7 minute read
NEWS
NEWS ROUNDUP
OYSTER 565 GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
We are excited to share with you that the 14th 565 hull has been ordered.
The 565 was launched in April 2019, featuring the new Humphreys designed G6 hull. She was received with much interest from her inception and we were thrilled when she won British Yachting Awards’ Bluewater Cruiser of the Year 2019. We are certain that the buzz around her will continue as more Oyster 565 owners join the fleet in the coming months.
INTRODUCING THE NEW OYSTER 495
Continuing Oyster’s commitment to breaking new ground, we recently revealed the much-anticipated new 495 – an exciting new sailing yacht that will set the bar in the 50 foot class.
Packed with many features distilled from our larger yachts, she is a true live-aboard sailor’s sailing boat that is effortless to sail and capable of circumnavigating with ease. Find out more about this stunning yacht on page 30.
The flagship Oyster 1225 was nominated for Boat International’s World Super Yacht Awards. She fought off stiff competition from the world’s largest super yachts to make the shortlist.
FOUNDER RICHARD MATTHEWS REJOINS OYSTER
We’re excited to welcome Oyster’s founder, Richard Matthews, back on board as a Non-Executive Director.
His many years of boat-building and sailing offer valuable insights, knowledge and expertise in the business.
As always, he is full of ideas and ways to contribute – working closely with the whole team. His collaborative approach has been seen in action to great effect in bringing the 495 project to fruition.
A PHENOMENAL YEAR FOR OYSTER BROKERAGE
The call of the sea seems to have grown stronger this year. Despite the tight restrictions of lockdowns around the globe, we have seen increased demand for Oyster brokerage yachts.
This huge interest in pre-owned Oysters has resulted in phenomenal sales so far. The restrictions have seen us change to agile new working methods, bringing teams together to collaborate across all our brokerage offices to manage and complete complex crossborder sales. Good news for owners looking to sell their Oyster too – residuals are holding up well. Find out more about Oyster Brokerage and how we can help you buy or sell your Oyster on page 118.
OYSTER 885GT REVEALED
The covers are off the Oyster 885 Grand Tourer. Inspired by an owner who approached us with the idea of building a more performance-orientated yacht and specified with cutting-edge light-weight hardware, she is designed for fast, comfortable passage-making. Read all about her on page 80.
OYSTER PRIVATE VIEWS SHOWCASING THE WORLD’S FINEST BLUEWATER YACHTS
With major boat shows around the world cancelled during 2021, we were keen to give owners and potential owners the chance to get up close to our fleet in a safe and controlled environment.
Two Private Views for the autumn – one in Southampton and the other in Palma – were the perfect opportunity. These invitation-only events were very well-attended, with guests’ health and well-being our top priority. Exceptional examples of the Oyster 565, 675, 745 and 885 were on show in Palma, demonstrating the broad range of customisation available. In Southampton we showed the Oyster 565 and 745. No Oyster event would be complete without our owners and these were no exception. Dates for a Spring Private View in Palma have already been announced and we plan to hold an event in the UK too. We look forward to seeing you there.
OYSTER WORLD RALLY 2024-25
With the success of the first two Oyster World Rallies and demand outstripping places for the 2022-23 rally, we are delighted to confirm the fourth Oyster World Rally will set sail in 2024.
Applications for places on the Oyster World Rally 2024-25 are now open – the fleet is capped at just 30 yachts and we are expecting demand for places to be fierce. To find out more about pre-rally training and prep, the route and what you need to do to enter, see page 20.
A SUMMER LAUNCH
The first Oyster 595s will touch the water in the summer of 2021. The long awaited big sister to the award-winning Oyster 565 fills an important gap in the Oyster line up, superseding the incredibly popular 575 and 625 models. Wellproportioned and extremely versatile, she offers high quality customised build options with no compromise.
Capable of great things, she has a large internal volume so can easily accommodate family and friends for lazy cruising days in the sun, or be the ideal live-aboard yacht to take you around the globe with ease. This remarkable all-rounder is the largest Oyster model that can be effortlessly sailed by two people. The Lloyd’s Register-certified G6 hull form with twin rudders makes her easy to handle and extremely manoeuvrable.
An entirely new model, the 595’s design was informed by owners, with Oyster DNA running through her from stem to stern. She has been entirely reimagined from the deck and technology to the luxurious interiors. With six 595s sold off-plan we are expecting a warm welcome from the market. The 595 is the pinnacle of the high-end ‘friends and family’ cruiser. Whether you’re island-hopping or tackling an ocean passage, she’s a high-end adventure machine that’s a joy to sail.
RICHARD HADIDA
NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR TIMELESS YACHTS
Oyster Composite Technologies Centre in Ashmanhaugh, Norfolk, recently took delivery of a bespoke vacuum infusion table and advanced laser precision technology. At 10m x 7m, the vacuum infusion table enables us to build the bulkheads for the entire fleet.
The project took three months to come to fruition, working closely with Poole-based company NORCO who are known as experts in composites and Glass Reinforced Plastics (GRP) manufacturing techniques. The vacuum infusion table creates production efficiencies and guarantees the highest quality of workmanship, endorsed by our Lloyd’s Register certification.
The introduction of the precision FARO Tracer M laser projector allows our team to meet the high levels of accuracy our yachts demand. Developed for the aerospace and motorsport industries, it cuts out the possibilities for human error when marking out a complex shape with a tape measure. The system projects a laser outline onto a 3D surface or object, creating a virtual template. As a result, it ensures the structure is perfect for very tight tolerances involved in fitting systems and furniture. We will use the FARO Tracer on the build of 885/11, setting up laser projectors in the build bay that will speed up the process without the need for physical templates. This new technology is yet another investment that is enhancing the already high build quality of our yachts.
THE OYSTER 885, AN IDEAL COMBINATION
We are proud to have a confirmed order for the 14th 885 hull. These impressive yachts have proved themselves to be extremely popular, with the Series II offering all the benefits of much larger yachts while coming in under the 24m load line rule.
This gives you the best of both worlds – not only do you get an awful lot of yacht to enjoy for your money, you also avoid the red tape associated with larger yachts – a real advantage if you are thinking of chartering her during downtime.
IN EXCELLENT SHAPE FOR THE FUTURE
The pandemic delivered a very different year to the one we planned or expected. Oyster rose to the challenge and met everything thrown at us with good humour and true dedication, demonstrating the heart and soul that makes Oyster Yachts so special.
Despite the odds, we saw an excellent year of new yacht and brokerage sales, thanks to a sense of carpe diem and a desire to escape on our go-anywhere-adventure-machines. The pandemic illustrated how agile and resilient our team and our business are to weather the many challenges.
2021 looks positive – we have a full order book, the boat bays are full and we have two new models to launch. And we continue to grow our team of expert craftsmen and women to help us create our sought-after hand-crafted yachts.
