The Cometdinghyis a, two-person, one-design class, racing sloop. With. of sail and a minimal keel-rocker hull, the Comet is able to plane in modest 10-15 knot winds. The mast is tall and is supported by a conventional three-stay rig with spreaders. From 1932 through the 1960s, the Comet minimum hull weight was specified as. Since then, the minimum weight has been lowered to. with the incorporation of an aluminum centerboard, which replaced the former bronze board. Also, since the 1960s, the Comet has been built in fiberglass along with its original wood construction. The is the organizing body responsible for maintaining the one-design specifications and sanctioning of regattas. The Comet originated in 1932 when Mr. C. Lowndes Johnson was commissioned by Mrs. Elliot Wheeler to design a boat for her sons. Johnson was a former Star classkeel boatchampion, and he designed the Comet to have many of the same features and characteristics of the Star. However, unlike the Star, Johnson created a racing yacht that was much less costly to build and could be easily sailed in the shallow tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Like the Star, the Comet was a hard chine sloop with a relatively large main sail compared to its jib. Originally called the "Crab," the design was first introduced to the public in the March issue of "Yachting Magazine" in 1932. The following year it made an appearance at the New YorkBoat Show as the "Star Junior." Soon thereafter, John Eiman, Erik Jansson, and Wilbur H. Haines, Jr. started the first Comet fleet at the in Stone Harbor, NJ. It was at this time that the moniker "Star Junior" was dropped and replaced with the name "Comet." Despite being a One Design, the Comet has seen many variations of the past 70 years, in regards to construction, hull shape, and cockpit layout. "Do not confuse the Johnson-designed Comet with the single-handed dinghy of the same name often seen in UK waters." Class association for single handed comet is http://www.cometsailing.org.uk References:
