NE WS ROUNDUP

NEWS ROUNDUP

Carpe Diem at Oyster Brokerage

The promise of freedom after continual lockdowns encouraged sailors to turn their dreams of owning

an Oyster into reality. The last year has been a record-breaking one for Oyster Brokerage. The impact has been positive news for owners, with demand and residuals for pre-owned Oysters remaining strong, so if you’ve made the difficult decision to sell your Oyster, now is a great time to start the process.

THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A LIFETIME

Kevin Webster left school at the age of 15 and has spent the last 50 years going from apprentice to master craftsman

and Director. He is now retiring, but we are lucky not to be losing him completely. Kevin will be bringing his skills and expertise to the Oyster Apprenticeship Academy for three days a week. He will pass on the benefits of his vast knowledge and experience, together with his skills, to the next generation of Oyster craftsmen and women. We owe Kevin a huge debt of gratitude for his lifelong commitment to crafting hundreds, if not thousands, of the world’s finest sailing yachts and we wish him well for the future.

Introducing the Oyster Events App

In October, we successfully trialled the new Oyster Events app at the Palma Rendezvous.

The bespoke app offers participants personalised event information, updated in real time. It means no more paper itineraries and information packs – everything is here at your fingertips. Going forward, we will use the app for all our events – starting with the Oyster World Rally 2022-23.

More records broken…

The premiere of the much-anticipated Oyster 595 took place in October, with Richard Hadida at the helm of Oyster

595/01 SKYE III. The Oyster 595 is officially the fastest selling Oyster, with 16 sold before the first 595 had even touched the water. Feedback from owners and the world’s yachting press has been extremely positive. The new Oyster 595 looks set to be one of our most popular models.

A YEAR OF NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Oyster has always worked with the best in the industry, partnering with companies that share the same high standards and drive to create the

very best quality products. When combined, this is a key factor in what makes Oyster the world’s finest sailing yacht. This year, we are delighted to have forged new partnerships with B&G, North Sails, Lewmar and Seldén, to name a few. Their products ensure we can continue to improve the quality and reliability of our yachts.

OYSTER CHARTER: REIGNITING THE DREAM

Following a challenging year in 2020, Charter bounced back in 2021 with its best year to date. Clearly, the effects of lockdown encouraged more people than ever to experience the joys of cruising on board an Oyster.

Our Head of Charter, Molly Marston, celebrated her 25th anniversary in the role in October, which also coincided with her 1000th charter. Many owners discover what makes Oyster yachts so special on a charter – owner Richard Hadida’s involvement with the brand started here. Demand for Oyster charter is increasing. We are always looking for more charters, and for owners it might just open new horizons as Alan Parker, owner of Oyster 82 Dama de Noche, discovered: “Our experience with charter is that you tend to have bigger horizons and go more places.” For more details, get in touch with Molly at molly.marston@oysteryachts.com or call her on +1 401 225 1216.

THE OYSTER 495 WORLD PREMIERE

We are bringing the new Oyster 495 to you. The World Premiere tour begins 21st to 24th April, 2022 at the London Luxury Afloat Show to be held at St Katharine Docks, London. She then departs on her maiden voyage to premiere in cities across the world. From Oslo to Copenhagen, Barcelona to Miami, she will be visiting a city near you. See our website to select a city and book your personal tour of the Oyster 495.

Welcome to the family

Over the last year, we welcomed a record number of new owners to the Oyster family, through new and

brokerage sales. When people hear about the Oyster family, they don’t necessarily fully understand its meaning, but it is a key part of owning an Oyster and brings with it a whole host of benefits, experiences and events, from our legendary After Sales service to our Regattas and Rallies. New owners of Oyster 56/22 Mary Doll, told us: “When we bought her last year, there was mention of us having joined the Oyster family. I don’t think we realised at the time quite what that meant. The input we have had this week from the Oyster Technical Team (in Las Palmas before setting off on the ARC) has really brought it to life and made us realise what a great decision we made by investing in an Oyster!”

Early last year, Richard Hadida established the Oyster Apprenticeship Academy, a scheme focused on maintaining and growing the timehonoured craft skills that are at the heart of our approach to boat building.

The Academy, which leverages the expertise of our finest craftsmen and women, will ensure we have the skills to sustain the Great British boat building trades and techniques, so that future generations of sailors will be able to enjoy their own Oyster adventures. Working in partnership with City College Southampton and City College Norwich, close to our main build sites, last year’s intake of 14 apprentices were chosen from a record number of applicants.

The new recruits are learning fast and already making a real difference to current builds. We were delighted to be chosen as Employer of the Year by City College Southampton in recognition of the fruitful collaboration that has introduced the next generation of craftspeople to Oyster Yachts.

New Hythe facility now in operation

Early in 2021, Oyster took over a new facility in Hythe to house the production line for the new Oyster 495 and other

manufacturing requirements. Known locally as the Admiralty Shed, the building has been home to the spirit of adventure since it was built during the First World War to produce flying boats. Oyster has given the facility a new lease of life, transforming it into a state-of-the-art production line for our newest adventure machine, the Oyster 495.

CONFIGURE YOUR DREAM OYSTER

We all love to dream about specifying the perfect Oyster yacht. To help take you one step closer to reality, we have

launched the Oyster configurator. You can now configure your Oyster 495, 565 and 595 by visiting our website.