oyster 645 yacht

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Oyster 565 yacht test: This bluewater cruiser marks the rebirth of a legend

• Toby Hodges
• January 9, 2020

Is this Oyster 565 the boat that secures the British yard’s future? Toby Hodges takes an exclusive test sail

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

For the sake of this iconic British brand, the new Oyster 565 can’t just be good, it has to be exceptional. Nothing less will do. When the Oyster 825 Polina Star III lost her keel and sank off the coast of Spain in July 2015, the fortune it subsequently cost Oyster directly contributed to the company going into receivership.

Its backers, Dutch firm HTP Investments, ceased to provide financial support in February 2018 and the company went into administration. When gaming software entrepreneur Richard Hadida bought Oyster six weeks later , many wondered how he could rebuild the credibility of the brand and turn the business around.

So all eyes were on the Oyster 565 when it launched at the Southampton Boat Show in September. This is the first completely new design under Hadida’s watch and it sits at the core of the British firm’s market. This is the yard’s most popular size, replacing the 56 (75 sold) and 575 (45 sold).

There is the option of an extended transom design with tender garage, but all owners so far have favoured this standard shape with davits for carrying a dinghy. This yacht has a substantial bathing platform, alongside which you can tie up the dinghy. Photo: Brian Carlin

Hadida has introduced some key developments to help it succeed. Oyster now moulds its hulls in-house rather than subcontracting this work, and he wanted third party oversight, so a Lloyd’s Register surveyor inspects all yachts in build once a week to approve the design, materials and build quality of the hulls and decks. This brings a level of assurance to new owners and should restore faith in the build quality.

The new owner introduced a diverse group of board members, including designer Rob Humphreys and sailor and former Formula 1 team boss Eddie Jordan as well as other business authorities. He also put the Oyster Rendezvous regattas and successful Oyster World Rally back on track. However, this groundwork counts for nothing if the Oyster 565 flops.

I travelled to Barcelona to spend two days testing Panthalassa , the first 565 to launch. Knowing there is a huge amount riding on this model, I wondered whether it would deliver. The answer is a resounding yes. The Oyster 565 is one of the finest production yachts I have ever sailed.

The design is contemporary and sympathetic to Oyster’s existing line-up, but with more volume, comfort, simplicity, speed and stowage space than its predecessors. The deck and interior layout is right up to date, the engineering behind the scenes is of high quality, and the finish is a step beyond what almost any other production yard can offer.

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Times have changed

I found the Oyster 565 berthed alongside an Oyster 56 in Port Ginesta, which conveniently illustrated how hull shapes and deck layouts have changed in 20 years. The Oyster 565 has around 30cm more freeboard, the beam is carried much further aft, and it has a broader transom. The cockpit in particular is much larger, easier and safer to get into, and there are no sheets for guests to trip over.

The design strikes a balance between respecting the legacy of the 56 and the ten-year-old Oyster 575 , and introducing modern features such as a flush foredeck, clean lines and a greater hull volume. Some traditional cruisers may mourn the loss of a skeg-hung rudder and cutter-rigged headsails, but the ease with which you can handle this Oyster 565 in most conditions should convince the majority that modern design wins here.

A robust bowsprit extends the yacht’s length to 59ft. Although the hull length of the new Oyster 565 is shorter than the 575 it replaces, its waterline length is longer and it boasts 10% more volume. Its full bow sections also create space for a sail locker, a crucial asset for stowing the offwind sail needed to supplement the blade jib.

The Oyster 565 is clearly the product of a yard used to building high-end large yachts, as opposed to one pushing up in size into a level of engineering and quality with which it is less familiar. This is perhaps why Oyster describes it as a ‘pocket superyacht ’.

In this respect, the appointment of Paul Adamson as Oyster’s chief commercial officer was shrewd. Adamson is a seasoned Oyster skipper who took Eddie Jordan’s Oyster 885 Lush around the world (the yacht now belongs to Richard Hadida). He brings practical, hands-on expertise and big-boat knowledge to the yard.

The Oyster 565’s £1.5m price tag is steep, but it is comparable to similar-sized yachts from competitor brands and, unusually, comes with a very high standard spec. This includes hydraulic thrusters, furlers, and windlass, tri-radial sails, powered winches, a generator and a full electronic navigation package. You’ll even find 100m of 12mm chain in the anchor locker.

Secure side decks and great views in and out. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

The Oyster 565 comes ready to go, with all the equipment the company knows will make for comfortable ocean cruising , gleaned from decades of experience and owner feedback.

It is immediately obvious as soon as you go on board that every detail has been thought through. The high guardrails have boarding gates built in. If berthed stern-to, a cassette-style passerelle (an extra option) extends at the push of a button, and its handrail rises automatically. Moving forward between the twin wheels, you enter a generous-sized, deep centre cockpit.

A bluewater yacht needs to have a kindly motion at sea, be easy it is to sail and remain comfortable when heeled. During our trials, the Oyster 565 was to prove genteel, safe and enjoyable to sail.

Powering to weather under blade jib. There is a large sail locker forward, removable dorades and a huge ‘skylight’ hatch above the forward cabin. Photo: Brian Carlin

The 565 is simplicity itself to get on and off a berth. It comes with retractable bow and stern thrusters as standard, which allow you to spin the boat around its keel. The hydraulic thrusters are powerful enough to park sideways against a crosswind and easily correct any misalignment when approaching the dock.

Easier sailhandling

The hydraulic furling makes it equally simple to deploy sails even in a strong breeze or awkward seaway. I am not usually a fan of in-mast furling mainsails, but here the ability for one person to set and furl away the main without leaving the helm outweighs any negatives.

Oyster has also ensured that you can manually furl sails should the power or hydraulics fail. Both the mainsail and jib furlers have sockets that allow you to winch the sail by hand or, easier still, operate them with a cordless drill (a fully charged 18V drill will reportedly manage 15 mainsail furls).

The Oyster 565 is the first all-new model to be launched since the yard’s 2018 buyout. Photo: Brian Carlin

The blade jib enables the Oyster 565 to point higher and tack or gybe faster and more easily than previous Oysters with cutter rigs, and without the risk of yankee or genoa sheets whipping around the cockpit. It also proved the ideal sail for our long beats upwind in 12-20 knot winds. The Oyster 565 is a powerful design with a medium displacement, able to maintain consistent speed with a soft motion through the waves that makes for a quiet and comfortable ship.

The twin rudders provide the helmsman with total control and forgiving handling. When the apparent breeze reached the high 20s and the leeward gunwale was immersed, we were on the verge of needing a reef, yet the helm remained light, with only a slight increase in weather helm. This means light work for an autopilot. You can really load the boat, so would need to keep an eye on true wind speeds and when to reduce sail.

The test yacht’s bright red asymmetric spinnaker helped us get the most from the Oyster 565 offwind. Again it was the consistent speeds that stood out: 9-9.5 knots in flat water with winds in the low teens, rising to double figures when going with the swell. Once the breeze was up to a Force 5 on our second day we were sailing consistently at 10 knots. I was hooked: this is an indulgent way to tick off mile after mile.

The cockpit is split into helming and guest areas. The latter has deep benches, a large, fixed table with insulated cool box, a good sprayhood with large, clear panels and an optional bimini or full cockpit enclosure. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Most sail controls and sheets are within reach of the twin pedestals yet clear of the guest cockpit. When standing at the helm it is possible to straddle the coaming to release a sheet or reach the powered winch buttons during a tack.

Short-handed control

For owners who want to sail short-handed, however, it might be more practical to have the primaries closer to the helms, allowing them to hand steer the boat through a tack rather than relying on an autopilot. Leading the jib sheet to the aft (spinnaker) winch might make more sense, as it is closer to the helm and easier to reach without leaving the cockpit.

The mainsheet winch is directly abaft and in reach of the helmsman. It feels awkward turning round to trim the main, but I guess it is something you would get used to, or would settle for engaging the autopilot before trimming the main. There is currently no option for a traveller. Adamson believes that, for most owners, clear access to the cockpit is paramount, and a powerful vang was chosen to control the main instead.

Safe and secure on deck

The distance between the two wheels is perfect. Footwells help ensure that you feel in, rather than on top of, the boat while helming – that was not always the case on previous models. And wraparound backrests at the seats and handrails on the pedestals both create a feeling of security around the helm areas.

Moving forward along the wide side decks also feels safe thanks to high guardrails and handrails along the coachroof. Outboard shrouds and inboard jib tracks leave a comparatively clear side deck. The shrouds disappear neatly into composite chainplates below the toerail.

Going below feels less secure when the Oyster 565 is heeled, however. The flat companionway steps are steep, and curved sides would be more practical. The interior has plenty of handholds and solid fiddles, but there is so much headroom in the saloon I could only just reach the overhead handrail on the centreline.

When sailing, you have this hypnotic view from the saloon of the sea foaming past the leeward hull windows. Photo: Toby Hodges

It is easier to move forward along the starboard side of the saloon, though, and elsewhere the layout suits life at an angle. It is remarkably quiet below decks, a hush belied by the mesmerising sight of the sea foaming past the big leeward hull windows.

Behind the scenes

The British yard has stuck to a tried and tested interior layout for the Oyster 565 and has furnished and finished it impeccably. The standard of joiner work is as good as any you’ll find at production yacht level. The galley and aft cabin would be hard to better, and the utility cabin amidships, a workroom-cum-laundry with an optional pilot berth and access to the walk-in engine room, further compliments the proven layout.

Unusually at this size, Oyster offers the option of a master cabin forward with two double cabins aft. But unless you plan to spend long periods berthed stern-to, the standard owner suite aft with the magnificent views it provides will surely win every time.

The ensuite owner’s aft cabin has an abundance of light and views, good headroom and stowage – it’s difficult to believe you’re actually aboard a yacht of less than 60ft. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Every part of the accommodation is used to its full potential, and stowage is maximised without any part feeling cramped. Practical touches include the cedar-lined, lit and ventilated wardrobes, clever use of indirect lighting, and deeply fiddled work surfaces that are shaped, moulded and laminated in-house.

However, it’s what lies behind the scenes that impressed me most. All services are easy to access for maintenance. The headlining is mounted on Velcro, while floorboards use the Fastmount panel system – although Oyster really needs to find a way to stop these sole panels creaking as it spoils an otherwise quiet interior.

Look below the saloon sole and you’ll find a proper, deep bilge sump in the keel stub. Bilges throughout the boat drain here through limber holes, which ensures any water stays in the lowest part and doesn’t slosh around. This is the most logical place for bilge pumps and by mounting them on removable plates Oyster has ensured they can easily be lifted to clean the strainers.

Sole boards lift to allow access to underfloor systems and the deep bilge. Photo: Toby Hodges

Installed beneath the companionway are two large bronze seawater inlets, one for the domestic side, such as fridge and air con, the other for the engine and generator. These systems are linked so that if one becomes blocked you can shut it down and use the other. It is also comforting to see the surrounding pipes all clearly labelled ‘Lloyds approved’.

The companionway steps lift for stowage and access to the top of the 11kW generator. Here you notice the thickness of the sound insulation. Adamson says Oyster has learned a lot about this through building its larger models. The engine room, for example, is surrounded by plywood with a high-density core and insulated with a composite of foam and sound-absorbing materials. When the engine is on tickover, it is almost impossible to hear it in the cockpit.

See more pictures and videos of the Oyster 565 on the official Oyster Yachts website.

Besides walk-in access to starboard, panels below the galley sink can be removed for access to the port side of the engine room. The engine block sits on flexible mountings, below which is a sump that prevents any oil from running into the main bilge area. There is an electronic pump-out for an oil change, a powered fuel polisher and a water-in-fuel alarm – systems normally only found on larger yachts.

The longer you look, the more you appreciate the careful planning and the intricate detail that has gone into this yacht.

The Oyster 565 is a seriously impressive yacht. It’s a modern design, through and through: good-looking and spacious. It’s certainly expensive, but for good reason, as it includes an extremely high standard spec. And the engineering quality and level of finish really raises the bar. No yacht is perfect, but in terms of design and execution the Oyster 565 is as close as you’ll find on a series-built cruising yacht. This new model issues a very clear statement: Oyster is back.

A larger blue water yacht that can easily be handled by just two people.

£ 1,895,000

19.05m / 62’ 6”

18.14m / 59’ 6”

16.81m / 55’ 2”

5.36m / 17’ 7”

2.68m / 8’ 10”

1.79m / 5’ 10”

4.06m / 13’ 4”

30,807kg / 67,918lb

Volvo Penta D3-150 110kW (150hp)

1500 litres / 330 Imp gallons (396 US gals)

1200 litres / 264 Imp gallons (317 US gals)

180m2 / 1,938ft2

26.34m / 86' 5"

Setting new standards for family-focused blue water cruisers, the Oyster 595 brings a wealth of Oyster Superyacht building experience to provide a stunning 60ft yacht equally at home in Monte Carlo or the Falklands. With many standard features more usually seen as optional extras, the Oyster 595 has been designed with the same internal headroom that we use on the Oyster 885 and 1225.

Designed to fit between the Oyster 565 and the Oyster 675, the Oyster 595 is a spacious yacht that can be handled by just two people and combines a modern hull shape with versatile and stylish fittings to be our favourite family yacht for ocean adventures.

With 2 layout options, the Oyster 595 blue water cruiser can also have the Master Cabin forward and a dinghy garage aft like its smaller and larger sisters. Sizeable sail lockers and lazarette also ensure that this yacht can comfortably cruise long distances.

Different sail and rig combinations are also available to better optimise your Oyster 565 for the Oyster World Rally, regattas, or coastal cruising.

Yacht Layout

The definitive blue water cruising yacht for couples & families alike.

The mid-range blue water yacht with unparalleled sailing performance.

The Elegant, Powerful and Individual Blue Water Sailing Yacht.

885 SERIES 2

Quite Simply The Best Super-Yacht In The World!

The flagship 122.5ft Super Yacht from the Oyster / Humphreys Yacht Design Partnership.

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Oyster 675 – tested and reviewed

As she hit the water, oyster’s award-winning new 675 displayed a new standard in luxury.

If you went to Southampton Boat Show, you might have seen three sets of spreaders climbing above the other masts in the marina. Towering more than 100ft above the waterline, Oyster’s new 675 has an awe-inspiring rig.

At 69ft 1in from pushpit to bowsprit, the boat is in the middle of Oyster’s range, which now runs from 47ft to 118ft. And she is comfortably the largest boat we’ve ever tested in these pages.

Built at Oyster’s Norfolk yard, alongside the smaller production boats, she comes from the pen of the legendary Rob Humphreys, whose association with the brand now accounts for every single boat in today’s line-up. Oyster CEO David Tydeman refers to the 675 as part of the “coupé range” – between the smaller family boats and the larger crewed boats.

A number of big boat features have trickled down – like underwater lights (controlled from the helm pedestal), retractable hydraulic passerelle and instrument pods on either side of the companionway. From the first moments aboard, this feels like a mini superyacht.

She has the Oyster eyebrow connecting the deck saloon to the cockpit coaming, and the classic retroussé stern (although an extended transom version is also available adding 4ft on deck).

Coming aboard, you cross the stout bulwarks onto wide side decks. There is an impressive acreage of teak deck behind the helming positions, which provides all sorts of useful space on deck and headroom in the owner’s cabin below.

Though the standard rig is for alloy spars and rod rigging, Oyster offers a carbon mast and boom (£75,000 extra) which should naturally remove considerable top hamper and improve sailing performance. In the context of a £2.5m boat, this would be a very worthwhile investment.

Oyster has worked hard to keep side decks clear, running the main sheet through the coaming and the jib sheets through custom stainless lead eyes in the coachroof sides from a very tight sheeting angle.

Up at the bow, Oyster has introduced another feature from its larger yachts: the moulded-in bowsprit. It subtly alters the classic Oyster silhouette, offering a huge platform for launching two anchors, and with two very sturdy tack points for Code 0 or downwind sails.

The hull is a laminate of GRP, Kevlar for impact resistance below the waterline, and carbon fibre for stiffness and light weight. Above the waterline, vacuum infusion is used, with carbon fibre chainplates to transfer the loads from the V1/D1 shrouds to the hull. The twin spade rudders are similarly built of GRP and carbon for stiffness.

Layouts below are customisable and Oyster thinks the most popular option will see the owner’s cabin positioned aft across the whole beam of the boat.

There are plenty of useful flourishes about the galley and saloon, including a Nespresso machine that folds out of a cabinet, a one-drawer dishwasher, a full-height Frigoboat fridge-freezer and a drinks fridge in the saloon table.

LOA: 69ft 1in (21.1m) LWL: 59ft 7in (18.2m) Beam: 18ft 6in (5.7m) Draught: 9ft 8in/6ft 3in (3.0m/1.9m) Displacement: 37.t (82, 607lb) Sail area: 2,465sq ft (229sq m) Engine: Volvo D-4-180 (180hp)

PERFORMANCE Sail area/displacement: 20.4 LWL/displacement: 175 AVS: 125° As tested: £2.48m ex-VAT

Contact: oysteryachts.com

A boat of this size is a very serious investment, and you want to know that you don’t have to think about every tiny detail yourself. Oyster’s long years of building bluewater blockbusters means exactly that – their designers and technicians have sweated all the small stuff for you. Every decision has been weighed up carefully to deliver a boat that is, above all, safe, solid and seamanlike.

There are some new features on board for a family Oyster – the huge fold-down bathing platform and moulded-in bowsprit, for example. But don’t be fooled; she is still every inch an Oyster. I would unhesitatingly cross oceans in the 675, and expect to do so in considerable comfort. Yes, there are handholds where you want them and lee-cloths, fail-safes on key pumps and filters and an array of rig possibilities. But really, the biggest decisions a buyer will have to make are about rig, finish and layout – do you want the extra cabin or would you rather a workshop space, for instance? Standard rig or upgrade to inmast furling or carbon spars?

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Out into the blue …

• February 13th, 2024
• Sailing Yacht

Yes, I am biased. You know it: Oyster is my sweet spot. I can hardly find details on these yachts worth criticizing, yet I know there are certainly some. I am simply blind. This is the way it is, when you are in love. And I am not exaggerating: Boot Duesseldorf is the one occasion I love so much for the fact that the Oyster display is right behind my workplace, the Beneteau display. And when ever I need a little timeout, a daydream, even if it´s just for a blink of an eye, I turn my head and look over.

This year the British shipyard came with the Oyster 565, a boat that is the second “smallest” of their current fleet that consists of seven sizes, ranging from the entry level 50-feet Oyster 495 to their flagship, the Oyster 885. Of course, “small” is a word that needs to be put into perspective: Those are true blue water oceangoing yacht designed for long haul sailing and a lot of time spent aboard. Having your retirement celebrated on a boat or even “just” a circumnavigation means at least a 3, 5 or more years timespan. 50 feet is the minimum size to do it, therefore small.

What I love about Oyster is their welcoming and open nature. Literally everybody I meet on the booth is very polite, calm and so “British” in nature. Somehow the grandeur and understating luxury of their boats transmits on the people working with these yachts. So, let´s dive into it, welcome aboard the Oyster 565!

The recurring Oyster motive: Natural light

Let me start by directly entering down into the salon. Oyster boats are not pilot-salon or raised salon yachts as often stated, though it may appear so from the outside. The big “cateye”-windows (as I call them myself) are a trademark design feature and make an Oyster indistinguishable from every other brand. But this is not just for design, there´s an idea behind it.

Spending so much time aboard makes a boat your home. Literally. So everything here is designed to offer a cozy, open, welcoming and safety-conveying atmosphere. As it is in every flat or house, natural light is a major aspect in creating a good feeling, which is why prison cells don´t have much. An Oyster should not make you feel like being “down below” in the basement, it should be flooded with natural light.

Both from above – a bright sunshine-filled blue sky can travel through into the salon almost unhindered, the big skylights and “cateye”-windows make sure that the sun can enter from any angle at any inclination and daytime. Also, a specialty from Oyster and seldom copied by other brands, are the three-part seascape windows in the hull, again, a design-trademark with a huge impact on the wellbeing of the Oyster´s crew and guests.

The salon is completely kept free of anything that distracts from its purpose: There is no galley to look at all the time, no work station, no technical stuff – just sofas and settees, a nice table and so much free space, volume to be filled with light from above or reflections of the water coming in via the seascape windows. I mean, in this setting, calming down, getting some rest, dreaming away or just spending a relaxed day reading a good book is almost guaranteed.

Even in bad weather, there shall never be a feeling of being “trapped” under deck as it is the case with so many boats. In an Oyster, even in the smallest boats, there is always lots of headspace, lots of volume, no cramped or constricted feelings. Could I imagine spending years aboard a ship like this? Yes, please, Sir!

Barefoot on the Coconut Route

That doesn´t mean that an Oyster is just about feelgood and luxury. Not at all. This is a serious oceangoing yacht that incorporates the feedback of hundreds of sailors, hundreds of circumnavigations and the experience of over 50 years of boatbuilding. Not only that. It´s boatbuilding adhering to the highest standards of quality and safety, having had the last big push after the POLINA STAR III-incident and the re-shaping of the company by Richard Hadida. You can see this on each Oyster by taking a closer look at the nav-stations.

Where on most boats nowadays the chart table is a mere reminiscence to some sort of “old tradition”, an artifact, a place that hardly fits a laptop, aboard any Oyster this feature is celebrated. The Captain´s seat – of course to starboard side – is placed in a dedicated corner of the ship´s salon. Not closed off, but sort of placed a bit away from the holly-go-lightly living-area. A special place.

The chart table is big enough to fit traditional paper charts of all sizes. It´s drawer easily fits a whole stack of those, or a laptop. The main switch panel is not just a board, but a piece of technological art. Secondary instruments, displays and gauges enable the skipper or the Captain to gain a full oversight on the ship´s status, position and movement. Jesus, I´d love to one day sit here and do my logbook entries …

A seemingly perfect galley layout

I explained it in my last article on the Hallberg-Rassy 69 that the center cockpit-layout has many advantages for long haul-boats. One of which is the possibility of placing the galley in between salon and aft owner´s cabin. The result is not just a huge galley, but also a safety-optimized and very practical place to prepare the boat´s meals. I hate being forced to look at the dishes on boats, that’s why I don´t fancy longitudinal galleys. On any Oyster, there is no problem like this.

The galley aboard the Oyster 565 is narrow enough to make the ship´s cook wedge himself in between the two sides. No matter if he is cooking, chopping, doing the dishes or getting something in or out the fridges, there is always a safe grab nearby. The galley is also placed near the pivotal point of the boat near the keel, which makes for less movement even in heavy seas. Also, the galley is light suffused. A role model.

Imagine being an owner …

Although I am building my own dream yacht right now , the Oyster is still on top of my “dear Santa”-list. This boat is just so captivating and has taken me away on so many occasions in the evening, after I went to bed, lights are out, eyes closed … on my imaginary circumnavigations. Which, on an Oyster, is literally a built-in feature: The Oyster World Rally is a service and event for owners like no other provided by any other shipyard or brand in the world. Standing in the owner´s cabin at the boat, this is apparent …

This is the true luxury on a boat like this: A really big, big owner´s cabin. I mean, on a classic aft-cockpit yacht it takes a 60-footer to offer the inner volume of a cabin like that one on the Oyster. Even on the smallest, the Oyster 405, the owner´s cabin is of huge proportions. A nice island bed, loads of stowage and of course the great seascape windows are an invitation to leisure time and true relaxation.

Imagine waking up in such a bed, your first view is through the three windows onto a crystal clear blue water, the boat gently swinging at anchor … or in your off-time when sailing, gently heeled over secured by lee cloth, the water is vividly foaming greenish behind those windows. It must be like living a dream. Adjoinging to the cabin to starboard side the bathroom is located.

It´s not an overly big bathroom: A vacuum toilet – nicely aligned to face forward along the axis of the yacht – a sink and a decently sized shower chamber. Who needs more? Behind the bathroom´s wall, accessible from the salon, a room for a washer/dryer and some stowage is also located on the right hand side underneath the cockpit´s coamings, utilizing the volume there.

Guests on board the Oyster 565 will have a great time too: The layout allows for a VIP-guest cabin in the front and a two-berths Pulman-cabin, both sharing a big bathroom with all amenities. This layout can be optimized in canceling the room behind the nav station and make it´s volume accessible via the owner´s bathroom, in this almost doubling the volume of this bath.

Now, let´s get back on deck. Guests and off-watch crew enjoy a nice cozy cockpit. A central table with folding tabletops (and a fridge of course) make for a great place to enjoy breakfast, lunch or a sundowner. It´s just a feeling and I did not have a ruler with me, but I felt that this cockpit area was bigger than on the Hallberg-Rassy 69, which is amazing!

Casting off, into the Blue …

Putting the Aperol Spritz away and taking one of the helm seats in the aft, a skipper or helmsman aboard the Oyster 565 will have full push-button control over the sails and all principal functions of the boat. The yacht is 18 meters long and a little over 5 meters wide, which makes for a big boat indeed – but again, she is made to bridge oceanic distances in a most seakind and quick way.

This is achieved by a state-of-the art hull design, of course conceived by Rob and Tom Humphreys . Her sail plan provides for 152 square meters of sails area, powering her 27.5 tons through the distant waters. If two steering wheels – clearly more out of design purpose and fitting a current trend in owner´s demands – are always the best choice, is a question mark. But I am sure when sailing heeled or with sprayhood up a helmsman will enjoy this set-up very much. So, can we cast off now, please?

Surely, for most of us a boat like this will remain a dream. I guess it´s not only the budget needed in order to have an Oyster built. The true luxury isn´t about the money. It´s about having the time to cast off. The freedom to be out sailing for one, two or more years, totally independent and freed of the constraints of a job, this is what most of us will sadly never achieve. But let´s not be depressive about it: Even my five minute Oyster daydreams take me away, looking at all the great pictures and movies from the World Rally or just, as I literally celebrate every year in Duesseldorf, the admiration for those beautiful lines is something special and precious for any boat connoisseur.

You can read these Oyster related articles too:

Walkthrough Oyster 745

Interview with Rob and Tom Humphreys on Oyster 495 yacht design

Entry level dream yacht: Oyster 495

NEW Oyster 565

New yachts for sale, sail monohulls 50ft >,        oyster boats for sale, oyster 565 boats for sale.

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