November 2017 87{ }
The first quarter ton cup was held in 1967. This year’s event, held
in Cowes in September, marks the 50th anniversary of the class’s
first championship. This is the 13th edition of the newly revived,
Coutts-sponsored Quarter Ton Cupa one-off curved design that both looks better
and is stiffer. It’s around half the height and
much narrower than the original, which allows
for a 6.5° headsail sheeting angle without the
need for inhaulers.
Another example is the deck and sheer
line around the front stanchion, which had a
noticeable dip, as was common for IOR boats
of the period. This was faired in with around 10-
12mm of foam. In addition, the whole hull-deck
joint was ground back, rounded off, and faired,
while the new chainplates are composite.
One new idea is the lateral compression
Above: a decade
of resurgence in
the quarter tonner
class has attracted
both top pros and
corinthian sailors
and generated a
highly competitive
Solent fleet
Left: the revived
quarter ton class
races under IRc
›Photos: Paul Wyeth/CWL