With a beam of 3.15 meters, the 333 was conceived as a small, lively racer-cruiser—a “little beast,” in the words of one period appraisal. Yet the original design also included complete furnishings, giving the boat credible cruising ability. In 1989, it earned a place in the inaugural Giro d’Italia a Vela, a sign of the Italian sailing community’s confidence in its dual-purpose character.
Design and Lineage
Vallicelli’s hand is the defining signature of the Comet 333. The boat belongs to the broader Comar story of the late 1980s, when the yard reorganized under new management and drew on Italian and French design talent. Vallicelli had been designing for Comar since the 1980s, and the 333 was among his contributions.
At 9.13 meters long and 3.15 meters wide, the 333 was explicitly a small Three Quarter Tonner: a rating-class-derived racer scaled to provide both speed and accommodation. That dual brief explains its reputation as a “small bolide”—quick, purposeful, and compact rather than expansive.
Racing and Cruising Balance
The 333 was built both to race and to cruise comfortably, a combination the original review treated as central to its identity. Its selection for the first Giro d’Italia a Vela in 1989 underscores that its racing credentials were more than nominal: the event chose the design for its fleet.
The same source that called the boat a “little beast” also emphasized that it didn’t lack complete furnishings in its original design. Those furnishings are what made it excellent as a cruiser. The 333 therefore occupies a particular niche: a Three Quarter Tonner that was never stripped of livability.
Accommodations
Despite its 9.13-meter length, the 333 had a fully fitted interior from the outset. The period assessment is explicit that these accommodations helped make it an excellent cruiser.
No layout revision or aftermarket completion is implied. The boat was delivered with its accommodation plan intact, unlike later designs that often arrived as hull-and-deck shells for owners to fit out.
The Verdict
The Comet 333 is a Vallicelli-designed Three Quarter Tonner that earned its racing credentials at the first Giro d’Italia a Vela while retaining a complete, original cruising interior. It’s a compact, beamy, dual-purpose design—a small bolide with genuine livability—rather than either a dedicated weekend racer or a slow family cruiser.
Pros
- Vallicelli design with a clear racing-and-cruising brief
- Complete original furnishings make it a genuine cruiser
- Selected for the inaugural Giro d’Italia a Vela in 1989
- Compact Three Quarter Tonner measuring 9.13 m long with a 3.15 m beam
Cons
- Its small size limits extended-cruising capacity compared with later-generation cruisers
