Ship retiring in hopeless event (6)
I believe the answer is:
vessel
'ship' is the definition.
(I know that ship can be written as vessel)
'retiring in hopeless event' is the wordplay.
'retiring' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'lessev' can be found hidden inside 'hopeless event'.
'lessev' in reverse letter order is 'VESSEL'.
(Other definitions for vessel that I've seen before include "Blood-carrying tube or a ship" , "Craft for water transportation" , "bowl?" , "Kind of ship or a kitchen pot (6)" , "Container for liquid or craft for water" .)