It has a fractional sloop rig with aluminum spars, running backstays and an optional headstay.
The hull features hard chines, a spooned raked stem, an angled transom, a rounded, transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable, drum-controlled, metal centerboard.
[1][2][3] The Comet has a draft of 1.75 ft (0.53 m) with the centerboard extended and 6 in (15 cm) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer.
[1] To keep it up to date, the class association has allowed modifications to the design over the years, including the addition of self-bailers, a full width mainsheet traveler, windows in the mainsail and jib for visibility and buoyancy tanks to make the boat unsinkable.
[10][11] In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "an older design, the Comet has many modern features.