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John Alden, Yacht Designer |
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In 1909 John Alden started his design office and very soon his love for fishermen type of schooners became clear in his designs. John Alden also built a series of schooner yachts for himself, all named MALABAR. The first one was built in 1921. In 1923 his MALABAR IV won the Bermuda Race, and his older MALABARS took no less then three of the first five places in the race! In 1932 his MALABAR X set the record for the same race followed by three other MALABARS over the finishing line.
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The success in the ocean races quickly made John Alden the leading designer with his schooners. During the “Golden Era of John Alden” he dominated the ocean racing designs and John Alden had more boats listed in Lloyds register then any other yacht designer.
A typical John Alden design has the characteristics of a New England fishing schooner or a cargo carrier. When Alden was young, this was the type of sail powered boats being built locally and it had a great influence on John Alden’s future designs. This also included the fact that these yachts where not only beautiful but also sea kindly and comfortable, yachts made for real ocean going around the world!
John Alden is considered to be one of the great yacht designers of the 20th century, right next to other legends like Herreshoff and Olin Stephen. Yachts Designed by John Alden: MALABAR II
MALABAR IV
MALABAR Junior (65+ built to date |
Yacht Designers 