Challenger 35 Ketch
Description
The Challenger 35 Ketch is a classic American-built bluewater cruising sailboat from the late 1960s/1970s, produced by Challenger Yachts Corp. (founded by Howard D. Stern) in Wilmington, California. The company operated from around 1969 to 1980 and was known for solid fiberglass construction, including an unconditional hull guarantee in its era. This model is often called the Challenger 35 (USA) to distinguish it from the unrelated British Challenger 35 (Primrose) by Trident Marine (a different design with a long keel, aft cockpit, and variants like Warrior 35 or Voyager 35). The US version was available in both sloop and ketch rigs, with the ketch being popular for easier sail handling on longer passages. Estimates from owner discussions and scattered listings suggest low production, likely in the dozens (perhaps 20–50 or fewer total across sloop and ketch variants), given the company's short lifespan and focus on quality over volume
Construction Details
| Designer | Howard D. Stern |
|---|---|
| Builder | Challenger Yachts |
| Length | 35.670 ft |
| LOA | 35.670 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 38 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.50 ft |
| p | 32 ft |
| e | 12.75 ft |
| p2 | 25 ft |
| e2 | 9.50 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 ft | 11.50 ft | 32 ft | 12.75 ft | 25 ft | 9.50 ft | - | - |
Sails
Challenger 35 Ketch - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.75 ft - (3886 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.75 ft - (10287 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 34.03 ft - (10372 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 210.9 ft² |
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Challenger 35 Ketch - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 14.75 ft - (4496 mm) |
| Leech | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.7 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.73 ft - (3880 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 13.48 ° |
| Area | * 213.28 ft² |
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Challenger 35 Ketch - GENOA
| Luff | 37.75 ft - (11506 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 18.33 ft - (5587 mm) |
| Leech | 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.09 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.26 ft - (5261 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.8 ° |
| Area | * 325.86 ft² |
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Challenger 35 Ketch - DRIFTER
| Luff | 37.75 ft - (11506 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 19.25 ft - (5867 mm) |
| Leech | 34 ft - (10363 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150.35 % |
| Length Perp | * 17.29 ft - (5270 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.27 ° |
| Area | * 326.26 ft² |
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Challenger 35 Ketch - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 39 ft - (11887 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
| Leech | 36.75 ft - (11201 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 585 ft² |
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Challenger 35 Ketch - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.5 ft - (2896 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 26.17 ft - (7977 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 26.43 ft - (8056 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | * 122.23 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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