Design and Construction
Vallicelli shaped the Comet 12’s hull in line with IOR standards, and beneath the water she carries a typical racing drift plane—a strong elliptical bulb with a rudder blade that has no skeg anchor. That underwater profile explains the period description of her running “like a train”: the hull form and appendages are drawn from racing lineage yet wrapped around a cruising brief. Above the waterline the deck plan is conservative, with a classic cockpit set behind a low deckhouse whose conical section is a Vallicelli studio signature, and the wide, deep transom drops close to the water. Several skylights pierce the deckhouse to light and ventilate the interior.
Rig and Handling
The sloop is worked through a deck layout that keeps running rigging deferred to the fairleads and fixed rigging mounted on the sides of the companionway, a tidy separation that keeps the cockpit clear. The 2.10-meter draft and skegless rudder blade place her in the performance-cruiser camp, and the elliptical bulb gives her directional stability without the drag of a full keel. Her 95.7 square meters of canvas across a 10.75-meter waterline drive a 7.5-tonne hull that period reviews characterized as fast and steady.
Accommodations
Below, the Comet 12 is arranged as a three-cabin cruiser. Two aft double cabins each have their own bathroom, while forward a V-berth cabin sits off the large dinette with sofas and table. The deckhouse skylights do real work here, pulling light and air into the central saloon. A 1987 restyling produced the 420 ST variant in which the two aft cabins are replaced by one large owner’s cabin, leaving just two cabins total; the 420 CL retained the original three-cabin scheme.
Refits and Ownership
The 1987 restyling that yielded the 420 CL and 420 ST shows the platform was considered worth evolving rather than replacing, and the over-200 hulls built in her first decade mean a used buyer will find a mature ownership base. The Vallicelli design language—low deckhouse, conical section, wide transom—remained consistent across the standard boat and the ST version.
The Verdict
The Comet 12 is a genuinely cruising-minded yacht with a racing-derived hull, drawn by a designer new to the Comar yard and built in volume that confirms her market appeal. She pairs a three-cabin layout with an IOR-influenced, skegless-rudder running bottom that rewards confident helming.
Pros
- Vallicelli’s first Comar design, with a clear cruising brief and over 200 built in ten years
- Three-cabin layout with two aft doubles, each with a bathroom, plus a bright deckhouse
- Racing-derived elliptical-bulb drift plane and skegless rudder for steady, train-like tracking
Cons
- 2.10-meter draft and unskegged rudder demand care in shallow anchorages
- Wide, deep transom and IOR hull lines date the underbody to an earlier rule mindset
