Comfort is a very subjective term, particularly going up wind quickly, so I discount the comment as that of a novice or someone with little actual sailing experience. Asking a race car to have a nice ride, is like asking for a free hummer from a hooker.
If he wants more then displacement speeds, he'll have to give up something. If he is content with displacement speeds, then there are many options available. Frankly, he should sail a well founded and competitive (in the era) CCA style yacht and see what he thinks. They were good sea boats, were able to get up wind well, made good speed, for what they where and fairly comfortable too, not to mention still looked like yachts, not racing machines with molded in cup holders, atop the toilet paper dispenser, in the head, kind of things we see in modern production craft.