A Pictorial History of the Comet - 1952

"In March, 1932, Lowndes designed the boat destined to bring him [the] most fame, the Comet.  What prompted him to design this sixteen foot sloop?  A close friend and fellow sailor, Mrs. Elliott Wheeler, of Easton, wanted a small, fast sailboat for her two sons, David and Thomas Martin.  Knowing his talent over a drawing board, she asked him to design the boat which has since been called the Comet."  CRYC 1952 Comet International Brochure

Mrs. Elliott Wheeler of Easton, Maryland.

Lowndes Johnson, designer of the Comet

"The first Comet, which was at that time known as the "Crab" was built at Oxford by Ralph Wiley, at his shipyard, and was sailed on the Tred Avon River for many years by Thomas Martin and his mother."

Comets sailing on the Potomac River

Gibson Island - Comets on the Magothy River, before 1952

Comet Internationals at Ithaca, NY (before 1952)

Nina and Bill Lyon (above), 1951 Comet International Champions and their boat named "Kate II" They were members of the Corsica River Yacht Club

Howard Lippincott, Comet builder, in the lead at Biscayne Bay, Florida (before 1952) on the far right,
Bill and Nina Lyons on Kate II on the far left

Midwinter Comet Championships, Biscayne Bay, Florida (before 1952)