Stuart Cranston's Purple Haze from Strangford Lough Yacht Sailing Club in Northern Ireland has won the Quarter Ton 2025 Series in Cowes and finished fourth overall in the Quarter Ton Cup.
The Cup, sailed from the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes over the 3rd to the 5th of July, was won by Sam Laidlaw in the Fauroux optimised quarter tonner BLT.
Second was Ian Southworth's Fauroux, Pritis and third was Louise Morton's Fauroux Bullet.
The vintage Purple Haze, designed by David Thomas, was the first quarter tonner that has not been fully optimised and has its original keel. She was the prototype for the Bolero Quarter tonner, built of wood, and beautifully maintained by her present owner, Stuart Cranston as Afloat reported here last year. She finished eighth in last year's Quarter Ton Cup.
The vintage Purple Haze in Cowes
In addition to her fourth in this event, Purple Haze also won the Quarter Ton series over three events that included the Quarter Ton Cup, the Round the Island race and a warm-up regatta in May.
Crew for the event were Stuart Cranston and Garth Lindsay from Strangford Lough Yacht Club, Saul Vassala from Malta, Mark Mansfield from Royal Cork and Tom Pankhurst from Hamble.
