and former professional skipper, Paul Adamson agrees and takes the view a step further. ‘One of things you will notice at our regattas is that you can’t tell the owners from the crew, meaning we are all one happy family having a superb time on and off the water! We also love the “spirit” of the Oyster family and you see this in abundance at our events. ‘Our real sense of community starts right in the beginning of ownership when someone invests in their Oyster and creates their dream yacht with us. Naturally we form close bonds of genuine friendship during this time. And this is just the start.’
For some owners the route to long distance bluewater cruising is clear, yet to many of them the idea of a circumnavigation is fantasy, at least to start with.
when they line up against other boats of a similar size. While it is not the primary reason for running the regatta, this event provides a means to assess and demonstrate the innovation and evolution of the next generation of Oyster Yachts. One such example this year was the new Oyster 565.
As the latest new launch and the first under the company’s new ownership, there has been plenty riding on the smallest model in the current fleet. Racing in Class 3, Oyster 565 Panthalassa was in a class that comprised entirely of 575s. Racing under a handicap that was tougher than the 575s’ that made up the rest of the fleet, she beat all of them on the water on all but one occasion. If nothing else, three out of four line honour wins clearly demonstrated the improvement in straight line speed on a variety of points of sail over her predecessors. In the cruising world, where handicaps don’t matter, a faster boat is clearly an advantage with high average daily runs which allow you to extend your cruising range. Another example was the Oyster 675. Born out of the same new generation of designs, she too was quicker through the water than many of her older sisterships and even put
Top: The Real Club Náutico rolls out the red carpet in the heart of Palma and delivers a world class programme of après-sail events – and for many of the attendees this event has grown into the social highlight of the year. Many of the friendships first forged in Palma are then later cemented in far-flung tropical (above) anchorages. For many owners, the Oyster Palma Regatta is the first stepping stone on the way to joining the Oyster World Rally and achieving their ultimate ambition of cruising around the world
some considerably bigger boats under pressure.
‘Events like these are a great way of confirming what we have been working towards in the design office during the planning and development of the new models,’ says designer Rob Humphreys. ‘It’s great to see theory played out in practice on the water, but it also makes it easier to discuss these attributes with owners and crews as they have often seen the differences for real.’ But Oyster’s leaders are also aware of how important it is to strike the right balance. Too much emphasis on racing in a world dominated by blue water cruising could be counter productive. ‘It’s about our Oyster family and the Palma event marks a style of racing that has become less popular elsewhere,’ says Oyster Yachts owner and CEO Richard Hadida. ‘Across the 30 boats that take part in Palma there are around 350 people, all of whom stay on their boats during the event. This is not the case at many other regattas but we believe it is one of the aspects that helps to create the strong brand loyalty that we have, as well as creating a fantastic atmosphere aboard boats that are designed be lived on.’
Oyster’s chief commercial officer
The introduction to the Oyster family during the early stages of ownership soon develops into a network of contacts that helps to build confidence, which can lead to the centrepiece of Oyster’s group activities, the Oyster World Rally. Simply based on the comments of those that completed the 2017-19 rally that finished in Antigua, many set out on the two-year trip with only modest expectations of being able to go the distance. But as the rally unfolded leg by leg, owners and crews grew into the voyage and developed more confidence with each stage.
Little surprise then that the 2022- 23 Oyster World Rally has gained a strong reputation and now lies at the heart of the company’s cruising activities over the next two years. In order to further help those looking to work their way towards what will be for many a lifetime goal, Oyster has announced a Western Mediterranean Rally for 2021. Starting and finishing in Palma, this two-month tour of the Mediterranean takes in Sicily, the Italian mainland, Sardinia, Corsica and the French mainland before returning to Palma. It’s a trip that is designed to not only tour the Mediterranean, but also to provide a shake-down ahead of the World Rally along with a snapshot of the level of support and entertainment that will be available. The bottom line is that be it the rally or regatta format, the Oyster community is one that works on various levels. Here Mike Kearney is typical of many.
‘I get the adrenaline rush once a year. And once a year is more than more than adequate. For me it's the fun, the family and the learning. So once a year is fine for me.’ After that he’s back to cruising the world!
www.oysteryachts.com
q SEAHORSE 71
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