comet 13 sailboat

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Breathing Life Into an 80 Year Old Class: The Comet

September 15, 2012 by Sail1Design Editor 3 Comments

By Elizabeth Dudley

Designed by C. Lowndes Johnson in 1932, 2012 marks the 80 th year of the Comet Class.  A one design boat often referred to as a miniature Star, the Comet measures 16 feet long, 5 feet abeam and weighs 265 pounds.  Sailed by 2 people, the boat has a semi-flat bottom, 140 square feet of sail and planes quickly.  The class boasts that they have new and used competitive boats, both fiber glass and the classic wood, available from $1000 to $2500.

In 1950, 3,150 Comets had been listed in the class registry and there were 125 organized fleets with another 2 being added in Bermuda in 1969.  The 1947 Comet Internationals saw 72 boats.  It was such a large turnout that the class decided to place a cap of 42 on the number of boats allowed to participate in future Internationals.

The 80 th Comet Internationals, hosted by the Cambridge Yacht Club in Cambridge, MD August 17-19, 2012 has a disappointing showing.  There were only 15 boats in attendance.  At the annual meeting that took place during the event, it was announced that there are currently on 80 paying members of the class.

The avid sailors of the Comet Class have been experiencing this diminishing of numbers for the past 25 years and have recently been working hard to turn the tide.  As class member Peter Tasi notes, “the class is essentially endangered, almost extinct.”  It is hard to maintain interest in a classical boat, in a “timeless piece of work”.  But a core group of people love that boat so much that they are willing to put the time, effort and money behind it.  For the love of the boat, they will do all they can to reinvigorate the class.

One of the main reasons the Comet Class feels they were losing numbers was because for many years, the class did not have a builder.  A class without a builder is considered an illegitimate class, a dead class.  This past year however, that has changed.  Pete Mathews of the Mathews Brothers in Denton , MD , has become the official builder for the Comet Class.  A lover of classic boats, the Mathews Brothers also build Hamptons, a one design similar to the Comet.  To the Comet sailors, having Mathews onboard makes all the difference.  It means they have a legitimate class.

Along with the addition of a builder, which they have been lacking for the past 30 years, the class, in the hopes of attracting new people, have decided to take steps to modernize the boat.  This modernization includes cutting down the top of the centerboard trunk to create more space between the top of the trunk and the boom, round out the sides of the boat for more leg room, and adding a light non-skid to portions of the deck.  Mathews also helped the class look into cutting down the cost of building the boat.  A solution was found in creating a new deck mold reflecting the new changes, while keeping the old hull mold.  And while the cost of this endeavor is already twice what the class had anticipated, they are dedicated to doing all they can.

To help give the boat an even more modern image, the class has also enlisted Mark Beaton of Beaton Sails to create a set of Mylar sails for the boat; a change from the current woven cloth sails.  According to Beaton, the sails would be the same cost to the sailor but have a longer competitive life of up to 4 years.  The sails would keep the same form and dimensions of the current sails, they would just be Mylar.  There is also talk of a full transfer top batton and a loose foot.

Significant changes are being made, but the idea is not to change the boat until it is unrecognizable.  The changes are mostly for reasons of comfort and ease.  Who wouldn’t want a few more inches in a cockpit?  A little traction under their feet?

But all of these changes take us back to the questions that do not seem to have an answer.  What has happened to sailing?  And how do you reinvigorate a class?

Rudy Bailey of Bermuda, the 2012 and 2010 Comet International Champion, spoke at the Comet Class Annual Meeting about the success of the boat in Bermuda .  The Comet is one of the largest fleets on the island, second only to the Opti.  In fact, there are lots of young sailors as well as veteran sailors clamoring for 2 nd hand boats, creating an opportunity to rehab older boats to attract new sailors.  Bailey said, Bermuda finds success getting a comet in front of the young faces and making them see it is an accessible, high performance, cool thing.  His comments make it seem as if the Comets might benefit from the initiative the Snipe Class is taking: sending a spokesperson around with boats to different junior events.  It was definitely an idea that was brought up at the annual meeting.

The Comet sailors have committed themselves to doing what they can to help their historic fleet.  Those 3,150 boats that were once registered with the class are out there somewhere, ready for the fixing up and racing.  Or, if you like your toys brand new, the modernized version of the boat will be ready soon.  The Comet Class plans to debut their new boat and new set of sails at the Boat Show in Annapolis October 4 th -8 th of this year.

A laid back yet competitive class with a comparatively cheap, light boat that is easy to trailer, the Comet is definitely worth checking out.  Go find them at the Boat Show next month or check out their website www.cometclass.com . I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Reader Interactions

February 19, 2019 at 13:32

I sailed comet 131 back in the late 50’s .paid $150 and was built by Dick Cleaver in 1935 or so. Went to the military and then to collage and offend wonder that happen to it ?

August 11, 2019 at 18:48

I crewed a Comet on Cranberry lake n,y when I was 12 yrs old, loved the boat, very sturdy, and a dream to sail.

April 21, 2022 at 21:30

Did Mclaughlin build Comets at one time? How many did they build..? Was the Mclaughlin considered a good Comet . ANY known issues?

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Comar Yachts Comet 13

General Data

Shipbuilder:, see also: boats for sale.

• Comar Comet 41 s race
• COMAR COMET 12
• Comar Yacht Comet 45S
• Comar COMET 45 S
• Comar Yachts Comet 460

Overall length:

Maximum beam:, displacement:, straightening:, sail details mq.

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Comet Class Yacht Racing Association

Class contact information.

Click below

Class Email

Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Dinghy

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both

Approximately how many class members do you have? 105

Photo Credit:

About Comet Class Yacht Racing Association

The Comet is the most active two person boat in the mid Atlantic States. There are active fleets in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Bermuda. Each Summer there are many regional regattas as well as the North American and International Championships. They are also the only two person boat raced in Bermuda Race Week. They are high performance yet do not require trapeze or spinnaker experience. This 88 year old classic has a new builder who has refined the self-rescuing hull with improved ergonomics that appeal to sailors of all ages and levels of experience. Mylar sails with full length top batten and loose footed mainsail are allowed as an alternative to the Dacron sails. Comets include simple three-stay rigs and controls as well as those with a full range of rigging and sail adjustments. The hard chine design is forgiving and the 260 pound hull can plane in as little as 12 knots of wind. Newer fiberglass and older wood Comets are equally competitive. The Comet exemplifies competitive sailing at its best with mentoring of new members by sharing strategy, tactics and adjustments. Fabulous regatta venues provide excitement, and fun for all ages.

Boats Produced: 4158

Class boat builder(s):

Whitecap Composites, Inc., 147 Summit St., Peabody, MA 01960 http://www.whitecapcomposites.com

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 450

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

Mid-Atlantic — NJ, PA, MD, MA, CT

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker?

How many people sail as a crew including the helm?  two (2)

Ideal combined weight of range of crew:  280 – 320 lbs.

Boat Designed in  1932

Length (feet/inches): 16′

Beam: 5′

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 285 lb. with mast, boom & rudder

Draft: 3′

Mast Height: 20′ 5″

Tuning Guides

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• Sailboat Guide

1973 16' Comet Class One design Sail Boat

• Description

Seller's Description

2020 Restored 1973 16 Comet Class one design racer: All surfaces refinished and Prime Kote, Topsides refinished with Total Boat Hatteras, Sides Interlux Perfection High Gloss Epoxy. Bottom Interlux VC Performance Epoxy Bottom Finish, interior is Interlux anti skid. All lines replaced with NE Rope. Rudder and all bright work refinished and stained in Epifanes. All fittings removed with new reinforcements. Rear Tank sealed. CometClass custom cover is towable. Quick on-off Boom and Mast for setup and towing. Trailer and braces restored/reinforced. Sails good enough to race. Very pretty boat that always seems to attract a group on the ramp. Have all the original papers. $3,500 cash only not negotiable, three months of work went into it. Note: This is not a boat for beginners, the rig and performance is like my 505. Absolute blast to sail. This is a dry sail boat. Comets Class are the small version of the olympic Star Class. Developed for high performance training. At 10MPH it skims the water, very light and very fast. About the class http://www.cometclass.com More pictures available

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Before 1900 there were 3 types of boats designated as ‘Belfast Lough One Design’. Class I, (9 built), Class II (9 built) Class III, the smallest with 10 built.

This version (CLASS I) and the largest was also known as SEA BIRD CLASS at the time with each boat named after a bird. At last report (2011) at least 3 of these yachts still survive.

This listing is presented by SailboatListings.com . Visit their website for more information or to contact the seller.

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• Comar Yachts

Comet 13 - Comar Yachts / STW000631

cabin cruiser

Volvo Penta 65 CV

overall length

hull length

waterline length

standard draft

minimum draft

displacement

diesel tank

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standard version

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The Comet 700 is a 23.23ft masthead sloop designed by Groupe Finot and built in fiberglass by Comar Yachts between 1980 and 1988.

217 units have been built..

The Comet 700 is a light sailboat which is a very high performer. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat. The fuel capacity is originally very small. There is a very short water supply range.

Comet 700 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks is heading for the sun. Will it survive?

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks will make its closest approach to the sun on April 21.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also dubbed the 'Devil Comet' has thrilled skywatchers in recent months with its impressive night sky display and sudden flare-ups in brightness. But as it approaches perihelion — its closest distance to the sun — on April 21, will it survive the encounter or be subjected to a fiery fate? 

Well, there's good news and bad news. 

The good news is that comet 12P/Pons-Brooks' survival chances are promising as it will give the sun a wide birth during perihelion, passing at about 72.6 million miles (116.8 million km), equivalent to three-quarters the Earth's distance from the sun . 

Related: Amazing photos of 'horned' comet 12P/Pons-Brooks from around the world  

Want to see comet 12P/Pons-Brooks for yourself? We recommend the  Celestron Astro Fi 102  as the top pick in our  best beginner's telescope guide . 

The 'Devil Comet' orbits the sun approximately every 71 years, so this isn't its first encounter with our star. "It has apparently suffered no ill effects from previous visits to the sun and there does not appear to be any reason why anything will happen to it during its current apparition," meteorologist and skywatching columnist Joe Rao told Space.com.

The bad news for Northern Hemisphere skywatchers is that after its solar flyby, the comet will "fade very rapidly and largely become an object for Southern Hemisphere observers" commented Rao in a previous article .

"Comets generally "blossom" into peak brightness within several weeks of perihelion, and then as they move away from the warmth of the sun the volatile gases that are activated by the sun's heat and light will gradually subside." Rao continued.

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Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

It's still not too late to see the 'Devil Comet' in the northern sky before it completely disappears into the sunset glow.

Rao estimates that comet 12P/Pons-Brooks will probably drop to 6th or 7th magnitude by the end of May and 8th or 9th magnitude by the end of June.

Those in the Southern Hemisphere have had to wait patiently for 12P/Pons-Brooks and can only now start to see it in the southern sky .

— Here's how to see 'horned' comet 12P/Pons-Brooks at its brightest this week (video)

— Solar spacecraft 'SOHO' discovers its 5,000th comet

— Comets that 'bounce' from planet to planet could spread life across the universe

After perihelion on April 21, the celestial vagabond will continue its journey through the solar system before returning to our skies in 2095.

Not every comet that passes the sun is fortunate enough to continue its journey. When comets get closer to the sun than planet Mercury (36 million miles or 58 million kilometers), they are subjected to a far greater dose of heat which could shatter them.  

Most comets spend the majority of their time in the outermost regions of the solar system experiencing temperatures around -300 to -400 degrees Fahrenheit ( -184 to -240 Celsius) range. When they come close to the sun, they can heat up very quickly, placing immense thermal stress on the comet. 

"Fortunately, 12P/Pons-Brooks always stays just far enough away from the sun to avoid such a catastrophic scenario," said Rao. 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase! 

Astronomers just discovered a comet that could be brighter than most stars when we see it next year. Or will it?

'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks reaches peak brightness tonight. Here's how to see it

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• water rescue

Search for boater in Lake Houston called off until Wednesday morning

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A search for a missing person in Lake Houston was called off until Wednesday morning after authorities said an incident took place involving three boats.

The Houston Fire Department first called the operation a water rescue at the Alexander Deussen Park on Sonnier Street.

HFD said two people were rescued from the water, but one went missing. However, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales just one person was rescued after a boat capsized at the San Jacinto River Dam near Eisenhower Park.

Gonzalez added that his Marine Unit/Dive Team responded to the scene

In an evening update, the Houston Police Department said there was no recovery yet. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said it will resume the search Wednesday morning.

According to HCSO, the current was too strong and rough for its boat and diver to search near the capsized boat. A sheriff's helicopter was also flying over the area to check the river and banks for the missing person.

Authorities did not provide more details on the incident or the conditions of those involved.

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