NEW LAUNCHES

For many owners, the much-anticipated handover of their brand new Oyster is like a dream. So much so, that many of them are pinching themselves to make sure they really are on board.

The journey from choosing the right Oyster model to ownership is different for everyone. Some dream of it from the moment they set foot in their first dingy. For others, the desire to own only the best sailboat available comes later in life. But what unites them all is a taste for adventure that Oyster is well-provisioned to fulfil.

We know the pleasure of ownership starts from the moment you place your order. It is a deeply personal and involving experience and you will be guided through every step of specification and build by our expert project managers. With our meticulous attention to detail, every decision you make will be based on exactly what you want and need.

At the end of the journey, you will not only take ownership of a remarkable yacht, but you will also have built a deep and lasting connection with her. By being involved in the build process, meeting our designers and craftspeople, and seeing them put their timehonoured crafts skills into practice to perfect the smallest details, you will be the proud owner of a yacht that is unique to you.

We hope these stories of our recent new owners and their Oysters will inspire you to take the first step, whether you are considering ordering your first, second or third Oyster.

OYSTER 565/09

Z i G i

OWNER: MIKI SCHESTOWITZ PROJECT MANAGER: OLIVER ESSEX HANDOVER: MAY 2022

At the start of May 2022, Miki Schestowitz took ownership of Oyster 565/09 ZiGi – named for his father. Miki is an experienced mariner, having served three years on a missile boat in the Israeli Navy. He retired early seven years ago and has spent the intervening years enjoying his Azimut 77 motorboat. A keen windsurfer for many years, it was a natural step for him to trade up to a sailing yacht.

He discovered Oyster and the 565 through sailing magazines and on YouTube. Attracted to the yacht’s special look with the Oyster trademark wraparound windows, and after seeing the outstanding build quality and attention to detail for himself at boot Düsseldorf, he was convinced to place an order.

He enjoyed choosing from the different design and specification options available, as well as working with our highly experienced Interior Design Team. He loves the look of his 565 and is thrilled with the design and fit-out, especially the master cabin.

ZiGi will be based in Corfu where Miki will master the art of sailing his 565. Miki is so proud of her, he has vowed to be Oyster’s ambassador across Greece and Israel.

PROJECT MANAGER COMMENTS

Due to the pandemic, all our meetings were done online, but Miki did manage to visit the yard for a day during the build which was an emotional moment for him.

He put a lot of time and thought into the interiors, choosing stunning horizontal European oak wood throughout, with matching soles and a whitewashed wax finish on the floors. It makes for a very light and welcoming space below decks. There are some lovely, sophisticated details here too, including a continuous shadow gap running through the forward companionway and the cabin doors.

ZiGi not only looks superb, but she also handles perfectly. The handover sail took place in an exciting 22-25 knots and she proved herself more than capable of dealing with everything thrown at her. Miki enjoyed powering around Harwich harbour and out to sea at a steady 10+ knots in the lap of comfort and luxury – exactly the kind of performance and experience you expect from an Oyster.

I’m thrilled with ZiGi – she is everything I dreamt of and more. The attention to detail is marvellous throughout, down to the smallest details. She is super-impressive in so many ways and I am looking forward to getting to know her better over the coming months. We have many journeys and adventures ahead, I am certain!

MIKI SCHESTOWITZ

OYSTER 595/02

KARIOCA III

OWNER: KARI RINKO PROJECT MANAGER: LUKE PORTER HANDOVER: MAY 2022

Owner Kari Rinko was looking for a quality bluewater cruising yacht to make his circumnavigation plans possible. After comparing Oyster with other well-known brands, he chose the Oyster 595.

“She is very well designed for Blue Ocean cruising, with lots of clever details and practical solutions. Importantly, high on the priority list was my desire for a ‘short-handed’ sailing yacht to skipper myself and with family.”

Kari started sailing at the age of seven and has had experience cruising in Europe and South America with his own yachts (smaller monohull sailing boats and a catamaran, with between 37 foot and 50 foot hulls).

As well as Karioca III’s overall build quality, Kari was delighted with the “cool sailing performance”, ease of handling (as expected) and very stylish and cosy interior living spaces.

Kari is passionate about green technology and innovation and she is therefore fitted with a Watt & Sea Pod 600 hydro generator and will boast an array of solar panels on the fixed bimini. She will also have padeyes installed on the vast foredeck, where Kari can secure a bicycle to charge the batteries.

PROJECT MANAGER COMMENTS

We were delighted to hand over this highly-specified boat with an extended transom and huge lazarette. The owner chose the centreboard keel option to make the most of shallow-draft cruising and the ability to tuck into the remotest shallow anchorages. She’s equipped with all the engineering kit you could wish for (oil transfer pumps, fuel polisher, heating system and aircon). Kari is also a rum connoisseur and his pièce de résistance is a bespoke 11 litre rum tank, hidden in the cockpit backrest.

The teak interior is a standout design feature, a stunning combination of traditional dark wood that works with the other fittings to offer a contemporary feel throughout. The combination of contrasting upholstery and soft furnishings ties the interior together beautifully. We had a fantastic sail trial with a good 1015 knots and the 595 soon demonstrated her ease of handling, which was an important requirement for Kari, not to mention the quietness of the engine, smooth ride, and good boat speed – everything one could hope for in a liveaboard bluewater cruiser.

Kari headed back to Finland and from there will head south to Palma to start planning for his circumnavigation, routing around Cape Horn.

Karioca III is a stunning and impressive yacht. I’m very pleased with the Oyster quality and craftsmanship... the finish is very detailed, including my own customised requests – such as a bespoke rum tank in the cockpit!

KARI RINKO

OYSTER 595/04

LALALEE

PROJECT MANAGER: DEBBIE SCOUGALL HANDOVER: APRIL 2022

LaLaLee was handed over to her owners in Ipswich in April this year. This beautiful Oyster 595 was chosen by the family as she can be effortlessly sailed shorthanded but also offers plenty of space for a crew if required.

The owners came to Wroxham to see the build in progress and meet the sailmakers and Oyster craftsmen and women as they brought LaLaLee to life. They worked very closely with the team when specifying the boat, especially with our experienced interior design team.

The result is the first Oyster with a walnut interior. She features unusual woven leather headboards and bulkheads in the aft and saloon cabins, along with beautiful, light, soft furnishings throughout. The stunning and unique look was completed with Unnatural Flooring synthetic seagrass/sisal, which offers a combination of practicality and tactility (it looks like woven sisal but it can be hosed down!). The owners also commissioned a Torqueedo electric outboard for their RIB, working closely with Marine Tech to deliver the ideal solution.

PROJECT MANAGER COMMENTS

The owners were thrilled with LaLaLee and the overall finish of this stunning yacht exceeded expectations. It was a pleasure to see their ideas realised in such a beautiful interior and their cruising sheet which featured a stunning Polynesian turtle logo. Our project manager, Luke Hancock, sailed with the owner to Cartagena and was mightily impressed with the performance of the boat on all points of sail. The owner continued to the Mediterranean for the summer, with plans to winter in the Caribbean and hopefully join the Oyster World Rally in 2024.

Despite the build being hit by headwinds of the pandemic, the entire Oyster team put in a super-human effort to deliver in the timescales. Our thanks go to everyone who went the extra mile to create this exceptional yacht. We know the owners are delighted with LaLaLee and we wish them fair winds on their adventures.

OYSTER 675/05

TIGER

OWNER: SIMON PILLAR PROJECT MANAGER: GARETH ALLEN HANDOVER: JANUARY 2022

Tiger is Simon Pillar’s second Oyster, replacing his first, Oyster 625/04, which he owned for almost eight years. Simon’s boats have always been a huge part of his family life and are always a major focus when the family holiday together. Not surprisingly, every aspect of this build was seen through the lens of the family’s wants and needs.

As a result, his new Oyster 675 was designed with a completely new front-end layout. This features a twin bunk cabin to port and two heads, one en-suite for the forward starboard cabin. There is also a forepeak/sail locker with a removable pipe cot, which creates a handy extra bunk when an unexpected guest turns up.

On deck, she boasts a suite of high-performance Elvstrom sails with a hydraulic furling Code Zero and a big A2 gennaker for downwind sailing. She is equipped with an AB ALX 13 tender with a 40hp engine and a jockey console, which can be stored on the foredeck or davits.

After a short, informal handover, Tiger set sail to La Coruna with an Oyster representative on board for support. On arrival, there was a crew change and she then continued down to Las Palmas, arriving safely just before Christmas. Tiger then took part in the ARC in January, with Simon and his brothers joining for their first Atlantic crossing together. After a safe crossing to the Caribbean, there were a couple of family trips for all to experience Tiger in all her glory, before she cruised up the East Coast of the United States towards Newport. She is due to return to the Mediterranean at the end of the season, in time for the Oyster Palma Regatta 2022 at Real Club Nàutico de Palma.

PROJECT MANAGER COMMENTS

This was the first 675 we have built in Southampton and the team delivered a beautiful boat. The specification was stunning, well informed and intelligently specified thanks to Simon’s clarity on sail plans and knowledge and experience of Oyster.

Simon made several visits during the build and each time he was stunned by the quality of work, the standards and the craftsmanship of every aspect of the build. On delivery, Simon was blown away, Tiger exceeded his and the family’s expectations on every level. Simon remarked on how impressed they were with the enhancements in quality and finishing all-around – features they felt would be almost impossible to improve upon.

We wanted to say a massive thank you to Oyster for the amazing work and effort that went into delivering TIGER 675/05, the most beautiful yacht. The family is looking forward to creating a new set of memories on her in the years ahead. Thank you to our Project Managers and the rest of the amazing team. We are deeply, deeply grateful.

SIMON PILLAR