft / 1.22 m
Displacement 16,000.00 lb / 7,257 kg
Sail Area (Reported) 625.00 ft² / 58.06 m²
Design & Construction
Hull Type Keel/Cbrd.
Rigging Type Masthead Yawl
Construction FG hull
Designer John G. Alden
Builder Halmatic Ltd. (UK)
First Built 1960
Last Built 1965
Number Built 50
Related Sailboats ["Finisterre Ss" · "Sigma 38 Ss" · "Columbia 39" · "Cal 39" · "Bright Star 39"]
Owner Reviews

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Performance Ratios
SA/Displacement Sail Area to Displacement ratio measures how much sail power a boat has relative to its weight. Higher values mean more performance and speed.
Under 14 — Heavy cruiser, slow14–18 — Cruising sailboat18–22 — Cruiser/racerOver 22 — Performance racer
 15.81
Displacement/Length Displacement to Length ratio measures how heavy a boat is relative to its waterline length. Lower values mean a lighter, faster boat.
Under 100 — Ultralight racer100–200 — Light cruiser/racer200–300 — Moderate cruiser300–400 — Heavy cruiserOver 400 — Very heavy
 353
Comfort Ratio Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio predicts how comfortable a boat will feel in offshore conditions. Higher values mean a steadier, more comfortable motion in a seaway.
Under 20 — Uncomfortably rough20–30 — Acceptable coastal30–40 — Good offshore comfortOver 40 — Very comfortable offshore
 33.12
Capsize Screening Formula The USHS Capsize Screening Formula estimates offshore capsize risk. Lower is safer — values under 2.0 are considered acceptable for offshore sailing.
Under 2.0 — Safe for offshore2.0–2.2 — Borderline offshoreOver 2.2 — Coastal use recommended
 1.75
Hull Speed Hull Speed is the theoretical maximum speed of a displacement hull, calculated from waterline length. Most cruising sailboats reach this speed in moderate conditions. 7.00 kn
S# (Speed Number) The Speed Number (S#) is a quick performance index. Higher values indicate a faster, more powerful design relative to its size.
Under 3.0 — Slow cruiser3.0–5.0 — Average cruiser5.0–7.0 — Performance cruiserOver 7.0 — Racer
 1.31
Pounds/Inch Immersion Pounds per Inch Immersion (PPI) tells you how much weight is needed to sink the boat one inch. Useful for calculating how additional gear and stores affect waterline. 1,071.04 pounds/inch
SA/Displacement (Calc) Calculated Sail Area to Displacement ratio using actual measured sail dimensions rather than reported values. More precise than the reported SA/Disp figure. 15.81
Rig Dimensions
I (Foretriangle Height) 42.00 ft / 12.80 m
J (Foretriangle Base) 14.30 ft / 4.36 m
P (Mainsail Luff) 36.50 ft / 11.13 m
E (Mainsail Foot) 17.80 ft / 5.43 m
SA Fore 300.30 ft² / 27.90 m²
SA Main 324.85 ft² / 30.18 m²
SA Total (100%) 625.15 ft² / 58.08 m²
Est. Forestay Length 44.37 ft / 13.52 m
Engine & Accommodations
Engine Make Greymarine
Engine Type Gas
How It Compares

vs. Cal 39, Columbia 39, Sigma 38 Ss

This boat Similar boats
Dimensions
LOA
Challenger 38 Alden ★
38.5 ft
Cal 39
38.7 ft
Columbia 39
38.6 ft
Sigma 38 Ss
38.3 ft
LWL
Challenger 38 Alden ★
27.3 ft
Cal 39
31.3 ft
Columbia 39
31.5 ft
Sigma 38 Ss
27.5 ft
Beam
Challenger 38 Alden ★
11.0 ft
Cal 39
11.7 ft
Columbia 39
11.3 ft
Sigma 38 Ss
10.3 ft
Displacement
Challenger 38 Alden ★
16 lbs
Cal 39
14 lbs
Columbia 39
18 lbs
Sigma 38 Ss
19 lbs
Ballast
Challenger 38 Alden ★
—
Cal 39
6 lbs
Columbia 39
9 lbs
Sigma 38 Ss
6 lbs
Sail Area
Challenger 38 Alden ★
625 sq ft
Cal 39
738 sq ft
Columbia 39
—
Sigma 38 Ss
662 sq ft
Performance
PHRF Rating (lower = faster)
Challenger 38 Alden ★
—
Cal 39
114 s/nm
Columbia 39
129 s/nm
Sigma 38 Ss
—
SA / Displacement (higher = more powerful)
Challenger 38 Alden ★
15.8
Cal 39
19.8
Columbia 39
—
Sigma 38 Ss
14.9
Ballast / Disp (higher = stiffer)
Challenger 38 Alden ★
—
Cal 39
45.2 %
Columbia 39
49.7 %
Sigma 38 Ss
—
Comfort Ratio (higher = more comfortable offshore)
Challenger 38 Alden ★
33.1
Cal 39
25.6
Columbia 39
—
Sigma 38 Ss
43.1
Capsize Screening (lower = safer)
Challenger 38 Alden ★
1.75
Cal 39
1.91
Columbia 39
—
Sigma 38 Ss
1.54
Displacement / Length (lower = lighter)
Challenger 38 Alden ★
353
Cal 39
213
Columbia 39
264
Sigma 38 Ss
—
Hull Speed
Challenger 38 Alden ★
7.0 kts
Cal 39
7.5 kts
Columbia 39
—
Sigma 38 Ss
7.0 kts
Speed Number (higher = faster)
Challenger 38 Alden ★
1.3
Cal 39
2.9
Columbia 39
—
Sigma 38 Ss
1.0
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