where are oyster yachts made

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4 minute read - 18th May 2023

See inside: oyster yachts’ uk-based factory sites.

Oyster Yachts is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. Designed and built across four build centres in Norfolk and Hampshire, we take a look inside and explore some of the facts & figures behind these sites.

Picture: Chris Ison / Oyster Yachts

Oyster continues to invest in new production facilities, techniques, and technology, always striving to make their yachts better and more sustainable. With a forward order book extending over two years, Oyster is implementing more efficient production processes across its four build centres in Wroxham & Ashmanhaugh, Norfolk and Southampton and the newly acquired state-of-the-art production facility at Hythe, Hampshire.

A freshly moulded 565 hull and deck, awaiting final quality assurance sign-off by Lloyd Register prior to fitting deck to hull.

From on deck, right down to the keel, all Oyster hulls boast uncompromising strength of construction certified by Lloyd’s Register or DNV, featuring a combination of stringers and frames for extreme durability and safety.

A white NPG resin gel coat is standard for Oyster, which has excellent UV resistance and waterproofing qualities. Applied to its optimum thickness – not too thin that it compromises waterproofing, but also not too thick that would make the surface brittle. Oyster’s approach is about the quality of a beautiful, moulded surface that weathers the elements and time.

Rigorous attention to detail and quality assurance checks are applied even before full-blown fit-out commences and are continued throughout the manufacturing process.

Meticulous preparation of the cockpit internal moulding liner, ready-to-accept headlining soft furnishings and downlight fittings.

Oyster’s outstanding quality is a result of the finest British master craftspeople and meticulous attention to detail. Hand-selected veneers are grain and colour-matched throughout.

The standard of craftsmanship is exceptional, from the hand-built cabinetry to the intuitively placed handholds, – an unrivalled detail. Each Oyster is unique and built to reflect the personality and taste of individual owners.

Cabling behind the scenes is both named and numbered to make testing, troubleshooting, and maintenance simple. Exterior cables have tinned cores for anti-corrosion and uncompromised connection. Extensive use of waterproof connectors, both above and below decks significantly extends the lifespan of electrical connections and components.

Oyster’s design approach combines expert naval architecture, time-served craftspeople, modern materials, and the latest proven technology. Every detail has been carefully considered and space is maximised for comfort in the large volumes down below.

Oyster’s DNA is rooted in over 20 million bluewater sailing miles and over 100 circumnavigations of the globe. This relentless pursuit of perfection allows constant evolution and refinement that makes Oyster one of the most reliable yacht brands.

Oyster is a british boatbuilder, with a deep and enduring heritage built over the past 50 years. each yacht is hand-built by life-long, passionate, and proud boatbuilders who bring these special yachts to life..

Oyster is committed to growing a sustainable and environmentally responsible business that nurtures the passion of the Oyster family. It continues to invest in the future by introducing new technologies and techniques across all sites and functions, which work in harmony with the time-honoured craftspeople and staff that are at the heart of every one of its yachts.

With a growing team of over 600 employees and an award-winning apprenticeship scheme established, Oyster continues to go from strength to strength. Tradition is an important part of what it does and is preserving these skills by investing heavily in training young craftspeople so that future generations can continue to experience the joy of Oyster.

There has been a strong focus on improving the quality of every aspect of these already impressive yachts. Hull and deck mouldings are now certified by Lloyds’s Register. The latest nautical and domestic technology is incorporated into every design and build. And every element, from door hinges to winches is often over-specified for performance, strength, and longevity. The levels of finish and luxury are unparalleled.

Over 100 Oysters have completed a circumnavigation of the globe. This is the dream voyage for many sailors and why Oyster yachts are uniquely suited to every time one of their exquisite yachts leaves its factory.

We would like to ‘See Inside’ your factory and share some insight about the investment, growth and future plans you have – if you wish to be featured, please get in touch on  [email protected]

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UK & International Business Sales and M&A News

Oyster yachts acquires new production facility.

Oyster Yachts, one of the UK’s iconic yacht manufacturers, is acquiring a new 27,000 sq ft production facility at the Hythe Marine Park, Southampton.

The yacht manufacturers, which also has offices in Spain and the USA, is undertaking a considerable expansion programme and is moving into Hythe’s historic flying boat building to provide a state-of-the-art production space for the new Oyster 495 yacht.

Oyster’s owner and CEO Richard Hadida commented:

“With several Oyster 495s already sold, investment in this dedicated production facility fits seamlessly with our growth strategy.

“We have great plans for Hythe Marine Park – this location is already a centre of excellence for boat building and it is the ideal location for our expansion of Oyster.”

Oyster Yachts is moving into the historic Grade II listed building, known locally as the Admiralty Shed or the Flying Boat Hangar, which produced sea planes for World War 1, before becoming a key facility for Vickers Supermarine and later the maintenance base for the pioneering Empire flying boats. More recently, it saw the production of the test boats for the 2017 America’s Cup campaign and Alex Thompson’s 2020 Vendee Globe racing yacht.

This acquisition will see Oyster Yachts increasing its existing facilities by 70%, supporting the company’s ongoing investment and growth strategy in the UK.

To accommodate the expansion Oyster will be increasing its Southampton workforce by a further 70 employees, which is seen as a positive development for new talent in the area. Awarded Employer of the Year by City College Southampton in 2021, the company is invested in developing new talent, which led to the creation of its own Oyster Apprenticeship Academy. The Academy ensures time-honoured craftmanship skills and techniques are passed onto new and younger generations to ensure British boat building trades are sustained.

The Southampton-based expansion follows on from growth at Oyster’s manufacturing facilities in Wroxham and the creation of a specialist technology centre in Ashmanhaugh, both in Norfolk.

The expansion into new premises at Hythe is being overseen by Oyster’s newly appointed Chief Operations Officer Peter Hamlyn.

He commented:

“The Hythe facility will allow us to exploit production of the 495 in innovative new ways, combining new technology to complement our industry leading quality and hand-finished craftmanship for which Oyster is world renowned.

“This commitment is a huge boost for the local boat building community which will see further investment and job opportunities from a world class boatbuilder like Oyster Yachts.”

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

The remarkable Oyster 675 on test – making a splash with a powerful new look

• Toby Hodges
• January 21, 2017

There may be new styling and options galore but the 675 is still assuredly an Oyster. Toby hodges reports.

Accommodation: Where to sleep?

Oyster’s modern raised saloon format is impressive. The triple vertical ‘seascape’ hull portlights, together with the generous coachroof windows, create a fabulously light and well-connected saloon.

Two of the large, forward-looking coachroof windows open out for ventilation. The test boat also had traditional dorades (in slight contrast to the flush foredeck design).

I was consistently drawn to the practical features of the 675. Fuel separators, hydraulics, plumbing and the watermaker are all housed centrally in plentiful space below the saloon sole, for example. The navstation is offset at 45 degrees, which makes it easy to monitor the large bank of electronics mounted on the adjacent bulkhead. And the wet hanging locker is located beneath the companionway steps, warmed by the engine room directly behind. I did however find the space between saloon table and port berth a little too large when trying to venture forward while the boat was heeled.

The galley is superb: super-spacious yet practically laid out with deep fiddled work surfaces and athwartships domestic-size fridge-freezer. The double sink is located inboard beneath cupboards that will neatly swallow all the crockery and glassware behind their sliding doors. Despite a washing machine and dishwasher housed in the galley, there is still ample stowage. Additional refrigeration space is built in to the saloon table and the cockpit table, plus there is a drinks cooler beneath the forward berth – this owner has named his yacht after a particular South African white wine after all.

The test boat was fitted with a forward guest en-suite cabin. This can be enlarged and specified as the master cabin.

Forward of the saloon, our test boat was fitted with a day heads and shower to port for the use of both the compact double cabin opposite and the Pullman aft. The master cabin is astern while the forward en-suite guest cabin looks suitably plush with an island berth and generous stowage.

The option to locate the master suite ahead of the mast offers greater privacy for owners who spend a lot of time moored stern-to. However, anyone who has spent time in the aft cabin of an Oyster will understand why the yard has not felt the need to offer anything different before. Factor in the vertical hull windows offered in the aft cabin of the 675, which provide it with so much natural light, and it is hard to imagine anyone preferring the forward master option.

The wide variety of layout options range from two cabins to four. “Some want to pack it with cabins, while others want to keep the volume for longer stints on board,” Tydeman explained. There is the option to have a compact crew cabin in the bow, but for anything other than temporary occasions, it would be more reasonable for a professional crew to use a Pullman cabin.

The verdict

There is a boom in the market for yachts in the 60-70ft range, but Oyster is already well ahead of the curve here. It is a company that has long been comfortable building in the 60-90ft sector. At this end of the scale, its competition, and thus the choice for potential owners, is narrow. Few, if any, yards are capable of producing genuine series-built bluewater cruisers at this size. And few are able to compete with Oyster in terms of ability, engineering and quality.

Compared to the 625 and 575, the extra size of the 675 brings not only extra space and speed, but also a lot more boat to maintain. So the key decision, especially for those who still want to sail privately, will be whether to employ a crew member and for how long. But that would certainly be a nice decision to have to make.

Oyster Yachts: made in England

A visit to Oyster Yachts’ Southampton facility confirms this company’s dominance in the 80ft sector: the five bays were full of 825s and 885s – and the sixth 825, Enso , was being commissioned afloat. Apart from vacuum infused bulkheads and carbon-capped frames, construction techniques remain relatively conventional with a reassuringly belt-and-braces approach.

Oyster Yachts Southampton

The 675 and 745 can be built either in Southampton, or in Norfolk where the 475 to 625 models are built. Oyster employs about 400 people in total with 320 on the shop floor, capable of producing 18-20 boats a year. Construction time varies from around nine months for a 475 to 16 months for a 885.

Oyster 675: Specifications

LOA: 21.03m (69ft 0in) LWL: 18.16m (59ft 7in) Beam (max): 5.65m (18ft 6in) Draught: 2.95m (9ft 8in) Displacement (lightship): 37,500kg (82,673lb) Ballast: 11,300kg (24,912lb) Sail Area (100% foretriangle): 235.5sq m (2,535sq ft) Engine: 180hp Volvo Penta saildrive Water: 1,550lt (341gal) Fuel: 1,900lt (418gal) Sail Area-Displacement ratio: 21.4 Displacement-LWL ratio: 174 Price (ex VAT): £2,480,000 Design: Humphreys Yacht Design

The two-berth Pullman cabin

The owner of this first 675 requested steps in the transom so he could easily board the dinghy, which will be stowed on davits. The transom includes a large swim platform that lowers on struts.

The twin rudders provided good feedback in anything above 7 knots.

The uncluttered cockpit forward of the binnacles, beneath the optional bimini.

The superbly spacious galley features a domestic-size fridge-freezer.

The navstation is angled at 45 degrees with space for a rack of electronics.

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Accommodation: Where to sleep?

Published on March 23rd, 2023 | by Editor

Oyster Yachts: Fifty years later

Published on March 23rd, 2023 by Editor -->

Barry and Sue Parkin, Olympians for Great Britain, passed on their elite DNA to sons Jack and Freddie who both have won youth world titles for the USA. But recent exploits for mom and dad, profiled in SAIL magazine , now involve their purchase of an Oyster 625.

With over 20 million sea miles and 100 circumnavigations of the world, Oyster Yachts is celebrating 50 years in 2023, a company known for its coveted range of award-winning bluewater sailing yachts handcrafted in the UK.

Oyster Yachts was started in 1973 by Sir Richard Matthews with his vision for the Oyster 34, a cruiser racer designed by Don Pye of Holman and Pye and built using local boatbuilders Landamores in Wroxham, Norfolk. By 1980, Matthews introduced the Oyster HP46. This yacht featured Oyster’s pioneering deck saloon, a signature feature on all Oyster Yachts.

Combining build quality and interior features that made Oyster Yachts synonymous with long-distance bluewater cruising, the range extended to include the Oyster 41, 43, 53, and 55. Then, working with yacht designer Stephen Jones, Matthews launched the Oyster SJ35, which went on the win several high-profile races.

The launch of the Oyster 435 came in 1984, and Oyster also set up its highly successful Oyster Brokerage to meet the demand of boat owners wanting to upgrade to new models.

In 1999, Oyster commissioned naval architect Rob Humphreys to design the Oyster 56. This winning relationship continues today, with the Oyster 56 becoming the most successful model, with over 75 hulls sold. Humphreys and his team, now headed by his son Tom, have since designed 17 models, including the Oyster 46, 54, 575, 655, and 72.

The largest Oyster in the current fleet, the Oyster 885, was launched in 2010 and along with the Oyster 625, was the first to feature Oyster’s signature seascape windows. Now making Oyster Yachts instantly recognizable, this supported the integration of several innovative and technologically advanced exterior and interior design features, furthering its suitability for long-distance blue water cruising.

Oyster’s expansion saw an increase in skilled British craftspeople and the introduction of manufacturing facilities at Hythe in 2021, the birthplace of Oyster’s new 495. Already established as one of the company’s most successful models, the Oyster 495 won the 2023 European Yacht of the Year award.

The company took the lead in organizing worldwide events for its owners, including the first Caribbean Regatta in Antigua in 2001 and the Palma Regatta in 2002. These events continue to this day.

As mentioned in the SAIL article, Oyster initiated the Oyster World Rally to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2013. This was a fully supported 18-month circumnavigation of the world, exclusively for Oyster yachts, which proved to be a massive success for existing and aspiring Oyster owners.

Subsequent rallies were run in 2017-18 and 2022-23, with the latest to conclude in Antigua this April which also marks the 100th Oyster to circumnavigate the world. Future Oyster World Rallies will take place in 2024-25 and 2026-27.

For the British luxury boat building company, 2018 proved to be a turbulent year . Despite a strong order book, Oyster Yachts went into liquidation though quickly rescued by gaming software entrepreneur Richard Hadida who “fell in love” with the yacht builder having sailed one of its vessels and was eager to save the brand.

“Oyster’s achievements in 50 years are too numerous to mention,” said Hadida. “But one thing is certain, our reputation is built as much on our quality of build as it is on special memories and life-changing experiences our owners have enjoyed over the last half-century.”

Tags: Oyster Yachts

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Oyster 495: the dream boat that sets the bar

• Sam Fortescue
• January 2, 2023

Oyster have long set the standard for luxurious blue-water cruisers, and the Oyster 495 is the new baby in the range. Even if you’re not in the market for one, it’s nice to dream, says Sam Fortescue

Product Overview

• High build quality
• Very stable
• Modern hull shape
• Flexible sail plan
• Accessible technical spaces
• Lots of deck stowage
• Numerous interior steps
• Limited clothes storage
• Captive main/jib halyard

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

Following an era which saw Oyster yachts getting progressively bigger and bigger, the iconic British boatbuilder has shifted its gaze back to the sort of boats that made it famous. And the first fruit of this welcome development is the comely Oyster 495.

The best part of £2 million all told, she is eye-wateringly expensive. So why sail her?

Well, this iconic British brand has long set the standard when it comes to offshore and ocean luxury cruising yachts, so it’s worth seeing, if only to measure other boats against.

The cockpit is deep, secure and well-sheltered. Credit: Morten Strauch

Even if you haven’t got that kind of loose change in your pocket, it’s nice to dream, isn’t it?

Freshly designed from the keel up, this is a that boat aims to combine comfort, quality build and reliable blue-water passagemaking with features found on the bigger boats.

Drawn by Humphreys Yacht Design, the Oyster 495 is the first new model since Richard Hadida bought the business in 2018.

‘She’s a go-anywhere adventure machine capable of taking her owners to the four corners of the globe,’ says Hadida, for whom this first boat has been built with a huge array of extras.

Oyster 495: a new icon

Approaching the Tuborg Marina in Copenhagen to join ship for the overnight passage to Kiel, there was absolutely no mistaking this boat, whose glossy black carbon mast gave her away long before I spotted the trademark Oyster eyebrow.

Hull number one, which is on a promotional world tour lasting well into 2023, also has a bold turquoise vinyl hull wrap.

Solo sailing is feasible thanks to almost all controls being push-button. Credit: Morten Strauch

In line with recent thinking on hull shape , the Oyster 495 punches a plumb bow into the seas and carries much of her beam well aft – noticeably more so than previous models.

Such a hull form resists heeling and reduces the need for ballast.

The halyards make off to the mast and can be tensioned by winches, but must be moused to be lowered. Credit: Morten Strauch

‘With the twin rudder configuration that we have adopted as standard on all our Oyster designs since the 885 model, it provides us with more flexibility to carry a higher proportion of form stability by increasing the power of the aft hull sections,’ says naval architect Tom Humphreys.

‘This is still introduced sensitively to ensure motions and control in waves is not compromised.’

Generous accommodation

Together with the slightly higher beam and topsides compared to the 46, it creates a lot of volume below for the master cabin and extra headroom in the fo’c’sle.

As is typical for Oyster, the mast is keel-stepped. It intrudes slightly into the corridor forward, but does a better job of transferring rig forces to the keel and reduces chainplate loading.

Our test boat had the full carbon mast option from Selden with in-mast furling, and in some ways, this is a bit of an oxymoron.

Headsail furling is electric on the Oyster 495, with a double bow roller in the integral bow sprit. Credit: Morten Strauch

The carbon mast adds nearly £100,000 to the pricetag for a big weight saving of some 200kg, but the mandrel and furling gear puts some of that weight back in.

On the other hand, it reduces the sail area by 10 per cent and prohibits the use of performance-enhancing battens.

‘You get more sailing done this way,’ explains sales director Richard Gibson, and that is a key point in a blue-water yacht.

The sail plan is designed with an efficient 54m2 jib, which can be set up for self-tacking, or remain on tracks set well inboard for good tight angles upwind.

Then there’s an attractive moulded-in bowsprit which carries two tack points for asymmetric or reaching sails, while beefy padeyes along the raised bulwarks give you heaps of options for fixing the blocks needed to run sheets and guys.

A large sprayhood, and an optional bimini or cockpit tent offer good protection from the elements. Credit: Morten Strauch

As well as push-button controls for the mast furling and outhaul, this test boat has the optional hydraulic mainsail trim.

Effectively reversing the mainsheet to be trimmed in the boom and not on deck, this clever kit was first developed by Wally superyachts.

The mainsheet is spliced to a strop on the deck behind the helm and a ram hidden in the boom does the trimming, removing trailing ropes in the cockpit.

Just the jib sheets come back to the cockpit, because all the halyards are designed to be handled at the mast.

The mainsheet control is hydraulic and hidden inside the boom. Credit: Richard Langdon

It keeps the cockpit remarkably tidy, but requires you to spend time crouched at the foot of the mast to launch or douse a reaching or running sail.

Similarly, the jib and main halyards terminate with loops over a mast fitting which is tensioned then pegged off.

As they are cut to this length with the sails hoisted, you can’t lower them in a hurry.

You need to unload the hook using a winch, then tie on the provided mousing line. Tidy, yes; practical, no.

Hunting for wind

Now, we had lamentably low wind during our test sail, and the delivery team were intent on reaching Kiel by daybreak, so we spent much of our 24 hours aboard with the motor running and the sails furled.

And here, it must be said that the boat performs very well.

At an optimal 2,300rpm, the efficient Yanmar 110hp shoved us along at 8 knots through oily calm seas, consuming 8.7 litres of diesel per hour.

That’s roughly 1 litre per nautical mile, or nearly 4 days and nights of motoring on a full tank of 800 litres.

Excellent deck stowage is located aft of the single-point mainsheet attachment. Credit: Morten Strauch

And though the engine sits in the traditional spot beneath the companionway, with the chart table to starboard and the galley to port, it is very well muffled.

Crucially for the workhorse on a blue-water cruising boat, access is possible via hatches on all four sides of the engine block, while the compartment itself offers plenty of room for additional equipment.

During two passages of moderate wind, the skipper obligingly let us set the main and jib – a slow but simple question of pressing buttons, with jib sheet winches within easy reach of the helm on the coaming.

She remained light and responsive on the helm and at one point, we clocked up a decent 5.1 knots of boat speed, fetching easily into 8 knots AWS.

Oyster is proud of its cockpit table, which contains a drinks fridge. Credit: Morten Strauch

Conditions didn’t permit much more, but polars indicate that she will perform up to about 32º true wind angle, quickly accelerating to 7 knots upwind in a 10-knot breeze.

Broad reaching with the 197 m² asymmetric, she can manage 11 knots in a blow.

Despite being resin-infused, the boat has a relatively heavy glassfibre construction and weighs in at 21 tonnes without fuel, water, food, gear or crew.

The saloon is large and extremely light thanks to the trademark deck saloon windows

Her sail area to displacement ratio of 16.1 is that of a solid offshore cruiser, while the waterline length to displacement ratio of 203 promises a little more power.

It gives her a very solid feel on the water, like her bigger siblings, but limits performance.

‘You want the boat to be the destination in a way,’ says Tom Humphreys. And like all Oysters, the 495 is just that.

The trademark raised centre cockpit means plenty of aft deck for lounging, fishing or blowing up tenders, while the seating, with its central fold-up table, is deep and well protected.

The optional cockpit tent and a bimini would be a boon for warm water or Baltic sailing .

A proper forward facing chart table is essential for ocean navigation and as a work station

Deck, rigging and underwater lighting may be a little showy for some, but do create real atmosphere. The heart of the boat, though, is its large saloon area.

Deep upholstery on either side provides space to put your feet up and relax, gather with friends, sit down for a meal around the eight-person table or even watch a movie on the pop-up TV.

Luxury styling in the cabins hasn’t made Oyster forget practicalities such as lee cloths and handholds.

The space communicates nicely with a very well-found galley to port and the chart table to starboard, and there are handrails to help you make your way everywhere.

The finish is Oyster to the core and styling has been revitalised with a new superyacht inspired look that is all geometric relief, pale wood and Nordic lamps.

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One step too far

If I had one criticism of this otherwise spotless interior, it would be the number of little level changes that connect the spaces.

We counted 12 steps in total, besides the companionway.

While they maximise the volume, they also present a tripping risk.

The hull form includes a plumb bow to stretch waterline length, and carries its beam well aft, controlled by twin rudders. Credit: Brian Carlin

One of the reasons for these steps is clear: the saloon sole is raised somewhat in order to create space for the tankage beneath, as well as enjoy the views from the deckhouse windows.

And there, at least, the benefit is overwhelming, because you can easily inspect each tank, as well as the batteries and other equipment.

Custom joinery adapts the galley storage to your crockery and glassware.

The galley of the Oyster 495 is well laid out for use at sea

Standard is a four-burner hob and oven from GN Espace, side opening boat fridge plus an optional freezer and microwave.

Another highlight is the huge chart table.

There are those that scoff at the waste of space in a digital age, but anyone undertaking blue-water cruising knows the value of this space.

The saloon deckhouse leaves the foredeck clear for sail handling, lounging, or dinghy stowage. Credit: Morten Strauch

B&G instruments are the standard choice. The main interfaces are touchscreen displays that drive C-Zone digital switching , but key kit still features two-pole manual switches.

‘We wanted to introduce tech into the boat, but we had to make sure that if something breaks down mid-ocean you could fix it,’ explains Gibson.

Down steps aft, the owner’s cabin is clearly inspired by the big Oysters.

The engine compartment is well insulated and has ample space for a genset and other systems. Credit: Morten Strauch

The island bed measures 140cm across and features an elaborate fabric headboard that shows off the new styling to maximum effect.

There’s the option of a huge TV on the forward bulkhead, plus a vanity table and a sofa.

A luxurious ensuite heads features a separate shower, reached – you’ve guessed it – down another step.

The second cabin lies in the fo’c’sle and it runs to another good sized semi-island bed.

The boat remains a medium-heavy displacement cruiser, but the new hull shape adds extra performance. Credit: Richard Langdon

Having shared this space overnight with the photographer, I can attest to the comfort, and the natural light.

There is a third cabin to starboard with a pair of useful bunks, sharing the forward heads and shower. Finish quality is, as you’d expect, excellent.

In the end, Oyster has been ambitious in trying to squeeze in the features of its larger boats onto this design.

But it has been a successful project and, even as we hove in sight of Kiel’s green approaches, it was all too easy to imagine settling in and heeding the call of the high seas.

Verdict on the Oyster 495

New focus from Oyster and some modern hull design courtesy of Humphreys have given the Oyster 495 a modest performance boost and some welcome contemporary features.

However, she remains very true to Oyster’s keystone values of safety, seaworthiness and comfort. And in that sense, at least, she is not a radical boat.

Her layout, too, would be familiar to an Oyster 49 owner from 2001.

The Oyster 495 is built for serious long-distance cruising. Credit: Brian Carlin

There’s plenty of technology here – digital switching, plotters galore, good AV options and hydraulic sail controls. But it is not dressed up to be flashy.

The boat is solid, well-built and beautifully finished. She is easy to handle, capable and well organised.

Our only misgivings were about the less-than-easy halyard handling, and reliance on hydraulics for sail trim.

It’s all very neat, but is that really the priority for blue-water cruising?

As to whether she represents the world’s best 50ft blue-water yacht, time will tell, but with 16 boats sold off plan, some buyers clearly think so.

Would the Oyster 495 suit you and your crew?

Oysters are the stuff of dreams, and the new 495 is no exception.

If money were no object, and it needs not to be for this boat (our tricked-out test boat cost £1.6m ex-VAT or £1.92m inc VAT), then this is a vessel custom made to fulfil blue-water cruising hopes.

She would best suit a family with a steady flow of visiting friends, or a mix of older and younger kids.

The integral bowsprit on the Oyster 495 facilitates the setting of various offwind sails to maintain passage speeds. Credit: Brian Carlin

The disparity between the aft and fo’c’sle cabins rules out a project involving two couples.

She would also work well with a couple and some paid hands, although the ease of sail control and trim makes her perfectly viable for sailing solo or two-up.

There’s no reason that you couldn’t take the 495 up Britain’s rivers and estuaries, with her 2.28m draught and option for a 1.83m shoal keel.

But a boat of this capability demands to cover miles.

Sail round Britain , up to Svalbard , round the Mediterranean or around the world – the boat could undoubtedly handle it all with aplomb – but make sure you’re stretching her legs.

Solid, well-built and beautifully finished

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‘Sail could dominate the market’ predicts Oyster Yachts Hadida

Suggesting sail yachts will one day outsell motor-powered vessels is likely to ruffle a few feathers and possibly warrant some industry scoffing, but Oyster Yachts’ Richard Hadida and chief commercial officer Paul Adamson believe in nothing less, Nic Robinson finds out

British luxury sail yacht builder Oyster Yachts saw its first profits this year since Richard Hadida bought the company in 2018 for £6.7M, beating around 30 other investors to the helm. He is now owner and chief executive officer of the 40-year-old brand and has surrounded himself with a team equally as passionate about the business as he is.

Hadida, along with chief commercial officer Paul Adamson, who has some serious sailing credentials under his belt, is bringing Oyster back to the top of its game which for the first time last year saw record unit sales.

Driving the uptick, with no doubt in either leaders’ mind, is the trust that has been reimbued in the company. “Oyster had lost its way and had lost touch with it’s core values”, says Adamson.

The company’s fall into administration after its Dutch investors bailed out in February 2018 caused the already troubled business to collapse. This subsequently led to a significant loss of trust in the brand, Adamson adds.

Part of Hadida’s and Adamson’s plan was to bring that trust back by ensuring customers had the best experience possible, and importantly they knew the yachts they bought were a good investment. “One quick solution was to design and build the yachts to comply with Lloyds Register SSC Rules which gives peace of mind to the design and also that every build leaving the yard is 100% safe,” Adamson says.

“If you think of our customers, they’re highly successful entrepreneurs and businesspeople who are change makers in their industry – they understand how business works. We needed to focus on earning their trust so they would be prepared to commit to building their new dream yacht with us.” Adamson says.

Purchases of superyachts powered predominantly by sail have not been smooth over the last two decades, but in recent years BOAT Pro data suggests change is afoot. In 2000, 51 sailing yachts 24m or over were sold, followed by a sharp drop the following year and then more peaks and troughs.

A record was set in 2004 when 63 units were sold, but after 2009’s sales of 54 yachts, the sector saw a steep decline to a low of 20 deliveries in 2015. The tide turned, however, in 2020 and this year sales so far stand at 40, with 2022 and 2023 orders also looking strong.

• Brokerage sales of motor yachts outstripped sail in the first quarter of this year, with the total number of pre-owned yachts changing hands up 46% in 2021

Oyster sells yachts in all sizes, including the 24m-plus range. BOAT Pro data shows the yard delivered two yachts in the 24m-plus range in 2018, one in 2019 and has another on order for next year.

“We’ve sold 23 boats [of various sizes] in the last year which is a record year,” says Hadida. “40% of our customers are from UK, 30% from Europe and 30% from rest of the world. They’re looking for bluewater, go anywhere in comfort and luxury and safety and that’s what Oyster owns, we own that space. People say Oyster Yachts are the Bentleys of the seas.”

It hasn’t been easy or cheap raising sales to this level though, with Hadida pumping over £26M of his own money into the firm and seeing significant losses over the past three years. In 2020, Oyster made £20M in sales with a pre-tax loss of £10M and for the year ending 31 March 2021, £30M was made with a lower pre-tax loss of £3M.

This financial year, however, Hadida predicts sales of £60M with a certainty of profit and is adamant the coming years will see more positive figures. As the pair have already outlined, customers now trust the company, which has helped boost sales, but the other factor not yet discussed is how Oyster fits into the global warming conversation.

“I don’t know how motorboats post-2030 will be sustainable because I can’t see technology improving to the point where they’ll be able to travel long distance on only a battery,” Hadida says.

Adamson’s view is similar: “I am so glad we’re a sailing yacht manufacturer because sailing by its very nature is hybrid, it’s the world’s oldest form of transport. There’s less of an impact on the environment [with sailing]. You may be burning some generator fuel on the larger sailing yachts, but it’s a lot less [than motor-powered]. I think the market will pivot to sail.”

He continues: “I think sailing yachts will track up and there’ll be less motorboats built, I believe people will pivot more to sail, because if you think about a person building their new dream yacht, their kids will be influencing them to take care of the planet. I think you’ll find the same number [of yachts overall] built in the future, but more sailing in total.”

These don’t appear to be empty words; you only need to look at the growth in staff at Oyster Yachts over the short three years Hadida has owned the company. All 27 bays across the business’s three yards are full, which has resulted in the need for more employees.

Some 420 new staff have been hired and there are plans to build in and sustain skilled workers through an apprenticeship scheme. There is also an expectation employee numbers will reach close to 500 once Oyster’s new Hythe facility near its Southampton yard is fully operational.

“We have a great number of skills required when building boats and we’ve gone out there and managed to already fill hundreds of positions, and we’re now aggressively setting up an apprentice academy, so every year we’ll take on 25 apprentices and that’ll be as a four-year course,” explains Hadida.

The Oyster Academy apprenticeship scheme will allow the company to scale its operation, he adds. “We can take on these young people and they’re working on boats, earning real skills in the real world which they can keep with them and I’m really proud of that.”

Hadida cites the recruitment problems faced by many other industries as one of the reasons for setting up the Oyster Academy, including a finite pool of skills as well as the location of his operations. “People have options for jobs elsewhere in other industries, but we’ve filled all of the posts in Southampton and Wroxham,” he says. “We’ve taken on a site in Hythe and we’re starting to fill those roles. You’ve got to be able to find the people to build the boats.”

The number employed by Oyster Yachts is an indication of both its growth potential as well as how serious Hadida is about its future. Currently there are four premises, including the main yard in Southampton as well as a new sister site over the water in Hythe where 70 staff have already been recruited. While its site in Wroxham, Norfolk, close to Oyster’s technology centre in Ashmanhaugh, also continues to grow with plans to build new vessels there.

In three years Hadida has turned a lossmaking business into one that has the potential to employ over 500 people and make good profits along the way. Its success is a result of many factors, including trust, a better customer experiences and awareness of climate change, But there’s one other component too.

“There’s no question that we’ve sold boats on the back of this [pandemic],” Hadida says. “People don’t want to be in a situation where they can’t escape in a bad situation, yachts are like villas and I believe the pandemic has made people revaluate where they want to spend their time. You can go from country to country to be in a safe space.”

Success also comes from a deep passion for sailing and Oyster Yachts that is embedded within both Hadida and Adamson. The former owns an Oyster 885 called Lush that he once co-owned with Eddie Jordan, which Adamson previously skippered around the world in the inaugural Oyster World Rally.

The pair are business-savvy and have a deeper understanding of the market and their customer base that is hard to achieve with a private equity owner. They also know that to ensure the brand remains it must be profitable and so they are focussed on sustainable growth. A new three-year strategy is in place which is intended to see Oyster Yachts grow further.

“Over the next three years we’ll focus on consolidating what we’ve achieved and at the same time continue to grow Oyster for the long term.” says Adamson.

“The growth battle for us is won and lost in production and that’s the truth. It’s all about how to increase the capacity of the business to cope with demand and maintain the values of quality, passion and craftmanship.”

And the environment plays a big part in the future of Oyster Yachts too, with both Hadida and Adamson clear on the fact they produce sail yachts won’t always be a strong enough eco message for the brand.

“We need to innovate the boats continuously, we’re looking in depth at sustainability and it’s very easy to greenwash. Therefore we will only design systems into the boats that make a real difference as opposed to being trendy,” Adamson adds.

But their prediction that sailing yachts will one day outsell motors remains to be seen, especially in the superyacht segment where makers are investing heavily in alternative fuels including battery power, but also hydrogen and other areas. It is, however, clear something is going right at Oyster Yachts.

Hadida and Adamson in brief

Richard Hadida :

“Anything that has a spirit of adventure associated with it I like. That’s why I like yachts, because they give me a sense of adventure and freedom and that’s one of the reasons I bought Oyster”

• The owner and chief executive officer of Oyster Yachts
• Bought Oyster for £6.7M in 2018.
• Made his money by building and floating Evolution Gaming
• Owns Oyster 885 yacht Lush , which he once co-owned with Eddie Jordan
• His love of sailing and Lush led him to Oyster

Paul Adamson:

“I came in 100% knowing exactly what to do to make the business work and reignite the Oyster brand for the long-term success and growth of the business"

• Chief Commercial Officer at Oyster Yachts
• Responsible for the all customer facing aspects of Oyster Yachts.
• Spent 25 years sailing professionally from the age of 18
• Set up a successful business consultancy in Ireland developing sales teams to fulfil their potential in a variety of industries.
• Skippered Lush around the world in the first Oyster World Rally for Eddie Jordan

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The connected yacht

The Connected Yacht

Oyster command™ and our next generation yachts, we all take for granted the many examples of innovative technology we enjoy at home, in luxury hotels and even in our cars..

That means everything from appliances controlled from your iPhone, to subtle lighting themes at your fingertips and a button to send an SOS signal to your car manufacturer. So, shouldn’t we enjoy the same luxuries and practicalities when on an adventure on our Oyster liveaboard yachts?

Today, you will find leading-edge technology woven into the design of Oyster’s new generation yachts as standard, making them fully digitally enabled, as expected. We have taken a holistic view of technology based on the way most people live today and will do it in the future, making our yachts a real home-from-home. Owners have a huge choice of technology when they fit out their boats. And if you imagine it, it can almost certainly be made into a reality.

DISCOVER HOW OYSTER IS SEAMLESSLY WEAVING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY INTO OUR NEXT-GENERATION YACHTS WITH PROPRIETARY SYSTEMS LIKE THE NEW OYSTER COMMAND™.

Seamless Integration

Our approach to technology embraces everything from onboard systems and entertainment suites to the Internet and WIFI, all seamlessly connected with digital interfaces throughout the yacht. Wherever you are, we can provide specific technical equipment to guarantee you are always connected with the world as much (or as little) as you choose. All our systems are selected for their ruggedness and ability to meet their purpose, which is unique to each owner and their yacht.

The latest innovation to be fitted as standard on our new yachts is Oyster Command™. It’s the gateway to technology on board, connecting everything from entertainment and lighting to the main systems, utilities, Oyster proprietary lighting systems and security.

Inspired by experience

Founder Richard Hadida’s extensive experience in the world of digital technology has driven many of the advances adopted on our new generation yachts. As such, he has been a huge inspiration for our designers and engineers. Picking up on the many innovations we now take for granted at home, we are finding ways to bring similar technology and experiences to life on our bluewater yachts.

Our approach is to specify or invent purpose-driven, practical innovations that make a real difference, that make life on board even simpler, more enjoyable and safer every day. Much as you will want to go off-grid on your Oyster in some of the remotest corners of the world, you always have the reassurance that you are just a call away from our expert support if you need it.

Focus on the future

We work with leading manufacturers to specify the most advanced innovations, as well as developing our own technology. Last year, we announced a new partnership with B&G (part of the Navico Group), the leading manufacturer of advanced sailing electronics. We wanted to ensure every new Oyster is equipped with the most sophisticated but practical navigation equipment. This lets you choose from a wide range of essential technology, from multitouch sailing chart plotters and intelligent sailing data displays to advanced instruments and autopilot systems. These cutting-edge electronics are designed specifically for sailing yachts, to enhance and improve adventures and experiences that continue to fuel your passion for sailing.

Tried, tested, trusted

Creating innovative technology is one thing, making sure it is robust and fit for purpose is another. We put every piece of new technology through its paces at sea, in the kind of conditions you will encounter yourself when you are out sailing. As a result, and based on our experts’ first-hand experience, you have the added peace of mind that comes from knowing all the safety and navigation technology on your Oyster is robust, reliable and trustworthy.

Oyster yachts

Explore our award-winning, rally-proven fleet of luxurious bluewater sailing yachts

Take control

We have spent a lot of time developing the new Oyster Command™ system – an important innovation and yet another example of using digital to your advantage. We fed in some great insights from owners, crews and the Oyster team to create a thoroughly rewarding system that makes life simple.

Oyster Command™ is now fitted as standard on all new Oyster models. At heart, it lets you access and control all the systems on the boat. This includes everything from onboard entertainment suites to domestic systems, power management, engine controls, generators, tanks and bilges, interior/exterior lighting and maintenance.

The overview display provides a snapshot of all the main functions and systems. You can see the status of the generators and AC/DC systems as well as what is going on in the tanks and bilges, all at a glance. Maintenance alarms keep you up-to-speed with any vital tasks that need attending to and flag any recurring problems that need to be investigated further. An easy-to-navigate touchscreen menu lets you delve deeper into each system to review and adjust settings as necessary.

Since this is a digital system, it can be displayed and controlled on any multi-functional display installed at the chart table and helm station and throughout your yacht.

The future of onboard living

It is easy to forget just how quickly changes in technology have transformed our lives at home. As you can see, we believe these advances can make a huge difference to your enjoyment and safety on your Oyster. Our yachts are designed to be your home-from-home when you are on board, kitted out with robust, tried, tested and trusted technology. Just as our galleys now reflect all the mod cons of your kitchen at home, it’s clear the rest of your yacht can do the same. Whether it is a functional or practical innovation or technology that enhances your sense of comfort, luxury and well-being, we believe it has a place on board an Oyster.

Real-life adventure, sailing insights and everything Oyster Yachts.

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