Design and Construction
The CS 50 is built predominantly of fiberglass, with a solid fiberglass hull and a lead fin keel carrying 12,125 pounds of ballast against a 27,557-pound displacement — a 44 percent ballast ratio that places the yacht firmly in the serious-cruiser camp. Frers gave her a length-to-beam ratio of 3.53 across a 14.16-foot beam and a 38.38-foot waterline, proportions that read as a beamy, moderate-displacement hull rather than a slender racer. The wetted surface runs about 56 square meters, and the displacement-length ratio of 219 categorizes her among "moderate racers" in the standard nomenclature — quick enough to be interesting, heavy enough to settle into a seaway anchor. The internally mounted spade rudder and fixed fin keel complete a conventional late-1980s performance-cruiser underbody.
Rig and Handling
The CS 50 carries a masthead sloop rig as standard and can be optionally cutter rigged, a flexibility that speaks to her intended long-range cruising as well as club racing. Her total sail area of 1,390 square feet yields a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 24.38, a number consistent with a boat built to move in a breeze without demanding a full crew. The standing and running rigging dimensions are generous: jib and genoa sheets run 15.2 meters at 16 mm diameter, the mainsheet stretches 38.1 meters, and the spinnaker sheet 33.5 meters, all at 16 mm anchor. On the racecourse the design carries a PHRF average handicap of 84, with recorded high and low both at 84 — a tight band suggesting consistent real-world performance across measured examples. The theoretical hull speed is 8.3 knots, and the capsize screening value of 1.88, paired with a Motion Comfort Ratio of 29.6, frames a yacht engineered for stability rather than outright speed.
Accommodations and Tankage
At just under 50 feet overall, the CS 50 provides the volume expected of a Frers flagship. The standard keel draws 8.67 feet; the builder advertised a 6.67-foot shoal-draft keel as an option, but no shoal-draft examples were actually built, so every surviving boat sits at the deeper draft and is restricted to major-marina depths. Fuel capacity is 74 U.S. gallons and fresh water 134 U.S. gallons, generous figures that support extended cruising without frequent replenishment. The immersion rate of about 338 kg per centimeter means she settles meaningfully under load — a consideration when provisioning for a long passage.
Known Issues
The principal configuration caveat is that the shoal-draft keel was offered but never delivered, so buyers seeking shallower access will not find one. The deeper 8.67-foot standard keel limits her to larger harbor entrances, a constraint imposed by the load-dependent draft of 2.03 to 2.13 meters.
The Verdict
The CS 50 is a short-run, Frers-penned flagship that combines a high ballast ratio, a beamy fiberglass hull, and a versatile rig into a credible bluewater-cruiser-racer. Her brevity of production makes her a rare find, and her clean record on defects makes her a comparatively low-risk older yacht — provided the buyer accepts the deep-draft limitation.
Pros
- High 44 percent ballast ratio with 12,125 lb lead ballast
- Frers design with masthead sloop and optional cutter rig
- Generous 74 gal fuel and 134 gal water capacity
- PHRF handicap of 84 indicating predictable performance
Cons
- Only deep-draft (8.67 ft) examples exist; shoal keel was never built
- Restricted to major marinas by draft
- Very low production (single 1987 example documented, out of production 1988)
