seven people with ease thanks to the thoughtful layout of control lines. Even the volume and positioning of lockers plays a part in the handling with a large sail locker on the foredeck making it easy to hoist and lower spinnakers or code sails. Yet the Oyster 595 just has that impressive pedigree and feel of a much larger yacht.
Below decks the overall layout with an owner’s double cabin aft, a guest double forward and a twin sea berth style cabin to port follows a well-established configuration albeit with a few handy tweaks. Separate access for the shared heads forward is one such example, as is the skippers’ cabin/workshop set just abaft the navigation station on the starboard side. Both are good, practical details that benefit from the additional volume that the 595 offers.
The longitudinal galley on the port side is another example of the benefits of more internal volume where surfaces increase by the square and stowage by the cube. There is ample worktop space and plenty of stowage and it’s easy to pass someone without a squeeze. In the aft cabin, there is no question about the space, there’s plenty of it. The feeling is enhanced by the Seascape windows that allow tremendous visibility whether at rest or under sail, a feature that is common to the main saloon. But it’s not until the sun goes down that you discover another subtle detail below decks, the lighting where discrete LEDs create three different moods; bright, soft and night mode. The C-Zone digital switching system controlled by Oyster’s proprietary digital app, Oyster Command, (which is another key part of the new generation of Oysters), controls the different
Top: the hull design has been refined since the last generation of Oysters to optimise the feel of the helm. Above: the full beam master cabin has the space and luxury one would expect to find on a much larger yacht. Right: two of the 595’s stand-out features are the safe, separate passenger cockpit and the powerful but easily handled electric furling rig which can be trimmed from the helm at the touch of a button
modes which are selected on a simple touch screen system at the navigation station, helm position and can be broadcast on any screen across the boat. And while this might sound like a small detail, the overall effect delivers a significant step beyond the already luxurious, plush feel throughout.
For those more interested in the heart of the machine, here the company has worked hard on the layout and access to key systems, especially with long term cruising in mind. For example, the raw water inlet valves connect to a manifold that allows one inlet to be isolated while the other is serviced on the go. Easy access to the Commander units for the two hydraulic pumps is another example as is the array of master switches and so the list goes on. Construction details have changed too. One of the most noticeable differences is the move away from foam cored stiffeners in favour of solid laminate panels with carbon capping that form ‘L’ and ‘T’ beams. This not only makes for an improved structure but reduces weight, improves the accuracy of the build as well as making more space available for equipment and other installations. Among the long list of details that make this boat stand out, it’s her size that really strikes you from the moment you first step aboard. Even in the 60- foot league, the 595 feels big. Fortunately, the initial impression of size diminishes once you get under way thanks to the well laid out deck and control systems.
But size is at the heart of her performance under sail. This is a powerful boat with long legs. The smart distribution of buoyancy is an area that has been refined with each of the new models that has come from a collaboration with Oyster’s in house design team and Humphreys
Yacht Design. With a fine entry forwards opening out into beamy sections aft the 595 certainly has the looks of a modern performance hull. The particularly clever bit has been in ensuring that the fore and aft distribution of buoyancy remains even when the boat is heeled to maintain a light feel on the helm. With such beamy sections aft, achieving this is no mean feat. But with the success of previous models to work from, the 595 achieves a refined balanced feel in conditions where a conventional setup would start to struggle. The other key feature that allows this is the double rudder
configuration. While there is nothing new in this as a concept, achieving a light and balanced feel on the helm can be tricky to achieve. But here, Oyster have hit the bull’s eye and created a boat that delivers a sure-footed feel way beyond where you might expect.
Often the drawback with such a system is manoeuvrability under engine, especially at slow speeds, where the propwash flows between the rudders rather than over them. To counter this, the 595 has powerful retractable bow and stern thrusters which can turn the boat around its keel at the touch of two levers. Parallel docking is also possible ensuring that so long as the available space is just over 60ft long, there are few berths that you can’t get this boat into. And if there’s one handling characteristic that creates a good impression and confidence, it’s leaving and returning to the dock. So, while it would be easy to see this boat as yet another iteration of an elegant and popular style, the Oyster 595 represents a significant step forward, the next chapter in a new era for Oyster Yachts.
www.oysteryachts.com
q SEAHORSE 65
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