I have sailed Mirror and Miracle I am 55 years and not the fitest sailor on the water. I bought this boat in order to sail comfortably single handed. I greatly enjoy the deep cockpit for a bit of comfort she can be a bit lively on a run or gybe to the Novice and launching requires some care> In a good breeze and she will blow over I always leave clipping on the main sheet to the boom when read to sail, I bought a quick release clip for that purpose. She does provde good entertainment and I have gained a lot of confidence in the water with this boat. I also like the idea of no centre sheeting. I race against a laser and if you want Laser performance I suggest you go for the laser. You will find other dinghy sailers take a great interest in this lovely little boat, i do not intend to change it. I believe you can get a smaller Mino Sail and boom for Novices or older less confident and an Xtra which looks a bit sporty. I found wrapping the sail around the mast does the trick on a really blowy day.
Roomy and comfortable
Very light needs care at the waters edge when launching
The Comet is a niche dinghy. It really has more in common with rear-main sheeting dinghies such as the Mirror (!) than the Laser. You sit high up over the water compared with the low down position of the Topper etc. The controls ropes are easy to identify but not so easy to operate while you are sailing: they have to be pulled across and down to cleat off and it's difficult to get the right tension. I find it quite technical to sail and it overpowers easily for a lightweight. The 6.5 sq m sail is very low tech and because the boat is slower than a Radial, the sail carries more load, ie it's not a very efficient sailer. Upwind and downwind it's as fast as Radial, but reaching is much slower, presumably due to the hull design.
An excellent car-toppable dinghy, slightly faster and roomier than a Topper, Along the lines of a Laser but with a larger cockpit. There is a very freindly, but nonetheless competitive class association, with series of races all over the country, including Association and National championships. I bought mine via the internet, from the comet website, for £700, including bouyancy aids, a wetsuit, and launching trolley
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