Retaliation (Frers 51)

Retaliation in the 1982 SORC (photo Leutweiler/Seahorse)

Continuing the recent theme of the early IOR 50 footers, the feature for this article is the Frers 51-footer Retaliation, which was skippered by Dennis Conner to overall victory in the 1982 SORC. Like Margaret Rintoul III from the previous article, Retaliation was another development of Frers' earlier Blizzard, but with slightly less fullness in the stern.  

Retaliation was later sold to Swedish yachtsman Victor Forss. She was re-named Carat and went on to compete in the 1982 Sardinia Cup. However, despite her impressive performance in that year's SORC, she was disappointing in Sardinia, finishing a lowly 46th, struggling to save her time in the generally light airs against lower rated boats. She showed some of her earlier form, however, in the 1983 SORC when she finished as top boat in Class B (rating 40.0ft), with consistent class placings of 1/3/3/3/3/1, and was 22nd yacht overall.

Retaliation - above and below, on her way to winning the 1982 SORC

Retaliation (right) arriving at the dock after the final race in the 1982 SORC, the Nassau Cup, with Maxis Windward Passage, Ondine, Kialoa IV and Condor visible behind (photo Facebook)

Carat during the 1983 SORC (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

Carat leads the Peterson 51-footer Artemis on a tight reaching leg during the 1983 SORC (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

Carat was also selected for the Swedish team for the 1983 Admiral's Cup, alongside another Frers 51, Bla Carat, the ex-Acadia, winner of the 1978 SORC and which had finished second in Class B in the 1983 SORC. The third member of the Swedish team was the Norlin 42, Paper Tiger. Carat was one of three 40.0ft IOR "maxi-raters" in the 1983 Admiral's Cup, alongside Ireland's Moonduster, another Frers 51 footer and Bla Carat.

Carat before the 1983 Admiral's Cup

Carat during the 1983 Admiral's Cup

Carat had another disappointing regatta, as did the whole of the Swedish team, finishing in 32nd place (with redress points awarded for an incident in the second race). After two average places in the breezier first two races (23/21), Carat slumped to last place in the wind-less Channel Race, and then bounced back to win the fourth race held in the open waters of Christchurch Bay and in a breeze that was much more suited to the big boats. They were further helped by a windshift that came through just after they reached the first mark and affected the chasing pack, and a dying breeze that then slowed the smaller boats further. But Carat then finished 34th in the Fastnet race finale, and, with similarly lacklustre results by Bla Carat and Paper Tiger, the Swedish team finished in 14th place, of 15 teams.

Carat then went on to compete in the 1984 SORC, in Class B against a newer version of Retaliation (see photo above). With a slightly higher rating of 40.2ft, Carat finished sixth in class and 40th overall.

Carat also raced in the 1984 Clipper Cup as an individual entry, finishing fifth in the 15-boat Class B fleet, with placings of 5/9/3/5/7. She was captured performing an unscheduled gybe alongside US entry Artemis by photographer Sharon Green (Ultimate Sailing) in the two images above and below.

Carat soon after the start of a very windy Channel Race during the 1985 Admiral's Cup, from which she would later retire (photo Phil Uhl | Facebook)

Carat later competed in the 1985 SORC, finishing fourth in Class 2 (placings of 3/5/11/4/6/1, winning the Nassau Cup finale) and then made another Admiral's Cup appearance in 1985 as part of the 13th placed Swedish team.

It is understood that in later years the boat was renamed American Eagle and later on Crazy Horse, and it was raced on the Great Lakes, before it was eventually scrapped. 

Updated May 2023