Comet (sailboat)
Encyclopedia
The Comet dinghy
is a 16 feet (4.9 m), two-person, one-design class, racing sloop.
With 140 sq ft (13 m²). of sail and a minimal keel-rocker hull, the Comet is able to plane in modest 10-15 knot winds. The mast is 20 in 5 in (6.22 m) tall and is supported by a conventional three-stay rig with spreaders. (As the class rules are flexible in this regard, some Comets have been configured with 8-stay, Star (sailboat)
rigs.) From 1932 through the 1960s, the Comet minimum hull weight was specified as 300 lb (136.1 kg). Since then, the minimum weight has been lowered to 265 lb (120 kg). 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 Comet Class Association 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 class keel boat champion, 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 York Boat Show as the "Star Junior." Soon thereafter, John ("Doc") Eiman, Erik Jansson, and Wilbur H. Haines, Jr. started the first Comet fleet at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor 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.
References:
Classic Boat - Comet Class Notes
Brodsky, John; "The Development of the Boat and the Class"
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
is a 16 feet (4.9 m), two-person, one-design class, racing sloop.
With 140 sq ft (13 m²). of sail and a minimal keel-rocker hull, the Comet is able to plane in modest 10-15 knot winds. The mast is 20 in 5 in (6.22 m) tall and is supported by a conventional three-stay rig with spreaders. (As the class rules are flexible in this regard, some Comets have been configured with 8-stay, Star (sailboat)
Star (sailboat)
The International Star is a 6.9 m one-design racing keelboat for two people.The boat must weigh at least 671 kg with a maximum total sail area of 26.5 m . It is sloop-rigged, with a mainsail larger in proportional size than any other boat of its length...
rigs.) From 1932 through the 1960s, the Comet minimum hull weight was specified as 300 lb (136.1 kg). Since then, the minimum weight has been lowered to 265 lb (120 kg). with the incorporation of an aluminum centerboard, which replaced the former bronze board. Also, since the 1960s, the Comet has been built in fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
along with its original wood construction.
The Comet Class Association 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 class keel boat champion, 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
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. Like the Star, the Comet was a hard chine
Chine (boating)
A chine in boating refers to a sharp angle in the hull, as compared to the rounded bottoms of most traditional boat hulls. The term hard chine indicates an angle with little rounding, where a soft chine would be more rounded, but still involve the meeting of distinct planes. Chine log...
sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
with a relatively large main sail compared to its jib
Jib
A jib is a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bow, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast...
.
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 York Boat Show as the "Star Junior." Soon thereafter, John ("Doc") Eiman, Erik Jansson, and Wilbur H. Haines, Jr. started the first Comet fleet at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor 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.
References:
Classic Boat - Comet Class Notes
Brodsky, John; "The Development of the Boat and the Class"