Exciting times for the Comet Trio
by Tracy Padro 1 May 2020 11:30 BST
Combined Comet Class Inlands Championship: Comet Trio 504 Ding Dang Do with winners Darren and son Callum Padro © Llangorse SC
Only 200 Comet Trios were built by Comet Dinghies before they ceased production in 2008. With owners very loyal to the class, second-hand boats were hard to come by and sold very quickly. Consequently, the class membership was delighted when Peak Dinghies took over production of the Trio in 2016.
What has this meant for the Class?
- Peak Dinghies were appointed as the new boat builder using modern day construction methods whilst retaining the original Phil Morrison design
- Whilst retaining the great hull shape of the original Phil Morrison design, the layup of the hull has been changed to chop strand mat in polyester resin and with the agreement of the class members a new rig has been introduced
- More readily available "off the shelf" spars from Selden
- Selden have produced a new tapered mast and a stiffer boom
- A new flat top design main sale sail with a redesigned asymmetric spinnaker from North Sails
- Existing Trio's can convert over time to the new spar and sail plan
- New boats and existing boats that have converted will be called the Comet Trio Mark 2 (MK2) with a new Portsmouth Yardstick
- Existing original boats will be called the Comet Trio Mark 1 (MK1)
- Racing for both the MK1 and MK2 will take place at the same open meetings and championship events
The class association are delighted that 10 brand new boats are now in circulation, with more on order. Around 10 existing Trios have also converted to the new spar and sail plan.
This is all great news for the class as existing members are investing in the new Trio, meaning more boats become available to the market and we will continue to see new owners at events.
Why not take a look at our YouTube video of the latest new Comet Trio - Vela Rosa 505:
The Comet Trio offers amazing versatility with proven stability inland and at sea. Exe Sailing Club have the largest fleet. Equally it's at home on inlands waters - with numbers growing in the Midlands, Wales and the rest of the UK.
We are a friendly class and look forward to welcoming new members. Indeed, we have selected events which are family friendly, offering great racing, with strong social elements at the Inland championships in the lovely Llangorse SC, Wales.
Over the last 3 years, three different husband and wife crewing partnerships have won the National Championships! And they are still talking!
For the remainder of 2020, we still have our National Championships to look forward to at Exe Sailing Club (14th - 16th Aug), again with a great mix of racing and social events. We are hoping to have 30+ boats this year with a high number of local boats and some new members from the Midlands.
So, if you are looking for a great dinghy for you and your family that offers great racing in a friendly environment, then why not try the Trio class.
Find us on Facebook via Combined Comet Classes or cometcombinedclasses.co.uk