NEWS - Oyster Yachts

NEWS 

OYSTER® 

NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF OYSTER ISSUE 69 WINTER 2009 

WORLD LEADERS IN DECK SALOON CRUISING YACHTS 

OYSTER REGATTA PALMA • OYSTER SUPERYACHTS GO LIVE • NEW 575 LAUNCHES IN LONDON

EDITOR 

Liz Whitman 

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 

Barry Pickthall 

PRODUCTION EDITOR 

Rebecca Twiss 

FROM THE EDITOR 

We publish Oyster News twice a year and we know from 

our readers that the articles they most enjoy reading about 

are the contributions from Oyster owners. If you have a 

story to tell or information about cruising in your Oyster 

please let us know. Photographs are always welcome with 

or without a story. email: liz.whitman@oystermarine.com 

or rebecca.twiss@oystermarine.com 

FRONT COVER PICTURE: 

Richard Smith’s Oyster 655, Sotto Vento 

at Oyster’s Palma Regatta 2009 

Photo: Nico Martinez 

BACK COVER PICTURE: 

Oyster Superyachts go live! The first Oyster 100 hull 

Oyster News is published by Oyster Marine Ltd. 

Oyster News is for promotional purposes only, privately 

circulated, and cannot form part of any contract or offer. Views, 

details and information herein are not necessarily endorsed by the 

publisher who will not be held responsible for the consequences 

of any error or omission. Pictures and illustrations are liable to 

show non standard equipment. 

2 www.oystermarine.com 

03 WELCOME 

David Tydeman 

04 NEWS ROUNDUP 

08 OYSTER REGATTA PALMA 2009 


22 THE JUAN FERNÁNDEZ ISLANDS 

Oceana 

24 OYSTER SUPERYACHTS GO LIVE! 

30 MISS TIPPY’S ROUND THE 

WORLD VOYAGE BEGINS 

Brian and Sheila Norton 

32 THE NEW OYSTER 575 

33 OYSTER AT THE 2010 

BOAT SHOWS 

34 BOYSTEROUS AROUND SCOTLAND 

Colin Hall 

42 2009 ARC 


Contents Issue 69 

46 OYSTER YACHT CHARTER 

48 MALDIVE ISLANDS TO TURKEY 

Keith Hamilton 

54 SYS PROJECT UPDATE 

56 OYSTER AFTERSALES 

58 HIGH LINE PRACTICE AT 78ON 

Richard Haworth 

64 OWNER PROFILE – JESÚS GASCA 


68 THE TAKING OF MANHATTAN 

Steve Powell 

72 JUST LAUNCHED

Welcome 

By the time this Oyster News reaches you, I will have 

completed my first year with Oyster and I’m delighted to 

report we’ve had a good year. Contrary to many other yacht 

companies, we’ve built more boats in the last two years than 

in 2006 and 2007 and the order book is building up nicely. 

Southampton Yacht Services has also completed some great 

projects including some rather special custom carbon fibre 

lifeboats and two 42-metre motoryachts. 

2010 will bring several new events too – starting with the 

first showing of the Oyster 575 at both the London and 

Düsseldorf boat shows. Building starts on the first Oyster 625 

and the first Oyster 125 starts moulding in the first week of 

February. Later in the year the first Oyster 100 will hit the water 

(we have just booked the berth to display her at the Monaco 

Yacht Show) and with the usual challenges of timing, due to 

availability of berths and infrastructure, our 25th Oyster 

Regatta celebrations will happen around the same time in late 

September, hopefully with an Italian flavour. The first swing 

keel Oyster 655 will also take to the water during the year, 

just to keep us all on our toes! 

What continues to impress me about the Oyster team is 

their constant passion for what we do and for our yachts. 

New product launches, new events, and helping new Oyster 

owners get as much enjoyment out of building their yachts 

as owning them, are only possible because we have a great 

team and I thank them for their continued efforts. 

The many adventures of Oyster owners also never fail to 

impress me. Their stories make great reading and its so much 

fun for the team putting together this section of Oyster News. 

I guess, like me, reading these stories of adventures leave us 

with a mixed feeling of wonder, tinged with a little bit of 

jealousy as we imagine what we would be feeling in these 

locations; well, I guess there is only one way to find out! 

Sometimes, something in the article triggers a thought – I was 

lucky enough to share in the naming ceremony of Miss Tippy 

and reflected at the time how my 7-year-old daughter might 

similarly come up with the name to describe the yacht’s 

movements – it’s great to now read how the Norton family 

adventure is progressing in this issue. 

We held our inaugural German owners’ dinner in Hamburg last 

month and one owner, who has owned his Oyster for a 

number of years, said to me “I arrived unsure of what to 

expect, and left with new friends”. It was a successful and 

very enjoyable evening and we will make this an annual event. 

It also gives us the confidence to hold a dinner during both 

the London and Düsseldorf boat shows. Despite the fact that 

nearly 75% of our owners hail from either the UK or USA, 

there is clearly an opportunity for us to meet in different 

places and I look forward to hosting more events next year. 

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and good sailing in 

the New Year. 

David Tydeman 

CEO, Oyster Group 

www.oystermarine.com 3

Newsroundup 

CARIBBEAN 1500 SUCCESS FOR OYSTER 53 

Mike and Vicky Wallace’s Oyster 53, Arbella, took line honours in Class 3 in this 

year’s Caribbean 1500. The event, which is organized by the Cruising Association, 

attracts an international fleet of cruising yachts and sets out from Hampton in 

Virginia, USA and finishes at Nanny Cay, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. 

Time Out Wins DUBAI Commodore’s Cup 

The Dubai Offshore Sailing Club's 

Commodores Cup is a series of 

races, which runs from 

September through to May as 

it is too hot to race during the 

summer months in Dubai. 

Racing is under the IRC handicap 

rule and there are three divisions. 

David Maddern’s veteran 

Oyster 26, Time Out has won the 

Commodore’s Cup in Division 3, 

having achieved second place 

last year. David has owned 

Time Out for the last 10 years. 


Photo: Clark Donahue 

GWM RACING 

APPOINTED FOR 

OYSTER REGATTAS 

Oyster Marine has signed a threeyear 

agreement with GWM Racing Ltd 

to manage the race organization of 

the Oyster Regatta programme in the 

Caribbean and Mediterranean from 

2010. John Grandy and Peter 

Wykeham-Martin said: “We are 

delighted to have been appointed by 

Oyster Marine and look forward to 

working with the Oyster team and 

continuing to develop the traditional 

style of Oyster racing, a proven 

formula much enjoyed by the owners 

of these prestigious yachts”. John who 

was formerly Rear Commodore 

Yachting at the Royal Yacht Squadron 

is already well-known to many 

owners, whilst Peter was Chief 

Executive of the RORC, so both are 

extremely well-qualified to organize 

a first class event for Oyster 

owners to enjoy, with the emphasis 

on low key racing and plenty of 

partying. Oyster’s own team, led by 

Liz Whitman, will continue to manage 

the events. 

Oyster’s 2010 Caribbean regatta 

will be held in the British Virgin 

Islands from 12-17 April. A large 

fleet of Oysters is expected to 

arrive in Nanny Cay for the 24th 

regatta in the Oyster series.

OYSTER DINNERS 

by David Tydeman 

I have now had the privilege to host four owners’ dinners in 

London, Southampton, Annapolis and recently our first ever 

event in Hamburg. These events are a fantastic opportunity 

for me, and the Oyster team, to get to know our owners 

and so important for maintaining and encouraging the 

‘Oyster family’ to grow and share their cruising adventures. 

I have been told my speeches have ranged from too 

corporate to ‘OK’ and I know I’m on a learning curve here! 

With that in mind I rather nervously asked Britta from 

Oyster’s German office to translate a few words for me to 

read in German for our dinner in Hamburg in October. I was 

not at all sure, as I stumbled and read slowly through the 

speech, whether I was giving Britta a pay rise or a free 

Oyster but it seemed to go down well! I was rewarded with 

one owner saying as he left that he had travelled across 

Germany to be there and had come rather cautiously to the 

dinner, not knowing what to expect or whether he was right 

to come. But he was leaving having made new friends and 

with firm plans to meet other owners again. 

For me, that comment sums up why we arrange these 

functions and will always continue to do so – my promise in 

future is not to treat them like AGM’s when I try to welcome 

you all! The Oyster team and I hope to see many of you in 

London on the 9th January when we will be cruising down 

the River Thames on board the Silver Sturgeon and also on 

23rd January at our first international dinner at the 

Düsseldorf boat show. This show is huge and, in my view, 

really is one of the best shows in the calendar and we hope 

many of you will come and see us. 

Photo: Silver Sturgeon 

Red Arrows Flypast for Ixion 

Photo: Phil Goodhead 

The owner of the Oyster 62, Ixion, Peter Maxwell-Brown 

and his family enjoyed their own private Red Arrows display 

whilst anchored in Salcombe Harbour over the summer. 

Local Harbour Master, and Oyster fan, Phil Goodhead took 

the photograph. 

Cappriccio Circumnavigation Completed 

It was with great pleasure 

that David Tydeman 

presented Michéle 

Colenso with a special 

award to mark the 

completion of her 

four-year circumnavigation 

in her Oyster 55, 

Capriccio of Rhu, during 

Oyster’s Palma Regatta. 

Michéle, who received a standing ovation from fellow 

owners and everyone present, had to make an unplanned, 

two-year stopover in Sydney, when she was diagnosed with 

breast cancer. During that time, not only did she raise a 

significant amount of money for research, but also took part 

in the Sydney Hobart Race, whilst sporting her now famous 

pink ‘40DD bra’ spinnaker, which she kindly flew during our 

Palma regatta! We salute Michéle and wish her all the very 

best for the future. 


Newsroundup 

ANNAPOLIS SHOW AND PARTY by David Tydeman 

This was my first Annapolis show and it was a great pleasure to make new 

friends. John Noble and I enjoyed a long discussion during the owners’ party 

about sights he should see on his planned first ever drive around the UK when he 

comes over next year to see his swing-keel Oyster 655 – the first of its kind – 

under construction. Ideas are welcome apparently! John’s business life involves 

clearing up chaos after hurricanes and this year the weather has (unfortunately!?) 

been so stable he’s had more time to think about his new yacht! 

The Annapolis boat show has a lovely feel to it and, in 

the sunshine, it was full of enthusiasts of all ages with 

many flying long distances across North America to visit. 

The Oyster 46 and Oyster 655 were the star attractions 

of the show, a ‘must-see’ on every visitor’s list and our 

team worked hard to accommodate everyone. 

The owners’ party went on well into the night and 

during the evening I was pleased to present our US 

Broker, Bob Marston, with his 10-year Oyster service 

award. This reminded me of a recent discussion with 

the global head of sponsorship at Rolex – I pointed out 

that we have given many Rolex watches to our staff as 

a thank you for 10 years hard work and wondered if 

Rolex were interested in working with Oyster. Sadly their 

strategy is to focus on sponsoring events, but he did 

say to his global CEO that he thought Rolex should give 

their staff a free Oyster for 10 years service - now that 

would be a marketing coup! 

WHISKY HEAVEN - THE CLASSIC MALTS CRUISE 

Four Oyster owners took up the 

challenge of 'nosing' their way around 

the Scottish Western Isles during last 

summer's Talisker Classic Malt Cruise. 

Blessed with brilliant weather (for most 

of the time) an abundance of wildlife and 

copious amounts of the 'water of life', 

Andrew Tibbits' Oyster 435 Mythos, 

Nikita, the Oyster 406 owned by Jayne 

Marlin, Peter Kassell's Oyster 46 Nimrod 

and Larry Quinn's Oyster 461 Blue Fox 

were united by a passion for sailing, 

scenery and single malt whisky. Each 

chose their own route through the Inner 

Hebrides, to share in the hospitality offered by the coastal Classic Malts distilleries 

of Oban, Talisker and Lagavulin. “This is certainly one of the best sailing cruises 

we've made – certainly one to do before you die” enthused Larry Quinn. 

The next Malt Cruise will be held in June 2011. 

For further details visit www.worldcruising.com/classicmaltscruise 


Tommy Moscatelli 

New Representatives 

for Oyster 

Oyster has made two appointments 

in recent months. Bart Kimman 

who is based in Hong Kong, will 

represent Oyster yachts in Asia, 

whilst Tommy Moscatelli, will promote 

our deck saloon range throughout 

Italy. Following the appointment of 

Alexander Markarov in Moscow earlier 

this year, Oyster Representatives will 

actively promote Oyster yachts in 

their own regions, acting as a local 

point of contact and an extension of 

Oyster’s own team, who will continue 

to be closely involved in all aspects 

of every customer’s yacht purchase 

and ownership. 

Alexander Markarov 

Bart Kimman

NEW OWNERS AREA FOR OYSTER WEBSITE 

We have recently introduced a password-protected section to our website, 

exclusively for Oyster owners. In this area you will find our new Crew Register, 

browse our range of Oyster merchandise, download owners manuals and 

aftersales advisory notes and find information about our events and regattas. 

We also plan to post information of general interest to other owners such as the 

request below from Australian owners, Peter and Karen Wilson. Owners who wish 

to access the site should click on the owners link at the bottom of our home page 

and follow the instructions on-line or if you have any difficulty please contact 

Katie Bond at katie.bond@oystermarine.com 

SWAP YOUR OYSTER… FOR AN OYSTER! 

Oyster 53 owners, Peter and Karen Wilson, who live in Australia, have a rather 

unusual proposal for fellow Oyster owners... 

Having sailed our Oyster 53 from Sydney to the Whitsunday Islands in The Great 

Barrier Reef, we are ready for our next adventure and want to enter the Eastern 

Mediterranean Yacht Rally in 2011 - a flotilla of 80 boats, which sails from Turkey 

to Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Cyprus and back to Turkey over a two and a half 

month period from the end of April until early July. 

The catch is that our Oyster will be in Sydney and the boat entered cannot be 

chartered or be the subject of any other commercial arrangements as it is purely 

an amateur event. We are therefore looking to swap our homes and Oyster 53 

based in Australia for a 50’ to 55’ Oyster to help us fulfill this dream. 

We need to register for the Rally by March 2010 and look forward to hearing from 

any Oyster owners who may be interested in this idea. Full details, a selection of 

photographs and contact details for Karen and Peter can be found on the new 

Owners area of the Oyster website. 

Oyster Events 2010 

London Boat Show 

8 – 17 January 

London Owners’ Dinner 

Silver Sturgeon, Thames River Cruise 

9 January 

Boot Düsseldorf 

23 – 31 January 

Düsseldorf Owners’ Dinner 

Das Meilenwerk 

23 January 

Oyster Regatta – BVI 

12 – 17 April 

Oyster Private View, London 

21 – 24 April 

Moscow International Boat Show 

15 – 18 April 

Boat Asia, Singapore 

15 – 18 April 

Oyster Rendezvous, Newport, USA 

Dates to be announced 

Orust Open Yard, Sweden 

19 – 21 August 

HISWA In-water Boat Show 

31 Aug – 5 September 

Norwegian International In-water Show 

2 – 5 September 

Festival International de La Plaisance, 

Cannes 


Southampton International Boat Show 


Southampton Owners Dinner 

11 September 

Oyster Regatta – Mediterranean 

Dates to be announced 

Genoa Boat Show 

2 – 10 October 

Annapolis Sailboat Show 


Annapolis Owners’ Party 

8 October 

Hamburg Boat Show 


Hamburg Owners’ Dinner 

23 October 

ARC Owners Party 

18 November 

ARC Start, Las Palmas 

21 November 

Full details about all Oyster Events 

and boats shows can be found in the 

events section on our website. 


8 www.oystermarine.com

Oyster Regatta Palma 2009 

by Barry Pickthall 


ABOVE: 

Al Parrish and Paula Mott’s Oyster 655, Proteus 

RIGHT CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: 

John Marshall’s Oyster 56 Rock Oyster 

Time for a spot of fishing on board Oyster 655, Flying Duckman 

Heinrich Schulte’s Oyster 655, Anabasis 

Close racing in the Oyster fleet 


Palma is fast becoming the maxi-yacht capital of the Med, a trend that 

Oyster yacht owners have been supporting for much of the past 

decade. With daily flights from almost any city across Europe, the rich 

mix of history, culture and sunshine that surrounds the Mallorcan 

capital, makes it the ideal venue for Oyster’s traditional end of season 

European regatta. With an emphasis on fun and camaraderie, Oyster 

regattas attract family crews, and those who don’t want to race are just 

as welcome to take part and join in the social events after a spot of 

sight-seeing or shopping. 

23 crews representing Britain, Hong Kong, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, 

Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Russia, the USA, and of course Spain, made 

this year’s Mediterranean gathering a truly international event. Richard Smith, 

owner of the Oyster 655, Sotto Vento was attending his 8th Oyster regatta in 

just four years of ownership and arrived having won Class 1 at this year’s Oyster 

regatta in Antigua, whilst Philip Scott whose Oyster 46, Eve, is usually kept on 

the UK’s east coast, had his yacht delivered to Palma specially to take part. 

Mix in a winning team of match race sailors from The Société Nautique de Genève, 

the Swiss America’s Cup holder, who attended as guests of Oyster and everyone 

anticipated some pretty close racing.

And that is exactly what we got, though the lack of wind each morning left race 

officer Alan Brook with a few more grey hairs by the end of the week! The problem 

for Alan and his team of buoy layers were four small high pressure systems that 

continued to box their way around the Balearic Islands throughout the regatta, 

leaving even the locals guessing which way and when the breeze would appear. 

Balmy weather has its followers of course, especially after a tropical storm had 

turned roads into rivers and spiked electricity and broadband services around the 

isolated splendour of the Real Club Nautico Palma the weekend before. The sun 

only returned on the day of judging for the Concours d’Elegance trophies, which 

led to copious quantities of water and vinegar being applied to bring back the 

gleam on stainless steel and topsides. Two crews in particular excelled themselves 

in bringing order back to the dockside. Americans Al Parrish and Paula Mott 

exhibited their metallic gold Oyster 655 Proteus in such meticulous condition, 

we were all left to wonder how these two could have possibly been cruising 

around the Med alone for the past season, seemingly without inflicting a scratch. 

They were easy winners of the Concours d’Elegance in Class 1, along with Scott 

and Susan Gibson’s Oyster 72 Stravaig of Argyll, while in Class 2, John Marshall’s 

eye-catching Oyster 56, Rock Oyster, and Philip and Helen Scott’s Oyster 46, 

Eve took the top prizes. > 

THE OYSTER PALMA REGATTA 2009 

“ 

23 crews representing Britain, 

Hong Kong, Finland, Germany, 

Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, 

The Netherlands, Russia, the USA, 

and of course Spain, made this 

year’s Mediterranean gathering a 

truly international event. 

“

ABOVE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: 

Oyster 655, Solway Mist II 

The Oyster fleet off Palma 

Drinks party at Es Baluard 

RIGHT: 

Close racing between the Oyster 655 Proteus 

and Oyster 72 Cookielicious 


That evening, crews mingled on the Club’s elegant poolside terrace for a cocktail 

party prior to dinner in the Club and the good-natured banter that developed led to 

a series of late-night raids to strike at rival battle flags and mascots during the 

remainder of the week. 

Pantaenius Cup Races 

The following morning, Alan Brook made a valiant effort to scour Palma Bay for any 

kind of sea breeze to open the series for the Pantaenius Cup. By 2:00pm, when 

more of crews were swimming than sailing, he was forced to cancel the day’s racing. 

The sudden appearance of Hans Kampers and his daughter Renee on the bathing 

platform of the committee boat Flame II after swimming over from their venerable 

Oyster 49 Mareka of Holland, might have had some bearing on the decision. 

Hans and his crew were very much the jokers in the pack. Having swum over to 

question how many bottles of Sangria the committee might have consumed during 

the delay, the airwaves crackled with the alert “This is Mareka, Mareka, Mareka… 

We are sinking”. A startled Brook, speedily handed his portable VHF to Hans who 

responded…”Vot are you zinking about?’ ‘Ve are zinking about lunch. Ven are 

you coming back?’ 

The subsequent signal to abandon racing for the day brought a cheer as crews 

headed off to spend the afternoon anchored in beach-lined inlets. Perversely 

though, it also stirred the wind gods to provide a cooling breeze across the bay 

for the rest of the afternoon. It was a lesson learned for future days.

That evening, the now sunburned Oyster crews gathered in the courtyard of the 

Es Baluard contemporary art museum for cocktails. These historic battlements 

provide some of the best views over the harbour, and its imaginative 

transformation mixing concrete, stainless steel and glass with 12th Century 

brickwork overpowered many of the modern artworks on display. “What a great 

place for a party”, exclaimed Hans Kampers as golden rays from the setting sun 

spilled out over the Bay. 

Pelagos Yachts Cup 

Day 2 dawned with a forecast that promised… nothing as far as wind was 

concerned. Worse, the long-range synopsis looked no better. “Have Oysters ever 

had a regatta without a race?” Alan Brook was heard to ask, before patience 

brought its reward. Soon after 14:00, a refreshing force 2-3 sea breeze put a 

spring in the step of the 22-strong fleet. Crews were treated to a sparkling 

22-mile passage race from Palma to Andraitx for the Pelagos Yachts Cup – just the 

aperitif for the wine tasting and paella supper planned for that evening. > 


What a great place for a party” 

exclaimed Hans Kampers as 

golden rays from the setting sun 

spilled out over the Bay. 

““

ABOVE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: 

Robert Gillespie’s Oyster 82, Sarita 

Crew onboard Oyster 655, Sotto Vento 

Wine tasting and Paella at Bodegas Santa Catarina 

Fun onboard Wouter and Monique ten Woldes, 

Oyster 56 Olanta 

RIGHT: 

Jesús Gasca’s Oyster 46, Sine Die 


Bill Munro’s Oyster 54, Boarding Pass and Ulrika of London, the Oyster 56 

owned by Jari Ovaskainen, led Class 2 fleet away, closely followed by Jesús Gasca's 

smaller Oyster 46 Sine Die on a 5-mile fetch to the Cal Figuera lighthouse, 

the first turning mark. 

Ten minutes later, the larger Oysters set off in chase, led by Alexander Markarov’s 

high-kicking Russian crew on Solway Mist II and Chris Ducker’s rival Oyster 655 

Flying Duckman. As the two classes merged at Point de Cala Figuera, a large hole 

opened up to trap the entire fleet. What wind there was, determinedly boxed the 

compass from every angle before releasing the front-runners on a beat around the 

west of the Island to the sheltered port of Andraitx. 

Only Sarita, the Oyster 82 owned by Robert Gillespie had the might to carry her 

own wind. Effectively skirting around her becalmed rivals, she went on to take line 

honours in grand style. But it was the distinctive crew with their red and white 

hooped shirts aboard Solway Mist II who, after rock hopping around the Cape, 

captured the final hurrah. As Sarita headed out offshore, Markarov’s team picked 

up an inside track when the new wind filled in from the north and just saved their 

time to steal the handicap prize from Sarita’s hands. Richard Smith’s Oyster 655 

Sotto Vento took third.

Ulrika of London crossed tacks with Sine Die several times on the 17-mile beat up 

to Andraitx, and at the finish there was little more than a pulpit’s length between 

them, giving Jesús Gasca's local crew a line and class double over their larger rival. 

Rock Oyster, John Marshall’s aptly named Oyster 56 finished third in class. 

Gasca and his crew continued to lead when it came to boarding the bus to take 

crews up into the hills to the famous vineyard of Bodegas Santa Catarina for an 

evening of wine tasking and a traditional paella. The bus was parked exactly where 

Event Director Liz Whitman had directed crews to muster, but Jesús had to make 

an impassioned plea to the Spanish driver to wait for the remaining party. The 

driver condescendingly honked his horn to hurry passengers along but insisted 

that the bus would leave exactly on 6:30pm. He also insisted on everyone paying 

their fare, and as Jesús grudgingly dipped his hand into his pocket, grumbling in 

Spanish something that loosely translated to “It never used to be like this at Oyster 

regattas”, it began to dawn on others that this might not be the right bus. Our 

bendy bus, it transpired, was heading straight back to Palma. The Oyster buses 

were congregated at another gate at the far end of the marina. “When was the last 

time that Señor Gasca had ridden on a public bus.” one crewman quizzed the 

famous Spanish design guru? Jesús could not remember….. “A long time ago” 

he laughed. > 


“ We had a few guys onboard 

who have never raced before, 

let alone on an Oyster. They, as 

was I, were most impressed by 

all that went on, from the event 

locations, standard of food, to 

the crack between the Oyster 

team and participants. 

“ 

Chris Ducker, Oyster 655, Flying Duckman

ABOVE: 

Heinrich Schulte’s Oyster 655, Anabasis 


Michéle Colenso’s Oyster 55, Capriccio of Rhu 

Oyster 72, Cookielicious 

Paella cooking at Bodegas Santa Catarina 


As our coaches wound their way precariously up into the hills, hearts were in 

mouths as the front overhangs swept out over unguarded precipices at every turn. 

At the Bodegas Santa Catarina, staff greeted passengers with just the right remedy 

– a nerve-soothing glass of their finest Chardonnay. The Mallorcans have been 

producing wine in the La Serra de Tramuntana for centuries, no doubt treating 

Roman, Byzantine and the Moors to the same palatable welcome. The problem for 

our intrepid Oyster invaders, is that they had worked up quite a thirst, so it was 

the wine rather than the bouquet that took precedence during the tasting session 

under the olive trees. 

We learned that it was a Scandinavian entrepreneur who had established this 

particular bodega, which had flourished when a plague of root-eating ‘Filoxera’ 

(wine lice) marched across Europe a century ago to devastated French and 

Spanish vineyards. Today, the bodega produces 500,000 litres of the finest 

Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Shiraz and Pinot Noir 

varieties which Oyster crews did their best to consume during a splendid dinner 

served in a magnificent cellar cut into the sandstone rock where these vintage 

wines are aged in oak barrels. 

Dolphin Sails Trophy Race 

The morning after was a slow affair, and for once, the fleet welcomed the lack of 

wind until after lunch for the passage race back to Palma. The delay also gave 

Michéle Colenso and her eager crew on Capriccio of Rhu the opportunity to 

prepare their party piece. Two years ago Michéle was diagnosed with breast 

cancer mid-way through a circumnavigation aboard her Oyster 55 and was forced 

to stop in Sydney to undergo treatment. Keen to make others aware of the early 

signs of this illness, she embarked on a cheeky campaign to raise breast cancer 

awareness. Taking part in the 2007 Sydney Hobart race, she and her crew 

‘shocked’ their Aussie rivals by flying two ‘42DD’-sized pink spinnakers on the sail 

down Sydney Harbour emblazoned with the slogan ‘Want to keep em? 

If in doubt….Feel em!! Check em out!!’

After some considerable strap adjusting onboard, the Oyster fleet was treated to a 

private view as Capriccio of Rhu emerged from the cliff lined entrance flying all 

before her. 

At the time, the Race Officer and his crew on the committee boat were still 

considering when and where to make a start for the Dolphin Sails Trophy Race, 

and Michéle came up with a sensible suggestion. “We have some wind. Why not set 

the line in front of us and time the start when we cross it?” She asked helpfully. 

We were treated to a downwind start and the Dolphin Sails representatives must 

have been rubbing their hands in glee as crews fought to prevent several spinnaker 

wraps as the shifting winds sweeping down from the high cliffs protecting Andraitx 

played perverse tricks on the fleet. 

Timing the downwind start correctly proved no easier than it had been aboard 

Capriccio of Rhu, and led to some frantic last minute jostling to avoid crossing 

the line prematurely. Three of the Oyster 655s – Richard Smith’s Sotto Vento, 

Chris Ducker’s Flying Duckman and Solway Mist II skippered by Alexander 

Markarov crossed the line three-abreast, leaving Heinrich Schulte and his family, 

racing the rival Anabasis, a clear run. 

At the Cal Figuera lighthouse, 17 miles into the race, positioning was just as 

tight, with Sotto Vento rounding just inside Anabasis, while Flying Duckman, 

Solway Mist II and Robert Gillespie’s larger Oyster 82 Sarita did their best to stifle > 


“ Your event is simply amazing. 

The Oyster welcome and every 

crew's sportsmanlike and easy 

attitude made it very enjoyable, 

from the beginning. We really 

enjoyed the feeling of being 

part of the Oyster family for a 

few days. 

“ 

Rudolphe Gautier, Société Nautique de Genève

ABOVE: 

Scott and Susan Gibson’s Oyster 72, Stravaig of Argyll 


Bob and June Beeston’s Oyster 62, Star of Acabar 

Paula Mott, Oyster 655, Proteus 

Prizegiving drinks party, Cases font Seca 

Jeff Graham’s Oyster 62, Stuff ‘n’ Stuff 


each other’s wind close astern. None were as efficient as the wind gods who 

seemingly took this moment to have a short siesta, to provide an unscheduled 

re-start to the race for the leg back to Palma. The leading Class 1 crews managed 

to scramble across the finish line still under spinnaker, but the smaller yachts were 

forced to shed their coloured sails and unfurl headsails in a hurry for what turned 

into a beat. The three Oyster 62s – Ole Vagner’s Golden Gate, Robert and June 

Beeston’s Star of Acabar and Jeff Graham’s Stuff ‘n’ Stuff crossed the line with 

little more than an anchor pin to divide them. 

Class 2 again saw Jesús Gasca's Spanish crew on Sine Die make much of the front 

running, but this time they found themselves pipped on handicap by Aidan 

Millerick’s rival 45, Tusitala after her crew had taken the decision to fly their 

asymmetric spinnaker on the end of a pole. John Marshall’s Oyster 56 Rock Oyster 

finished 3rd just ahead of Wouter and Monique ten Wolde’s Olanta. 

Lewmar Trophy Race 

In the final race for the Lewmar Trophy in the Bay of Palma, the Spanish Sine Die 

crew led their class from start to finish. Not even a concerted spinnaker luff from 

John Marshall’s Oyster 56 Rock Oyster put them off from their mission, and it was 

not until well into the second round that they eventually conceded the overall lead 

to the larger Class 1 yachts. 

The two Oyster 56’s, Rock Oyster, and Ulrika of London, took second and third, 

but were later split on corrected time by Aidan Millerick’s evergreen Oyster 45 

Tusitala – a performance that confirmed 2nd place in the overall class standings 

after their class victory in the down-wind passage race for the Dolphin Sails Cup.

Within Class 1, two Oyster 655s, Heinrich Schulte’s Anabasis and the Russian 

team on Solway Mist II, gave the Sotto Vento crew a determined run for their 

money in this final encounter, and though Anabasis eventually finished 2nd across 

the line behind Robert Gillespie’s mighty Oyster 82 Sarita, her 7-second lead 

over Sotto Vento was reversed on corrected time. Solway Mist II also squeezed in 

ahead of Sarita on corrected time to give her Russian crew, something to celebrate 

in this, their first Oyster regatta. 

The prize-giving cocktail party and banquet at Cases de Sa Font Seca, a 17th century 

manor house up in the hills above Palma provided a fitting finale to what proved 

to be a great week, where friendly rivalry and a great social programme more than 

covered for any unplanned deficiencies on the part of the wind. 


It is a credit to Oyster that as 

owners of a ‘previously owned’ 

boat, you made us feel as much a 

part of the Oyster family as the 

owners of the brand new ones. 

““ 

Debbie Goldie, Oyster 49, Zebahdy

ABOVE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: 

Bill Munro and Susan Harris, Boarding Pass 

with Barry Sullivan of Pantaenius 

The crew of Oyster 655, Anabasis 

Wouter and Monique ten Wolde, Olanta with Matthew 

and Frances Vincent of Dolphin Sails 



RIGHT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: 

Richard Smith, Sotto Vento, with Jonathan Beeston of RTYC 

Winners of ‘Best Dressed Crew’ award, Oyster 655, 

Solway Mist II 

Chris Ducker, Flying Duckman with Oyster CEO David Tydeman 

Richard Smith and crew, Sotto Vento, winner of Class 1 

Jesús Gasca and crew, Sine Die, winner of Class 2 

CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE 

CLASS 1 PRESENTED BY OYSTER BROKERAGE 

Proteus 655 Al Parrish & Paula Mott 

Stravaig 72 Scott & Sue Gibson 

CLASS 2 PRESENTED BY UNDERCOVER 

Presented By Aila Bell 

Eve 46 Philip Scott 

Rock Oyster 56 John Marshall 

DAY RACES 

RACE 1 & 2 – SPONSORED BY PANTAENIUS 

Cancelled 

RACE 3 – SPONSORED BY PELAGOS YACHTS 

CLASS 1 

1st Solway Mist II 655 Alexander Markarov 

2nd Sarita 82 Robert Gillespie 

3rd Sotto Vento 655 Richard Smith 

4th Golden Gate 62 Ole Vagner 

CLASS 2 

1st Sine Die 46 Jesús Gasca 

2nd Ulrika of London 56 Jari Ovaskainen 

3rd Rock Oyster 56 John Marshall 

4th Tusitala 45 Aiden Millerick 

RACE 4 – SPONSORED BY DOLPHIN SAILS 

CLASS 1 

1st Sotto Vento 655 Richard Smith 

2nd Flying Duckman 655 Chris Ducker 

3rd Anabasis 655 Heinrich Schulte 

4th Proteus 655 Al Parrish & Paula Mott 

CLASS 2 

1st Tusitala 45 Aiden Millerick 

2nd Sine Die 46 Jesús Gasca 


4th Olanta 56 Wouter & Monique ten Wolde 

Photos: Nico Martinez

RACE 5 – SPONSORED BY LEWMAR 

CLASS 1 


2nd Anabasis 655 Heinrich Schulte 

3rd Solway Mist 655 Alexander Markarov 

4th Sarita 82 Robert Gillespie 

CLASS 2 


2nd Rock Oyster 56 John Marshall 

3rd Tusitala 45 Aiden Millerick 

4th Ulrika of London 56 Jari Ovaskainen 

THE ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB TROPHY 

Presented to the best placed yacht overall from Class 1 and Class 2 in all races 

Sotto Vento 655 Richard Smith 

THE OYSTER REGATTA TROPHY 

CLASS 1 


2nd Anabasis 655 Heinrich Schulte 

3rd Sarita 82 Robert Gillespie 

4th Flying Duckman 655 Chris Ducker 

CLASS 2 


2nd Tusitala 45 Aiden Millerick 


4th Ulrika of London 56 Jari Ovaskainen 



The Juan Fernández Islands 

By Alex Muñoz, vice president for Oceana in South America 


Photos: © OCEANA - Maximiliano Bello 

Nearly four hundred miles from Chile’s jagged coastline 

lies one of the world’s hidden sailing destinations: 

the Juan Fernández Islands. This archipelago, composed 

of three volcanic islands among a series of seamounts, 

has been compared to the Galápagos Islands for its 

rugged beauty and incredible biodiversity, including dozens 

of endemic species found nowhere else in the world. 

But while the Galápagos have become a major destination, 

the Juan Fernández Islands remain relatively unknown. 

Isolation is a part of the island’s heritage. In 1704, sailor 

Alexander Selkirk deserted the Cinque Ports, choosing to 

remain on one of the Juan Fernández uninhabited islands 

rather than stay on a ship he considered unseaworthy. 

(The ship would sink just weeks later.) Selkirk lived on the 

island for four years and four months, surviving on the rich 

native flora and the meat of feral goats. His story and eventual 

rescue would inspire the classic novel Robinson Crusoe. 

Today, just 600 people live on Robinson Crusoe Island, the 

largest of the islands at 58 square miles. The islands remain 

one of the world’s great natural laboratories with a strikingly 

high percentage of unique native species. The islands are 

also home to the Juan Fernández fur seal, once thought 

hunted to extinction, and the incredibly rare Juan Fernández 

firecrown, a wildly coloured hummingbird.

Robinson Crusoe Island is a World Biosphere Preserve, 

a United Nations designation that denotes its vital 

importance to global biodiversity and awards it 

protections. Yet just five miles from the shore, the marine 

ecosystems surrounding the islands are unprotected from 

the damaging commercial fishing techniques of bottom 

trawling. This fishing method uses weighted nets to drag 

the seafloor, indiscriminately killing sealife and reducing 

corals and seamounts to rubble. It is the equivalent of 

clearcutting a forest to catch a few rabbits. 

Trawling is used to catch only two popular seafood species, 

the orange roughy – originally known as the slimehead – 

and alfonsino. Thanks to trawling, some ancient corals in 

the area have already been demolished. These slow-growing 

corals are the home for dozens of other species and it take 

decades or centuries for them to recover. 

Juan Fernández is still an ecological treasure, but it needs 

proactive protection in order to remain that way. It makes 

both scientific and economic sense. Oceana conducted a 

survey of divers last year that found they were likely to 

pay a premium if it meant seeing healthy marine 

ecosystems. Divers indicated they would spend an average 

of $55.35 more per dive to encounter vibrant coral reefs. 

OCEANA protecting the world’s oceans 

Sailing to Juan Fernández, then, not only means an 

exceptional and thrilling experience for the sailor. 

It provides an economic incentive for governments to 

protect gems like these islands. Of course, if you go, 

be sensitive to the marine habitat and be watchful in 

order to avoid setting your anchor on coral reefs. 

Oceana has already succeeded in encouraging 

governments to proactively protect 640 million acres 

of seafloor from trawling north of the equator. Hopefully, 

the waters surrounding the Juan Fernández Islands will 

be next. In the meantime, making the islands a significant 

sailing destination will help bolster the argument for 

saving its rare and awesome natural beauty. 

OCEANA | Protecting the World's Oceans 

For more information: www.oceana.org 

Photos: © OCEANA - Eduardo Sorensen 


HEADING 


Go Live! 

At last we have a boat to show everyone! The first Oyster 

100 hull and secondary structure was post cured in the 

hi-tech 40-metre long oven in early September and came 

out of the mould on 14th September. In parallel we 

completed the mould tooling for the Oyster125, which is 

simply enormous. I’ve seen the statistics noting that there 

is almost twice as much volume internally in the 125 

compared with the 100 and that the 100 is almost twice 

the volume of the Oyster 72 and so on, but when you see 

the mould in front of you, you realise just how big these 

yachts are! 

These new Oyster flagships, the Oyster 100 and 125, 

will reflect our heritage of building yachts that have carried 

their owners in comfort to the Arctic and Antarctic, and 

across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans to discover 

faraway places that only well founded and reliable yachts 

can explore. These new superyachts increase Oyster’s 

reputation for quality, innovation and style and, with the 

experience we are gaining from the engineering challenges 

these extremely advanced yachts present, we will see a 

transfer of technology and processes which will further 

enhance the proven qualities of the existing Oyster range. 

By selecting a series-produced superyacht, owners will 

share these benefits of proven design, construction and 

engineering and can devote their attention to stamping their 

individuality on the interior. Only those owners who have 

commissioned a one-off superyacht will be aware of the 

cost and time impact that pulling together specialist 

companies and individuals from around the world has on 

building a superyacht to such high standards. Adding the 

most stringent world classification standard for superyachts – 

Lloyds +100A1 G6 MCH (something very few yards actually 

do) – is part of our target of producing top quality yachts 

that can save two years on the time it takes to research and 

build a one-off vessel – time that is better devoted to 

realizing those life-long ambitions to cruise anywhere within 

the seven seas! 

The decision to go for female tooling for series build of 

these yachts is now beginning to show its strength. As we 

take the next few months running infusion testing for the 

125 and set up to mould the first 125 in early February 

2010, the mould tool has gone back into the oven for 

100-02 hull to be built. By spring next year we are therefore 

planning to be in build with three yachts and are aiming for 

100-01 and 02 to be sailing in the Dubois Cup in late 

spring 2011. The female tooling allows a process of 

moulding a hull every three to four months and, as we get 

the yard production working, we will start to offer a build 

cycle of three months moulding, 12 months fit-out and three 

months commissioning for an Oyster 100; and four months 

moulding, 15 months fit-out and four months commissioning 

for an Oyster 125. With the fourth moulding slot available 

to start in late June next year, we will be in full swing soon 

and over the challenging engineering hurdles this start-up 

venture has involved. > 

OWNERS WILL SHARE THESE BENEFITS OF PROVEN DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING AND 

CAN DEVOTE THEIR ATTENTION TO STAMPING THEIR INDIVIDUALITY ON THE INTERIOR. 



Composite, moulded hulls are stronger and tougher for 

their weight than alloy hulls and will require much less 

maintenance. Avoiding the need for internal frames and 

stringers found in alloy hulls, we calculate that Oyster 

superyachts will also have around 10% more internal 

usable volume than a similar length alloy yacht. We believe 

they will hold their value well. For example, despite the 

global financial issues, we know of several deals done 

in the last 12 months, where owners of 120-150ft 

superyachts have sold their boats for more than they 

cost to build. 

Oyster has set out to produce value through investment and 

structural integrity. Our commitment to research and design 

is showing benefits now and ensuring the success of the 

Oyster 100 and 125 superyachts. We brought together the 

best team of internationally recognised designers, engineers 

and consultants to research every aspect of their build from 

the overall design concept, to the engineering, structure, rig 

and interior design. 

Within our programme and commitment to female tooling we 

have recognised that the Oyster superyacht must be the yacht 

of your dreams and no two Oyster superyachts are likely to be 

the same inside and we have set up to allow for a process of 

customisation. 100-01 is being built in dark walnut with 

beautiful fabrics and soft furnishings by POD Designs, an 

affiliated company to the well-known Redmond Whitely Dixon 

styling team. 100-02 will have a more modern feel to it, 

and Richard Matthews is choosing his personal style for 

125-01. Our experienced in-house design and yard team 

is working on some quite different accommodation themes 

including a full size mock-up of cabins to turn paper-based 

schemes into 3D reality and fine-tune the design and 

choice of materials. 

Behind the styling there are some sophisticated solutions to 

minimise sound and vibration involving specialist hull linings, 

double bulkheads, under floor treatments, void filling material 

and even a layer of sound dampening between the laid teak 

deck and the owners and guest cabins to minimise the 

sound of footsteps on deck! Flexibly mounted furniture, 

floors and non-structural bulkheads further reduce sound 

and vibration transference. With twin matched generators 

providing 220v (or 110v), three-phase electricity, 24 hours 

a day, all the comforts of home will be constantly available. 

Air conditioning, air management, hot water, water making, 

electric cooking, microwaves, trash compactors and 

dishwashers are all part of the live-aboard experience – 

and available at the flick of a switch. 

With the Oyster 100 and 125 superyachts, we are setting 

out to raise the threshold in fresh, creative thinking to bring 

“Stradivarius quality” to the modern world of superyachts! 

We recognise that Oyster yachts are not just a possession 

– they are passports to experience and pleasure, bringing 

freedom, adventure and quality of life and we are very proud 

of what we’re achieving with these new Oyster flagships. 

OUR COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH AND DESIGN IS SHOWING BENEFITS NOW AND ENSURING THE 

SUCCESS OF THE OYSTER 100 AND 125 SUPERYACHTS. 


For Paul Kerr, CEO of the luxury hotel brand Small Luxury 

Hotels of the World (SLH) and chartered accountant, 

experiencing the world at an average rate of seven knots 

makes a welcome respite from the break-neck pace of 

running a highly successful global hotel brand. 

To an outsider, the life of Paul Kerr appears like a permanent 

holiday. Flying around the world, staying at the world's most 

exclusive resorts, tucking into Michelin–star dinners and 

being treated like royalty sounds like a job most people 

would kill for. Paul admits that he is very fortunate: "I always 

tell my children, most people like 20% of their job and hate 

the other 80%. Luckily for me, I am now at a stage where 

I love it 80% of the time". However, such reward doesn't 

come without a lot of hard work and it hasn't always been 

plain-sailing. 

"When I first took over SLH in 1991 there were 75 hotels 

in the brand, today we stand at 500 hotels in over 75 

countries. The growth of the brand has been due to a 

number of factors: the increase in demand for the small, 

independent boutique hotel, the advent of low air fares and 

the unbridled success of the internet as a reference and 

research source as well as a direct booking channel. 

However, most importantly it has been due to a tremendous 

amount of effort and I still remember the nights toiling away 

until 3am, smoking cigarette after cigarette and hoping that 

it would all come together. It has, of course, also been down 

to the fact that I am lucky enough to have a very talented 

crew; pardon the pun." 


Pimalai Resort & Spa Zeavola 

Sail Away with Small Luxury Hotels of the World TM 

So if you spend your working hours in luxury hotels what 

do you do for a holiday? You take up sailing! 

"I discovered sailing eight years ago and I find it such a 

liberating experience. I love to travel, yet I don't really like 

schedules or airports. With sailing there are no queues, 

no delays and no lost baggage and I suppose the only 

schedule is that determined by gravity, the tide." 

“For me the enduring appeal of a sailing holiday is that 

there is something timeless about making a journey by 

means of just the wind and the sea; the days feel much 

longer and afford a greater opportunity just to think and to 

relax which is something hard to find the time for. This is 

why you'll never catch me on a gin-palace in Monaco! 

“Our last family holiday was to Thailand and we sailed from 

Phuket to Langkawi stopping off at some of the truly 

outstanding SLH properties along the way. It was a fantastic 

experience. We started off at Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket. 

It sits on the edge of Pilai Beach, a long stretch of pristine 

white sand. The sunsets are amazing and the hotel is very 

tranquil, so perfect for easing you in to "holiday-mode". 

The next day Paul and his family set sail for Ko Racha Yai, 

an island 15 miles south of Phuket, where another SLH 

hotel, The Racha, is located. The island is popular with 

divers who come for the spectacular crystal-clear waters, 

hard coral forests and varied tropical fish. Ko Racha Yai 

literally means "big king island" and in Paul's eyes it is 

definitely "a king of resorts".

The Racha Aleenta Resort & Spa Phuket 

"The Racha embodies what the discerning traveller is 

seeking from a resort today - pristine and chic yet 

surrounded by natural beauty and operating on ecologically 

sound principles. And, of course, with a holistic spa and a 

choice of exciting restaurants," says Paul with a smile. 

"People want to go somewhere exclusive and private where 

they can relax. Resorts on islands, which are accessible only 

from the sea, are the ultimate embodiment of this concept and 

arriving by yacht makes it seem all the more of a hideaway.” 

However, if you yearn to emulate Robinson Crusoe and get 

away from it all in slightly more traditional surrounds Paul 

recommends Zeavola, the only luxury villa resort on Phi Phi 

Island. Set on the beach it is easily accessible by dinghy. 

"Although you have to watch the corals," says Paul. “This is 

an enchanting eco resort with traditionally-styled teakwood 

villas. For dinner here we ate on the beach underneath the 

stars and the understated, natural setting made the 

experience even more magical". 

For Paul one of the joys of sailing is the freedom, tranquility 

and variety it affords. "Some of the best moments on this 

holiday were on the journey getting to the resorts. Simply 

being able to drop-anchor off an uninhabited island and 

snorkel or enjoying a deserted island is very special. 

By taking a yacht even the travelling part of the holiday 

becomes such an incredible experience. I also think that 

people today are much more restless and whilst they want 

to relax at a luxury resort they also want adventure". 

So, if you want a varied and luxurious sailing holiday SLH's 

award-winning collection of hotels scattered over the islands 

in the Andaman Sea offer the perfect opportunity; each hotel 

is unique yet each upholds the international standard of 

luxury which is the underpinning philosophy of the SLH 

brand. Meandering between such exquisite properties by 

yacht is the perfect way to island hop. 

Paul and his family visited: 

Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket (www.slh.com/aleenta) 

The Racha (www.slh.com/theracha) 

Zeavola (www.slh.com/zeavola) 

Nakamanda Resort & Spa (www.slh.com/nakamanda) 

Pimalai Resort & Spa (www.slh.com/pimalai) 

The Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand is an 

unrivalled portfolio of some of the world’s finest small 

independent hotels. Comprising over 500 hotels in more 

than 70 countries, the diversity of the individual hotels, and 

the experiences that they offer, is exceptional. From cuttingedge 

design hotels to palatial 17th century mansions, city 

centre sanctuaries to remote private islands, historic country 

houses to idyllic resorts, Small Luxury Hotels of the World 

offers only the very best. 

Reservations can be made at any Small Luxury Hotels 

of the World property at www.slh.com. 


Miss Tippy’s Round the World Voyage begins 

By Brian and Sheila Norton, Oyster 56, Miss Tippy 

Once our new Oyster 56, Miss Tippy, had been 

commissioned, the weeks prior to our departure from 

Ipswich were filled with trips to Fox’s Marina and their 

well-stocked chandlery, supplemented with arranging 

boxes of spares organized by Natasha Rendell from 

Oyster’s Aftersales department. It was quite a challenge 

to stow all our booty before departure! 

While we were packing up the house and finishing school, 

Brian departed Ipswich and sailed straight into 30-knot 

headwinds through the Dover Straits. Despite close 

encounters with a buoy at the end of the River Orwell and 

shifting sands by Knock Deep, Miss Tippy handled the 

conditions well and arrived in Brighton intact and eager 

for more. 

With our family of three children safely stowed on board we 

left Brighton on a rainy day in July with Annie’s friend, Lottie 

Roberts (aged 9) as extra crew. The children ceremoniously 

threw their old worn and tattered shoes overboard to signify 

the end of prep school and the beginning of their new life 

on board Miss Tippy. 

We tacked out a long way south of the Isle of Wight in 

S/SW winds of 17-22 knots and had a cracking sail on a 

beam reach. Miss Tippy sailed like a dream with our two 

youngest crew (both 9) taking turns at the helm as we were 

roaring down the coast at speeds of up to 11 knots. 

Eddie Scougall, Oyster’s Customer Care Manager, joined us 

in Torquay and spent a couple of days with us, answering 

questions thrown up by our initial voyage and taking us 

through the maintenance regime. The only mechanical things 

we had to look after on previous boats were engines and 

plumbing. Miss Tippy involves a step change for us in terms 

of boat complexity. Those couple of days with Eddie, 

together with his constant support via phone and Skype 

have proved invaluable as we have got to grips with the 

maintenance required. 


We had travelled to Torquay to join the Biscay Triangle Rally, 

which was due to cross the Bay of Biscay to La Coruna. 

Joining the Rally gave us a sense of assurance as we 

embarked on the longest single sail we had undertaken as a 

family. Sadly the weather conspired against us and the Rally 

went to Brittany while we had to peel off with another 

Oyster, the 46, Solway Mist, to cross the Bay of Biscay to 

La Coruna. 

We set off on July 24th with a westerly wind of 15 knots 

and a low expected in from the Atlantic. By the next day the 

wind had changed to a South Westerly and our two intrepid 

Oysters left the main rally group to head off for the 

notorious Bay of Bones! We stayed in radio contact with our 

new Oyster friends, Allan, Shirley and David Cook and their 

cousin Clive. Solway Mist with her gleaming blue hull was a 

reassuring sight on the horizon when visibility allowed. 

As the wind stayed head on we lurched up and down 

towards our destination but Miss Tippy kept us safe and 

protected from the elements. 

The water washed over the decks while Annie aged 9, in her 

on board role as our cook and hygienist, made bread. The 

kids sang ‘Drunken Sailor’ while water chopped and sloshed 

around the hull. At all times we trusted Miss Tippy would 

carry us safely to Spain whatever the weather. She sails so 

well and is able to cut through the waves so gracefully that 

even our voyage against headwinds and the big Atlantic 

swell was comfortable. After three days of wet and cold 

beating we were visited by dolphins and within 15 minutes 

the wind changed direction and with palpable relief we 

spent the final day of our crossing on a reach. We reached 

La Coruna in fine fettle and spent a few days relaxing there 

after our big voyage. 

However, we were soon off again around the notorious 

Cape Finisterre and down the Portuguese Coast towards 

Gibraltar. En route we anchored in several of the idyllic rias

“ 

At all times we trusted Miss Tippy 

would carry us safely to Spain 

whatever the weather. She sails 

so well and is able to cut through 

the waves so gracefully that even 

our voyage against headwinds 

and the big Atlantic swell 

was comfortable. 

“ 

in North West Spain before reaching Isla de Cies near the 

Portuguese border, where we spent a week anchored off 

the gorgeous beach. 

The spell finally broke and we left for Baoina for a touch 

of civilisation and re-stocking before heading onto Portugal. 

Porto was our first stop in Portugal. It was Freddy’s 

11th birthday and he was keen to sample the cultural 

delights and museums on offer in a major city. We moored 

outside the city in a fairly cramped marina, in Leixoes. 

An over-ground metro whisked us effortlessly into the City 

Centre and we enjoyed a day wandering the ancient streets 

and even visiting a port bar where we were persuaded to 

buy some vintage port to lay down in our ‘cellar’ aboard 

Miss Tippy. 

We had thick fog all the way to Lisbon and tested our new 

AIS, automatic foghorn and radar. We managed to avoid 

tangling with the multitude of lobster pots off the 

Portuguese coast and arrived at the river leading to Lisbon 

at dawn with a gale blowing. The Rio Tejo gave us shelter 

and we motored upriver under the suspension bridge 

straight into the heart of the city and then spent a night at 

the rather soulless marina of Doca de Alcantara. We had 

had enough of City life by then and slipped back along the 

river to the lovely town of Cascais before venturing to a 

remote beach at Portinho de Arabida. Strong winds of over 

30 knots tested our anchor during the night while we 

stayed there among shallow channels with ominous looking 

rocks all around! 

After a few days at the beach we headed south again and 

came around Cabo Sao Vicente in very heavy winds and 

confused seas. Boats before and after us on the visitors 

OWNER REPORT 

pontoon in Lagos told us of winds of 55 and 67 knots 

respectively although we only recorded a maximum of 

37 knots. Annie celebrated her 9th birthday in Lagos with 

friends from England who had a villa there. Marina prices 

were a bit of a shock at over €100/night but we had a great 

time there. Oyster had arranged for local boat-builders, 

Sopramor to come and fix a few minor warranty issues for 

us (including our wind instrument!). They were very 

professional and quickly solved our issues. 

The Algarve offered us the opportunity to sample a number 

of secluded anchorages, which we took advantage of at 

Alvor, Faro/Ohloa and Tarifa before a long leg to Cadiz. 

Our final jaunt took us into the Straits of Gibraltar under 

cruising chute. Wind suddenly accelerated off Tarifa and it 

was all hands on deck as we subdued the chute. Just as 

we got under control again a fast catamaran ferry hurtled 

out of the harbour at Tarifa bound for Tangier. The pilot 

book had warned that the ‘might is right’ principle rules in 

this area and this was soon proven as we had to jibe to 

avoid being run down by the aggressive ferry. 

That was our last test before sauntering into Gibraltar and 

tying up in Marina Bay later that evening. John our teacher 

joined us in Gibraltar and soon got to grips with the 

demands of teaching our children aboard (more about that 

in later articles!). We have been in Gibraltar since early 

September but are now just a few days away from departure 

to Lanzarote. The Blue Water Rally boats have gathered, we 

have run out of things to buy when we visit the chandlery 

... we must be ready to leave! 

Readers can follow our daily progress as well as seeing 

films from our trip on our blog at www.Rock2Rock.co.uk 


The New Oyster 575 

Launching at the London and Düsseldorf Boat Shows 

With a brand new Rob Humphreys hull design for 

increased performance and greater interior volume, 

and a sophisticated, modern hull construction, which 

incorporates the strength characteristics of carbon with 

the impact resistance of kevlar to give a structure that is 

significantly stronger and lighter than traditional 

construction methods, the new Oyster 575 is an exciting 

addition to Oyster’s fleet of blue water cruising yachts. 

An evolution of the highly successful Oyster 56, with nearly 

80 yachts afloat, the new 575 features twin wheels, giving 

the helmsman great all-round visibility both under sail and 

when manouevring and has a longer waterline, finer entry and 

greater sail area/displacement ratio. 

Whilst exhilarating performance is important, onboard comfort 

is a prerequisite. The Oyster 575 features a large centre 

cockpit with a substantial dining table for comfortable 

al fresco living, whilst below decks the four cabin interior 

layout, which can be semi-customised to suit your own 

requirements, enjoys a sumptuous owners’ ensuite stateroom 

and a spacious light and bright saloon thanks to Oyster’s 

hallmark deck saloon styling and opening windows. 

A practical and safe passageway galley with space for 

washer/dryer and dishwasher plus plenty of storage, works 

as well in port as it does at sea, whilst a large and very easily 

accessed engine room houses a state-of-the-art VW 130hp 

diesel, specially mapped to suit the yacht. 

With her exceptionally sleek outboard profile, proven 

performance and stunning interior, the new Oyster 575 

is fitted with a multitude of well-designed and practical 

seamanlike features, allowing you and your family to cruise 

the oceans in safety, comfort and style. 


Oyster at the 

2010 Boat Shows 

As we approach the 2010 boat show season, 

we extend a very warm welcome to you to visit us 

and see some of the newest Oysters afloat. 

In London, the new Oyster 575 makes her UK debut at 

Excel, alongside the popular Oyster 46 in our usual 

position in the North Hall. 

In Düsseldorf, we will be welcoming visitors to our 2010 

boat show stand, where we will also be showing the new 

Oyster 575 for the first time in Europe alongside the 

Oyster 54. 

Also in Düsseldorf, we have a separate Oyster Stand in 

Hall 7A, where we will have large scale, detailed models 

and all the latest information on both the Oyster 100 and 

Oyster 125 Superyachts, together with our Custom Build, 

Refit and Repair facility Southampton Yacht Services. 

As usual, we will be operating an appointment system to 

enable as many visitors as possible to view our yachts. 

Whilst we try to ensure everyone who wants to get on 

board can do so, we do get extremely busy and, spacious 

though Oyster yachts are, we can only fit so many people 

on board at once. Booking a boarding time ahead of your 

visit to the show will ensure you are not disappointed. 

Appointments can be made via the on-line Boarding Pass 

request forms on our website at www.oystermarine.com 

or please call: 

UK/European Shows 

UK Office Tel: +44 1473 695005 

USA Shows 

US Office Tel: +1 401 8467400 

LONDON BOAT SHOW 

8-17 January 2010 

Stand Nº N016 

New Oyster 575 

Oyster 46 

BOOT DÜSSELDORF 

23-31 January 2010 

Stand 16C58 

New Oyster 575 


Stand Nº 7A E17 

Oyster Superyachts, Custom Build, Refits and Repairs 

2010 Oyster Fleet 

46 Deck Saloon 










125 Raised Saloon 

125 Flybridge 

OM43 Motoryacht 



Boysterous Round 

Scotland 

By Colin Hall, Oyster 53, Boysterous 

About a year ago, I was sitting in the cockpit of our Oyster 53, Boysterous, 

contemplating the world. We’d crossed the Atlantic four times, explored the 

Azores and the Mediterranean, and wintered in the Caribbean and the 

Canaries. ‘What’s next?’ I asked myself. 

‘Not the world’, I answered, because while Oyster owners know that the world is 

indeed our oyster, I thought the world would take too long. However, there’s a limit 

to how often you need to cross the Atlantic and I had often thought that sailing 

Round Britain is every bit as much of a challenge: tides, weather, rocks, oil rigs, 

traffic, fog and other hazards that you rarely experience on the oceans. 

So, the plan was hatched that after wintering in Lanzarote we would bring Boysterous 

home and go round Britain, but unlike many others, we would go round Britain, 

and Ireland, and all their offshore rocks and islands – outside everything. This part 

of the story is our trip to and through Scottish waters. 

WHO ARE ‘WE’? 

Bernard Lightbound, Hamble resident and member of the Royal Air Force Yacht 

Club, is a frequent crew on Boysterous including a win in the ARC Europe from 

Bermuda to the Azores. 

John Laczik is an Oxford University engineering Don and third time ocean voyager 

on Boysterous. 

As for me, Colin Hall, sons Alastair and Matthew announced in 2002 that they 

wanted to sail across the Atlantic. And so we did in 2003, and I haven’t really 

stopped sailing long distances since, first in our Oyster 406 Boysterous, and now 

in the Oyster 53. My wife Naomi doesn’t do the long bits but joins us for ‘bays 

and islands’ when we get there. > 

OWNER REPORT 


OWNER REPORT 

“The wind was light, the sun 

was up and the combination 

of the sea, rocks and grassy 

islands with all the birds was 

a great sight.” 


DOWN CHANNEL 

We left the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble on Tuesday 30 June 2009 at 

15:00, in time to take the tide down the Solent and past Portland Bill. With light 

easterlies, we motor-sailed all the way down Channel and past the Scillies. 

Eventually we got a decent reaching wind across the Irish Sea and so it took just 

an hour over two days to do the 360 miles to Kinsale. 

OUTSIDE IRELAND 

After a weekend in Kinsale – lots of history and the gastronomic capital of 

Ireland – we set sail for Scotland, outside the famous Fastnet Rock and all of the 

many other headlands and islands off Ireland’s west coast. Now we had real wind, 

beating round Ireland’s south west coast for two days and then, as we started 

heading north, the wind went north and light and headed us all the way to the 

Outer Hebrides. 

OUTER HEBRIDES AHOY 

As we closed on the uninhabited islands at the south of the Outer Hebrides, 

the bird life was just astonishing: guillemots and razorbills littered the surface 

of the water, then they were gone, just like little penguins flying under water. 

Puffins joined in with the larger birds, petrels, fulmars, gulls, gannets and boobies. 

Our route in to Castlebay on Barra was easterly through Pabbay Sound. The pilot 

books talk of overfalls, rocks awash and great caution to be taken. For us, the 

wind was light, the sun was up and the combination of the sea, rocks and grassy 

islands with all the birds was a great sight. As we cleared the Sound, there were 

two small sharks close by and a small fishing boat headed down island to haul his 

lobster pots. 

CASTLEBAY 

Castlebay is an incredibly well protected large harbour and ferry port with twelve 

free visitors’ moorings. There was a strong wind warning out for that night and so 

we chose the one with best shelter from the south east. 

The mooring buoys all said ‘Max Wt 15 Tons’. We are 24 tons, so having tidied 

up, we went ashore to seek advice. As we dumped the rubbish in the waiting 

containers, a man walked by wearing a long yellow waterproof working jacket 

with ‘P&O’ on the pocket. Sure enough, Arthur knew all about the moorings: 

“Och away”, he said. “Ye dinna ha’ tae worry aboot the weight. There’s bin

much bigger boats than yourn on they”. So, having been 

put in our place, we proceeded to the Castlebay Hotel 

for some R&R. 

THREE DAYS IN BARRA 

An old friend of mine told me that he recently spent three 

days in Barra – “a God forsaken place”. Well we couldn’t 

have had a better experience. 

Naomi and I checked in to the Castlebay Hotel for the 

weekend. We worried at first about it being too ‘laid back’ 

but everything worked well, the food was great, and our 

ship’s laundry was just £5 the lot. We dined at the hotel on a 

fine meal of Barra scallops, Barra lamb and Minches prawns. 

That night, the forecast strong winds arrived and Naomi 

and I could feel our hotel windows rattling. In the morning, 

we found that John and Bernard had been up re-arranging the 

mooring lines to minimise the yawing but it soon turned into a 

fine sunny day. We took the bus up the east side of the island, 

walked on the beach at the northern tip, admired the clarity of 

the colours of the sea and beaches, and then returned to the 

airport cafe to watch the local plane landing in a cloud of 

spray on the cockle shell beach, the airport. Bernard asked 

them to move the fire engine as it was blocking our view from 

the cafe – and they did! And we had some fine cockles for 

lunch, collected just off the end of the runway. 

SCALLOP PAKORAS 

Back at Castlebay, we watched the Heaval Race up the 

local mountain and back, went out by ferry to Kisimul Castle, 

the stronghold of the Clan Macneil that sits on its own 

private island and then booked in for dinner at the Kisimul 

Cafe. This specialises in Barra scallops and Barra lamb, but 

all done Italian or Indian style – as you would expect in the 

Outer Hebrides? Scallop pakoras were an interesting idea, 

best left as a concept! 

The next day, Sunday, Hungarian John cooked us Hungarian 

lunch accompanied by Hungarian gypsy music while we 

watched the fishing fleet arrive for the annual Fishermen’s 

Mass. The fishing boats and quay were decked with bunting, 

the altar was on the back of a lorry and the congregation 

was large. Afterwards, the locals piled on to the boats with 

the fishermen for a burn up round the bay led by the Barra 

RNLI lifeboat at full chat. 

We were glad that we had dressed overall as the cox 

brought his lifeboat over and demonstrated his manoeuvring 

skills around us – very impressive. Afterwards, everyone 

tucked in to free herrings and mash on the quay – a great 

community occasion. 

After another fine dinner in the Castlebay Hotel, we walked 

along to the school for the dance. The Vatersay Boys played 

Scottish dance music with attitude and a driving rhythm, 

very compelling. Everyone, babies, teens, and grannies took 

to the floor, the Boysterous crew included even though some 

of our manoeuvres were a bit unorthodox. I thought of the 

famous Morecambe and Wise sketch with Andre Previn as 

Naomi and I did the Gay Gordons: ‘all the right steps (notes) 

but not necessarily in the right order’! 

THE WORST ANCHORAGE 

Well, you are warned in the pilot books that Village Bay in 

St Kilda is not an overnight anchorage, a short day stop at 

best. We arrived here at 23:30 having sailed from Castlebay. 

It was just getting dark and although very gusty, staying the 

night at anchor beat the prospect of carrying on beating to 

the Shetlands. Anyway, to bed and for my part, it was a 

pleasure to get up at 06:00 after the rolliest anchorage ever. 

As the sun rose to slant across the hills, the outlines of the 

old stone and grass roof storage buildings, houses, dry 

stone walls and sheep pens stood out on the slopes of 

the hill. But down below, what looks like an olive green 

Portakabin city dominates the shore line. What a shame. 

St Kilda was an Army garrison for some years and while the 

Army had to have somewhere to live, what is left behind 

ranks high in the ‘monstrous carbuncle’ stakes. > 


Bernard and John dinghied in to the small pier. They met the 

warden, signed the Visitors Book and had a quick look round 

– well worth it, they said. It was still very windy with gusts 

blowing over and round the hills as we headed off into a 

very lumpy sea, wind over tide and waves bouncing off the 

cliffs between the islands of Hirta and Boreray. 

BIRDS 

Then followed one of the most amazing sights I have ever 

seen: Boreray is a dramatic island with jagged peaks and 

two outlying Stacs several hundred feet high, one of which 

was shimmering white. As we got closer, we could see that 

Stac Lee was surrounded by thousands of birds wheeling 

in the wind. The Stac itself was covered in birds, cheek by 

jowl, or beak to beak, to such an extent that the whole 

stac shimmers. 

This is the largest gannet colony in the world, 70,000 pairs 

all piled onto what is a tiny area of sheer rock with a sloping 

top. They and thousands of fulmars were gliding around 

and diving for fish while strings of razorbills, guillemots 

and puffins sped by at sea level, wings whirring. 

The story of the inhabitants of St Kilda and their evacuation 

in 1930 is well known, and people come to see the ruins 

of their village and hear the stories of how they lived by 

catching the gannets and fulmars on the sheer cliffs. But for 

others, it is the sheer quantity of the bird life that impresses, 

and I found it one of the great experiences. 

SAILING AGAIN 

Off we went, heading north and hoping for the wind to back 

from NE to north, which surprisingly and obligingly it did. 

Tacking on to port, we could sail to clear the Butt of Lewis 

and its fierce tides. For the time being, we could even point 

more or less at Orkney, not quite north enough for Shetland 

but well on the way. A couple of tankers went down the 

channel inside the Flannan Islands while we continued to go 

‘outside everything’. 


A bit later the wind went round to SW and dropped to 

Force 2. Boysterous does not respond well to less than 

8 knots dead astern and so on went the motor. All night 

we motored on, outside Rona, (did you know about Rona?), 

and in the morning saw our first oil rig on the horizon. 

The sun shone all day and the wind stayed light and directly 

astern. I rang Naomi on the Iridium satellite phone. She told 

me about gales in Thames, Wight, Portland and Plymouth 

while we, now level with Norway, were enjoying another 

gentle sunny summer’s day! 

MUCKLE FLUGGA 

As day broke we could see the outlines of the Shetland Isles 

over to starboard. The birdlife increased and we saw one 

fishing boat, that’s all for two days. 

Muckle Flugga is the northernmost lighthouse in the UK and 

has a small Out Stac just north of that. That’s where we 

could be sure that we would complete our circumnavigation 

because once there, it would be much quicker to carry on 

than to turn back. 

We rounded Muckle Flugga and the Out Stac at mid-day and 

turned south. Our most northerly position was 60°N 52.40. 

The log read 1487.8 nautical miles, well over half way 

round. This merited a celebration, so out came the 

Boysterous champagne. The sun was still shining and the 

wind remained SW Force2 although the forecast warned that 

the gales in the Channel were now heading our way. 

BALTASOUND 

We rounded the island of Unst, the most northerly inhabited 

island of the UK, and turned into Baltasound, which had 

several salmon and mussel farms. There was a wee boating 

club with showers, the UK’s most northerly bar and hotel, 

and the most northerly bus shelter, decorated and fitted out 

in all things Pompadour pink including an arm chair, TV, 

computer and the Visitors Book which we duly signed.

Bernard and John went one way to the village with a food shopping list. I went 

the opposite way to the garage to track down some distilled water. We were all 

offered lifts there, and back. Here, everyone helps each other. I wonder if anyone 

ever catches a bus at the bus stop as they would all be offered a lift before the 

bus arrived. 

£7.97 

Back on the boat there was a knock on the hull – Ian Mackay, the Harbour Master. 

He had produced his own Visitors’ Notes and was very helpful and informative. 

And the charge was £7.97 for 1-4 days! Outrageous! We must go back as we still 

have three days to claim! Ian told me that I had waved at him earlier when he 

drove past me in the Police car: he’s also the policeman. 

13TH OUT OF 13! 

We had a busy evening ahead, first to check out the most northerly bar in Britain 

and then to walk to the village hall for the Unst Week quiz night. We came 

thirteenth out of thirteen. Oh dear! Our knowledge of clinches from films was 

worse than our knowledge of Shetland history, but we won a box of wine gums 

and a round of applause for turning up. 

On the way back we were close to that bar again so had to pop in. There we 

engaged in hearty conversation with the locals including Drewie who lived by the 

pier. Could he come back and look at the boat? Of course. It was a scary ride 

back in Drewie’s car, and it was several hours and hints later before we finally got 

to our bunks. 

TO LERWICK 

We thought that it might be unwise to spend another evening in the bar with 

Drewie so set off for Lerwick via the Outer Skerries, the most easterly of the 

Shetland Isles. 

More light airs and another fine sunny day gave us a motor sail outside the east 

coast islands to the Outer Skerries, just sixty people and a lighthouse together 

with a sheltered harbour. Lunch on board was some delicious flaky hot smoked 

salmon from South Uist that we bought in Castlebay (see www.salar.co.uk for 

mail order). > 

OWNER REPORT 

“Our most northerly position 

was 60°N 52.40. The log 

read 1487.8 nautical miles, 

well over half way round. 

This merited a celebration, 

so out came the Boysterous 

champagne.” 


OWNER REPORT 

“We had travelled 2,332 

nautical miles on the log, had 

some great experiences with 

the natural world and 

especially the bird life, the 

comradeship at sea, fun times 

ashore, and the further north 

we sailed the better everything 

was. We will surely go back.” 


MORE BIRDS 

Going outside Bressay, we cleared Noss, another amazing bird colony. The strata 

of the sheer cliffs slant down gently to the sea, and every two feet or so, there’s 

a gannet, row upon vertical row of them lined up just a peck away from each 

other. There must be a lot of bird food in these waters to feed the thousands of 

birds that watched us watching them. 

MORE WIND 

The wind started to build and strong NE winds were forecast overnight. There are 

two yacht basins in Lerwick, one well sheltered for smaller boats, and the other 

open to the north-east. It was already rafted three or more deep, except for a very 

large Belgian catamaran. It was already blustery and the only way in was to back 

down wind to the corner of the dock. A season in the Mediterranean gives you lots 

of practice at stern to mooring so we swung round and backed in to come 

alongside the big cat. The cat’s owner was worried because although a good fifty 

feet long, he only weighed seven tons and we are 24! We did offer to change 

places, but that would not do – “Non”. 

We checked in to the harbour office along with lots of Norwegians over for a duty-free 

weekend. We went to the famously hospitable Lerwick Boating Club, and then to the 

Queen’s Hotel for more local scallops and lamb, this time from the Shetlands of course. 

SPLIT TACKS 

Next morning after another rolly night, we got up early to stuff the fenders back 

down between us and the Belgian catamaran. I was to fly back to London for son 

Alastair’s and fiancée Francesca’s Engagement Party. Bernard and John kindly drove 

me down to Sumburgh Airport for the flight and then went on to Sumburgh Head 

to commune with the puffins. 

At the Scalloway Boating Club, Alan, who owns a sixty foot fishing boat, told them 

that to comply with EU fishing regulations, 10 boxes of dead fish of the wrong kind 

are tipped back into the sea for every box of quota fish brought ashore. So much 

for fish conservation with regulations made up in an office in Brussels, not at sea. 

OFF AGAIN 

The forecast on Sunday evening was for a day of obliging westerlies on Monday 

night/Tuesday, then strong south easterlies by Tuesday evening. So as soon as 

I arrived back from London on Monday, we topped up with diesel and departed

south for Peterhead, 167 miles away. Sadly, this meant that 

we could not call in at Fair Isle, but we did go outside it, 

and so have still gone ‘outside everything’. 

BACK TO THE MAINLAND 

By midnight we had passed Fair Isle, silhouetted against the 

darkening sky. I tried to take a picture of it when the 

lighthouses at either end flashed simultaneously, but ten 

shots later I owned up to being beaten by the delay on the 

camera shutter. 

PETERHEAD 

Peterhead has a Port Control system in view of the large 

number of oil rig support vessels coming and going. 

Permission to enter was granted. We couldn’t raise the marina 

on the VHF but went in and there was a suitably large space, 

but now complete with Jim ready to take our lines. 

That night, as forecast, the big wind came and once again 

we were in harbour, and now a day ahead of our schedule. 

I thought we might hire a car and visit Speyside because 

one of our number is a confirmed Malt man and was denied 

any visits to the Scottish west coast distilleries as they were 

too far inside our ‘outside everything’ track. 

We drove up to Fraserburgh with its fleet of enormous deep 

sea trawlers and visited the Northern Lighthouse Board’s 

Museum, and then carried on to the Strathisla Distillery, 

the home of Chivas Regal. At our next visit to GlenDronach 

distillery, John was also able to buy a limited edition of 

Benriach’s ‘Maderensis Fumosus’ - one of the few peated 

Speyside whiskies. This made John a very happy man as he 

flew back to Sheffield for his daughter’s graduation. 

ABERDEEN 

The pilot books say ‘no facilities for yachts’ about Aberdeen, 

another big oil port. I had emailed the Harbour Master in advance 

and got back a very nice reply, ‘Just turn up, call my colleagues on 

Ch 12 and they will look after you’, as indeed they did. 

On arriving from Peterhead, we could see a dozen rig 

support vessels anchored outside Aberdeen harbour and we 

were told that we couldn’t get in for another hour. We’d just 

anchored behind the breakwater when we were told it was 

our turn after all. So in we went, dwarfed by large vessels 

towering over us. 

There were just two other yachts in town. Our £20 charge 

for a short stay was certainly well over any other charges we 

had paid, but then, this is not a yacht harbour. John arrived 

back from Sheffield on schedule, and by 22:00, we were off 

again, leaving Scotland behind and heading down the North 

Sea direct for Lowestoft. 

HEADING FOR HOME 

The main impressions of the trip down the North Sea were: 

westerly winds and flat seas, the water getting brown and 

silty, favourable tidal streams for nearly eighteen hours, lots 

of oil and gas rigs, wind farms and sand banks, a quick trip 

to Lowestoft but no birds. 

Then we had a slow uncomfortable trip down Channel 

bashing against WSW wind and tide until at last the wind 

went south, the tide went west and we sped past the Isle of 

Wight at 12 knots. 

The Commodore gave us a wonderful welcome back at the 

Royal Southern, and suddenly it was all over and within a day 

or so, just a memory as the day-to-day routine of life ashore 

takes over. We had travelled 2,332 nautical miles on the log, 

had some great experiences with the natural world and 

especially the bird life, the comradeship at sea, fun times 

ashore, and the further north we sailed the better everything 

was. We had wonderful weather in the Outer Hebrides and 

Shetland, and the joy of joining in with the island communities 

as they made their own entertainment. We will surely go back. 

So, thank you for reading the Scottish part of our trip Round 

Britain and Ireland, outside everything. 

You should do it yourself some time, because if we can do 

it, so can you! 



Twelve Oyster crews took off from Las Palmas in November on the annual 

migratory Atlantic Rally for Cruisers bound for a Christmas cruise in the 

Caribbean. For two of the crews, Stephen Hyde’s Oyster 56 A Lady and the 

newly launched Oyster 82 Rivendell, this was the start of an even wider 

adventure. A Lady is taking part in the two-year World ARC World starting from 

St Lucia on January 6, and Rivendell’s English/Dutch crew took off on a 

three-year global adventure. Katharsis, the newly launched Oyster 72 owned 

by Mariusz Koper was also using the ARC as a shakedown, this time for an 

equally adventurous cruise to the Antarctic. 

Leaving the carnival atmosphere of 

Las Palmas with the sound of a jazz 

band still ringing in their ears. The 

comradeship that had built up within 

the 12-strong Oyster fleet during 

their stay in the Canaries, was set to 

continue with each crew keeping in 

touch on the SSB radio and internet 

during the 2,700 mile crossing to 

Rodney Bay, St Lucia. 

All were well prepared, thanks in part 

to Eddie Scougall, Will White, John 

Johnson and George McCormick, the 

four-man Oyster service team who 

worked to ensure that every Oyster 

yacht set out in fine fettle. They 

couldn’t do much to help those with 

problems back home however. John 

O’Conner, a crewmember on the Irish 

yacht A Lady, learned while washing 

the fruit and vegetables on the 

dockside that his cycle company in 

Cork had succumbed to the flooding 

that hit Ireland and the North East of 

England. “After looking at the pictures 

of the carnage, my first thought was 

to go home, but then I realised that 

my team is just as capable of 

drawing up an inventory of the 

damage, and decided to stay.” Said 

John, confident that he can keep in 

touch via the Internet. “Hopefully, 

they will have everything sorted by 

2009 ARC 

By Barry Pickthall 

the time I get back at Christmas.” 

He added with typical Irish optimism. 

David Tydeman, Oyster Marine’s CEO, 

also escaped the monsoon conditions 

back home by making a fleeting visit 

to Las Palmas to meet the crews and 

host a cocktail party on the terrace of 

the Hotel Santa Catalina. Andrew 

Bishop, the ARC organiser reminded 

the crews, most of whom were taking 

part in this Atlantic passage for the 

first time, that Oyster Marine has been 

a key supporter of the Rally since the 

first organised crossing back in 1986 

and that Oysters remain one of the 

most popular marques. “They are 

just a little bigger now than they 

were 24 years ago.” He observed. 

In addition to the many fun prizes 

available for every one of the 210 

entries to win, David presented 

Andrew Bishop with a trophy for 

the first Oyster on handicap and 

magnums of champagne for the first 

in each of the two cruising classes to 

reach Rodney Bay. 

Several crews took the opportunity to 

leave their mark on the harbour wall in 

time-honoured ARC fashion by 

painting a mural. A seagull soared 

above Gwylan’s name, whilst horses 

surged dramatically through the surf in 

search of Guinness for the Rivendell > 

“ Oyster Marine has been a 

key supporter of the Rally 

since the first organised 

crossing back in 1986 and 

Oyster yachts are one of 

the most popular marques 

in the ARC fleet. 

“ 



artwork, and the Polish flag was still 

drying above Katharsis’ name when 

the crew let go the warps on the day 

of the start. Others carried mementos 

with them. Peter Gibbon, the babbling 

baboon that had been the subject of 

so much mirth during Oyster’s Palma 

regatta, is now comfortably ensconced 

aboard Richard Smith’s Oyster 665 

Sotto Vento. The well-travelled ape, 

who first made himself comfortable 

aboard Heinrich Schulte’s Oyster 655 

Anabasis at the Cannes Boat Show, 

now has his own page on Facebook 

and all those who conspired to abduct 

or lynch him during the Palma regatta 

can expect to receive rude Christmas 

cards from the Caribbean! 

Gibbon clearly had a role to play 

onboard, because Sotto Vento was 

credited with crossing the start line in 

4th place and continued to lead the 

fleet away under spinnaker towards 

the trade winds. Both A Lady and 

Gwylan had their secret weapons 

flying in the form of parascending 

spinnakers, while others sported the 

more conventional cruising chutes. 

Which are more efficient? That will be 

one of the debates to be had over a 

rum punch when the Oyster fleet get 

together again in Rodney Bay. 

Follow the action online 

News from the fleet can be found on 

the official ARC website where daily 

yacht position reports will be 

displayed and visitors can view 

individual route maps for each yacht. 

Crews are also contributing daily logs 

and images direct to the site. 

www.worldcruising.com/arc

Oyster 2009 ARC Fleet 

Sunsuea Oyster 46 Mariusz & Paulina Kierebinski Cruising 

Spray Oyster 47 Roger Huguet Cruising 

Cornish Oyster Oyster 47 Keith Merrifield Cruising 

Fizz of Cowes Oyster 53 Chris Willis Cruising 

A Lady Oyster 56 Stephen Hyde Cruising 

Sarabi Oyster 56 Harvey Death Cruising 

WindFlower Oyster 56 Vincent Bloem Cruising 

Gwylan Oyster 56 Charles Manby Cruising 

Rasmus Oyster 61 Hannes & Steffi Fehring Invitation Cruising 

Sotto Vento Oyster 655 Richard Smith Invitation Cruising 

Katharsis Oyster 72 Mariusz Koper Invitation Cruising 

Rivendell Oyster 82 Rivendell Adventures Invitation Cruising 

“ Both A Lady and Gwylan had 

their secret weapons flying 

in the form of parascending 

spinnakers, while others 

sported the more conventional 

cruising chutes. 

The 2010 ARC will be the 25th 

since Jimmy Cornell’s first ARC set 

out from Las Palmas in 1986. 

Oyster yachts have consistently 

been amongst the most prolific 

supporters, with some 226 Oysters 

having taken part over the last 

24 years. Oyster will continue to 

support the event and our owners 

and look forward to taking part 

in the 25th Anniversary event. 

It’s fitting that Oyster’s Alan Brook, 

who will be heading off across the 

Atlantic at the start of his 

retirement, will be taking part in 

his own new Oyster 56, the yacht 

that has dominated the ARC fleet 

in recent years. 

For more information: 

www.worldcruising.com 

“ 


The world really can be your Oyster... 


Nothing can compare with the 

sense of freedom and adventure 

that a holiday aboard a fully 

crewed Oyster yacht, can give you, 

whether you are looking for lazy 

days or exciting hands-on sailing; 

a romantic holiday for two or 

sharing the fun with family or 

friends. Every charter customer 

is unique, with their own special 

requirements so there are no fixed 

itineraries, a bespoke Oyster Yacht 

Charter is always tailored to suit 

your own requirements. 

Oyster Yacht Charter has a range 

of very special, privately owned 

Oyster yachts available to charter 

from 56’ to 82’, all with 

experienced, professional crews 

who understand how important 

your holiday is to you and it’s a 

lot easier to organize than you 

might think. 

Many charter guests return time 

after time and their comments 

are testament to the care that 

Oyster Yacht Charter puts into the 

planning and running of every 

Oyster Yacht Charter holiday. 

Thomas Nygaard first chartered an Oyster 56 and returned 

the following year to charter an Oyster 66. The following 

winter he asked Oyster Yacht Charter to arrange a 

specially tailored holiday that included a charter aboard 

the Oyster 655 Blue Destiny, together with a shore-based 

villa for his friends. The week entailed day sails around 

Antigua, a fully catered party at the villa, and island tours. 

This winter he is enjoying a private cruise with his wife 

from St Lucia to Grenada, again aboard Blue Destiny. 

We are just about to end our vacation and I just wanted 

to tell you that EVERYTHING has been absolutely superb!!! 

And it all worked as planned with our friends coming, 

the day sails etc. Simon and Stephanie were great crew 

(her cooking was fantastic!), same with Fernella doing 

the cooking and provisioning at the house. Just superb! 

Thanks for your help in arranging all this, an unforgettable 

experience for us and our friends. 

Thomas Nygaard, Charter on Oyster 655, Blue Destiny 

““

Further testimonies from our charter guestbook: 

“ “ 

From the surprise birthday cake that First Mate 

Dee Hudson prepared for our arrival on Sotto Vento to 

Captain Gary Christie taking us to our first anchorage that 

literally was on the cover of one of our Croatian travel 

guides, we had a week that all six of our travel group will 

never forget. 

Sotto Vento is a great yacht, but having chartered for five 

years we know that the crew determines the success of 

the week. However, with a combined total of over 35 years 

of sailing and sailing experience (including 10 years 

experience on large yachts), this crew not only works non 

stop to make the week memorable, but exudes confidence, 

ability and control. 

The week literally flew by. Dee continually prepared great 

meals, Gary constantly entertained us with back flips off the 

pulpit or a sing along strumming his guitar. As great as Dee 

and Gary are on entertainment, these former sailing 

instructors really shine when it comes to sailing and never 

tired from answering our questions, whether those questions 

were on sailing basics, navigation, or the systems and 

instrumentation on Sotto Vento. 

Gary and Dee worked tirelessly to put the sails up on any 

sign of a breeze. In addition, all six of us literally were given 

a week of individual sailing instructions tailored to fit our 

vastly differing level of experience. Having crossed the 

Atlantic multiple times, Gary treated us to lessons on the 

sextant that increased our appreciation for those who sailed 

the oceans before the invention of GPS to a new level. 

Given the complete professionalism of this crew and the 

design quality of Sotto Vento, I would have no concerns 

about a sail across the Atlantic. 

In short, this is the kind of crew and yacht that is normally 

reserved for owners, not those of us who charter. 

Charter guest, aboard Oyster 655 Sotto Vento 

“ 

I can say that our experience with Oyster Yacht Charter 

has been first class. I am very grateful to you for the time, 

attention and help that you gave to me to decide on our 

charter of Koluka in the BVI's. The administration of the 

charter agreement, the planning, the payment and the 

meeting/greeting/parting arrangements were all perfect. 

We had a terrific time, which exceeded our high expectations. 

It is a great boat with an exceptional crew and we cannot 

praise Eric and Briony enough – they are a great team. 

Eric is a wonderfully calm, hugely competent and 

professional skipper. He was very sensitive to our beginner, 

choosing just the right sail plan, passages and anchorages to 

get her acclimatised, and she loved it. He was very happy to 

respond to my enthusiasm and enquiry about sailing and the 

boat. He was very caring and safe on our dinghy and 

snorkelling excursions. He was a very efficient ‘butler’ too. 

Briony is exceptional – her catering is superb – by far the 

best food I have had in the Caribbean in top hotels and 

restaurants. The choice, the balance and standard of cooking 

and presentation amazed us every meal. 

Together they made us feel special and private, but we also 

enjoyed their personalities and their presence. Please tell the 

owner that he has a superb complement to his boat. 

Paul Sands, Charter on Oyster 72, Koluka 

“ 

For more information or details about all the Oysters available 

through Oyster Yacht Charter contact Molly Marston 

email: info@oysteryachtcharter.com 

www.oysteryachtcharter.com 


Maldive Islands to Turkey 

By Keith Hamilton, Oyster 62, Carpe Diem 


LEFT CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: 

Carpe Diem at Anchor in the Maldives 

Cooling off in the Oyster pond! 

A sting ray in the Maldives 

Looking for wind 

ABOVE: 

Keith and Rosemary in the Maldives 

February 2008 was a great month 

for Carpe Diem, our Oyster 62. 

We arrived in the Maldive Islands after 

an uneventful trip from Langkawi, 

Malaysia and spent several wonderful 

weeks swimming and snorkeling in the 

fabulous waters and reefs of the area. 

As we were getting close to 

completing our circumnavigation that 

had started in England in 2004, 

we felt that we had enough tropical 

experiences to be able to make 

pronouncements on the quality of 

waters. Without doubt the reefs, corals 

and fish around the Maldive Islands 

were the best we had seen anywhere. 

The population density is quite low 

once you are outside Male, the main 

island, and there are many many spots 

that are essentially untouched. In an 

attempt to protect their environment 

(or the local boat chartering industry) 

the Maldive government makes it quite 

expensive to cruise the islands, but it 

is well worth it. Be wary (as always) 

of electronic charts in the Maldives 

as there was significant offset in some 

of the atolls as you can see in the 

photograph of our chart plotter. 

All good things come to an end 

however and in mid-March we left 

Male on our next leg to Suez though 

the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. 

The thought of this passage had been 

hanging over us for some time. 

Our major concern was piracy around 

the Island of Socotra (off the Horn of 

Africa) and the Gulf of Aden. We had 

discussed at length whether to avoid 

the problem altogether and head 

South around the Cape of Good Hope 

and then through the South Atlantic to 

the Caribbean, but we really wanted to 

cruise the Eastern Mediterranean and 

that was the clinching factor. 

A disturbing element that was 

becoming more obvious with regard to 

piracy was the increasing incidence of 

kidnapping and ransom (in fact this 

became a very significant pirate 

strategy during 2008). As a means of 

limiting the problems of kidnapping 

we took out kidnap insurance with a 

major European company who 

specialized in this business. The 

rationale was not so much to cover 

the costs of the ransom, as to ensure 

that we had a professional and 

OWNER REPORT 

Keith and Rosemary Hamilton set out on a circumnavigation in their 

Oyster 62, Carpe Diem, from the Balearic Islands in September 2004. 

Here, Keith describes their passage through the Gulf of Aden and the 

Red Sea on route to the Suez Canal and their return to the Mediterranean. 

competent negotiator brokering the 

deal to minimize the chances of 

damage to the product (us!). 

We had no discussion about weapons. 

Being brought up in Great Britain and 

having lived in Canada for several 

decades we do not have a ‘gun 

mentality’. My belief is that carrying 

guns on board turns what is a 

primarily robbing situation into a 

killing situation (which I would 

certainly lose), and that in a primarily 

killing situation a mild mannered 

Canadian with a shotgun is not going 

to prevail over a gang of pirates with 

AK 47’s who have been using them 

for many years. I am not trying to 

convince anyone of the correctness of 

my views, or justify them, I just state 

them. Over many years of cruising we 

have found that the topic of carrying 

arms on board a vessel, like the topics 

of religion and politics, is not 

amenable to rational discussion. 

We also decided not to join a convoy, 

and to motor/sail at maximum speed 

in the danger area, with no lights at 

night, and radio silence. 

The weather forecast was good when 

we left Male with a forecast of fair 

winds from the NE. We planned to sail 

directly to Djibouti, about 2300nm, 

giving Socotra a wide berth and staying 

in the middle of the Gulf of Aden. 

In this fashion we would be as far 

offshore from Somalia as possible, 

without getting too close to Yemen. 

The other advantage was that, unlike 

normal practice, we wanted to be as 

close as possible to the shipping routes 

where we hoped the concentration of 

Coalition warships would be highest. 

We then had seven continuous days 

of absolutely no wind over 4 knots! 

There was a very experienced crew of 

five aboard and none of us had seen 

such a long-lasting windless stretch. 

The only consolation was that there 

was no swell. By our third day of 

motoring it was obvious that we 

wouldn’t make Djibouti if the wind 

didn’t pick up, and the forecast 

showed little sign of that. We had 

filled our 2000 litre tanks in Male 

before we left, but motoring 2300nm > 



“ We were extremely happy to 

have passed what I think was 

the most potentially dangerous 

part of our circumnavigation 

and our arrival party lasted 

until dawn! 


Hot, sunny and windless 

Bullet ruined building in Massawa 

Flying Camels, Djibouti 

Carpe Diem motley crew, island outside Massawa 

ABOVE: 

Typical street in Djibouti 

“ 

was a stretch! As we were about to 

enter the most dangerous part of the 

passage when we really wanted to be 

able to use maximum rpm we decided 

to divert to Salalah, Oman. Salalah 

was a very friendly and efficient port. 

Mohammad Saad acted as our agent 

in purchasing fuel at an incredibly 

cheap rate. 

As we were feeling time pressure we 

only stayed in Salalah long enough to 

refuel, which was a shame, as Oman 

seemed to be a very pleasant welcoming 

country with very friendly people. 

Setting sail from Salalah we ran 

straight, with still no wind, to Djibouti. 

It was happily uneventful in terms of 

bad guys. We were buzzed once by a 

Coalition helicopter and heard quite a 

lot of warship radio traffic, which was 

reassuring. Our only stressful moment 

came when we saw a ‘fishing trawler’ 

on the horizon, from which two high 

speed RIBS came towards us as we 

turned to pass further from it. As this 

was a classic pirate manouvre we were 

fairly stressed until they came close 

and started to offer us fresh tuna! 

We finally arrived in Djibouti late in 

the evening. It is an easy harbour to 

enter, apart from unlit sunken ships. 

Several agents came out to meet us 

in their speedboats to offer their 

services. They strongly advised that 

we keep an anchor watch all night as 

a precaution against thieves. As a 

physician I was distressed, but 

interested, in the large facial tumours 

that many of the men seemed to have 

until I realized that they had huge 

wads of Qat, a narcotic leaf, tucked 

between their gum and cheek! 

We were extremely happy to have 

passed what I think was the most 

potentially dangerous part of our 

circumnavigation and our arrival party 

lasted until dawn! As our skipper Sam 

Ringdahl and I waited, somewhat 

bleary eyed, to clear in at the 

Capitainerie later in the day we were 

extremely surprised to see a pair of 

camels apparently floating in the air 

outside the window. At first I 

attributed this vision to the very late 

night we had just finished, but the 

dock agent explained that this was 

how they loaded camels from the 

dock. They were on their way to 

Dubai. A very unusual sight. 

A few days after our arrival we were very 

distressed to hear that a large French 

OWNER REPORT 

yacht, Le Ponant, had been captured 

and its crew of thirty held for ransom. 

The attack took place in the same 

location that we had just passed through. 

Fortunately the crew were eventually 

released and we in fact saw the vessel 

in Corsica later in the summer. 

The huge increase in the number of 

pirate attacks in the Somali area in 

2008 is extremely disturbing, both 

for commercial and recreational 

vessels. I would be very keen to take 

Carpe Diem back to the Maldive Islands 

and Thailand for a winter season as a 

change from the Caribbean, but unless 

the situation in Somalia improves the 

risks seem too high. 

Djibouti is a very vibrant, strongly 

French influenced town, with excellent 

restaurants and provisioning. It was 

obvious when walking around town 

that Djibouti is very close to one of 

the worst war ravaged areas of the 

world. Refugees begged in the streets, 

many with missing limbs. There was a 

very different approach to life and 

death from our culture. I was on 

anchor watch one night and came up 

on deck after making a cup of tea at 

about 0230 to find a young man on 

board. Just wearing shorts he had 

obviously swum about 1 km through 

the harbour to get to us. He had no 

knife or weapon that I could see and 

seemed almost as frightened as me 

(which was considerably). I shouted at 

him and he jumped overboard and 

swam away. When I mentioned the 

incident to the Agent the next day he 

very matter of factly said that we 

should have killed him. I said that 

seemed excessive and he was 

surprised. If you are in society where 

you have so little, someone who steals 

from you is potentially killing you. 

In fact, putting the situation in 

perspective, I was surprised that we 

were not targeted more often. It’s hard 

to make judgments if you don’t live in 

the same world. 

After a few days in Djibouti we made 

the short trip up to Massawa, Eritrea. 

One of our crew had been here before 

and spoke very highly of it. Eritrea has 

had many years of war as part of its 

separation from Ethiopia, and still bears 

the scars. Most of the buildings in the 

dockyard were damaged and bullet 

marked. A fishing fleet of six, modern 

boats, given to Eritrea by an aid 

organization, sat idle on the dock as 

there was no diesel available, and no 

engineers or parts to maintain them. > 



“ The people we met were 

extremely friendly and 

cheerful. They seemed 

very proud to be an 

independent country after 

years of struggle. 


Port Said 

Market stall, Djibouti 

Luxor, Egypt 

Tank graveyard, Asmara 

ABOVE: 

Luxor, Egypt 

“ 

We berthed alongside one of the 

commercial docks where an armed 

guard watched over us. 

We had a very pleasant few days 

in Eritrea, despite minimal provisioning 

or facilities. The people we met 

were extremely friendly and cheerful 

and wanted to know about our 

countries and to tell us about theirs. 

They seemed very proud to be an 

independent country after years 

of struggle. 

One day we hired a van and driver 

and drove over the mountains to the 

capital, Asmara. The city was bustling 

and much less war damaged than the 

port Massawa. There is a tank 

graveyard outside town where 

generations of tanks from wars over 

the years have been dumped. 

From Massawa to Hurghada, Egypt is 

about 1000nm, and it was some of 

the hardest sailing we have ever done. 

The passage northward in the Red Sea 

is notorious for wind and seas on the 

nose and our trip was no exception. 

We had 15-20 kts and a very steep, 

very short high chop on the nose. 

Some authorities advocate waiting for 

brief weather windows in anchorages 

along the coast, but we elected to just 

get it over with. Nothing broke and no 

one was hurt so for us it worked out. 

Hurghada is a small port south of 

the bifurcation of the Red Sea. 

Its main industry is high volume 

tourism, primarily from Russia. The 

marina there is very clean and safe 

and a good place to stop and organize 

Suez Canal transit procedures. It is a 

good base for visiting the historic 

sites of Egypt. We took a one-day tour 

from Hurghada to the Valley of the 

Kings and the temples at Luxor. It was 

an outstanding experience that even 

the thousands of other tourists 

couldn’t diminish. 

Transit of the Suez Canal, like the 

Panama Canal, is an exercise in 

patience and preparation. We used the 

well-known Felix Agency to facilitate 

the process and Najib Latif, our 

contact there, was invaluable. 

It is essential to arrange the 

paperwork in advance before you 

arrive at the southern entrance to the 

Canal, the town of Suez. Najib was 

extremely helpful. A useful tip is to 

clear out of Egypt prior to entering 

the Canal if one doesn’t want to stop 

at Port Said at the northern end. 

OWNER REPORT 

On arrival in Suez we tied up to a 

buoy at the Suez Canal Yacht Club. 

Shipping transits the Canal then 

convoys North or South bound, 

as there is not enough room for large 

vessels to pass. Small yachts tag on 

at the back of a convoy. We had to 

wait a couple of days in Suez in order 

to be measured by a Suez Canal 

Authority employee and then to 

process the paperwork. In Egypt 

paperwork is paramount and one can 

only wait with apparent patience while 

it is processed. 

The other aspect of Egyptian culture 

that was harder to get used to was 

the universal habit of baksheesh or 

tipping, even to professionals like the 

Canal Pilots. The accepted currency is 

cigarette cartons and/or pint bottles of 

scotch. I was concerned at first that 

we shouldn’t offend people by offering 

a gift inappropriately or in the wrong 

quantity, but was soon reassured, as 

we would be asked directly for a gift 

and usually the amount and brand was 

specified. We had been advised about 

this in advance and were pleased to 

have stocked up in duty-free 

Langkawi, Malaysia, prior to our transit 

of Egypt and the ‘Marlboro Canal’. 

Other countries other customs! 

The actual passage of the Canal 

was interesting. It is a true canal 

through the desert in the southern 

part until you enter the Bitter Lake 

complex. Yachts often have to spend 

the night at the Ismailia Yacht Club in 

Lake Timsah before continuing the 

northern part of the canal and we 

were no exception. The pilot left 

when we arrived and a new pilot 

joined us at dawn the next day. 

The Canal Authority pilots were very 

pleasant and low key. We dropped our 

second pilot off in Port Said to a 

launch, and continued into the 

Mediterranean. It was a tremendous 

feeling to be back in Europe and we 

were very excited by the thought of 

being relatively close to the Balearic 

Islands, which we had left four years 

earlier, going westward at the start of 

our circumnavigation. 

After a very comfortable passage 

of about 400nm we arrived in 

Marmaris, Turkey and were looking 

forward to a summer of cruising in 

the Mediterranean. 


MERRYMAID – MAJOR REFIT 

Merrymaid, the 100 foot gaff cutter designed 

by Charles Nicholson and built by Camper and 

Nicholsons in 1904, had a complete rebuild 

with Southampton Yacht Services finishing in 

Spring 2008. Since then she has sailed 

approximately 20,000 miles, been around Cape 

Horn and cruised amongst the glaciers at the 

Southern end of Chile. She returned to the 

yard via the Panama Canal this autumn and 

has had a few additional details and minor 

alterations made over the last few months. 

She left in mid November for the Caribbean 

and is planning to cruise through the Pacific 

during the winter and spring next year. 

ALINDA V - MAJOR REFIT 


Project Update 2009 

MAJOR REFITS, CUSTOM BUILDS & SMALL WORKS 

Alinda V is a Classic Gaff Ketch designed by Alfred Mylne and built in 1934 at Alexander Stephen and Son in Glasgow as the yacht 

Fiumara. She has returned from Greece where she has been for some 50 years under the same crew to have an extensive refit 

including machinery systems, hull structure, deck fittings and rig. At the same time the opportunity is being taken to re-plan the 

interior layout to suit the owner’s current needs. 

The engine room has been scanned with a 3D model prepared by the Drawing Office. The new engine room layout has been drawn 

up ready for installation of all the new machinery. The joinery is now underway, being manufactured in European Oak in a style very 

similar to the original 1930’s details which were taken off the original joinery.

CAMBRIA – ENGINE ROOM REFIT 

Cambria is a large Bermudan Cutter designed by 

William Fife and built in 1928. In Spring 2009 

we completed an extensive engineering and 

electrical refit. The engine room was completely 

re-planned to improve access for maintenance 

and to reduce noise and vibration throughout 

the boat. The yacht was completely rewired and 

all electrical systems upgraded. A new navigation 

area was built in the saloon in a style matching 

the existing joinery to ensure that this did not 

detract from the traditional style of the yacht. 

She has had a most successful racing season in 

the South of France and is now laid up for the 

winter in Cannes. 

SMALL WORKS DIVISION 

CANELI & WATERLILY 

INTERIOR FIT OUT 

Caneli and Waterlily are 43m motor yachts, which 

came to Southampton Yacht Services in late 2008 

with virtually no joinery fitted. The entire interior 

fit-out including joinery, marble work and domestic 

services has been completed in Summer 2009 and 

the yachts are currently cruising the Mediterranean. 

Southampton Yacht Services’ Small Works Division has been extremely 

busy this year with work on a number of Oysters and they have also had 

two interesting projects on RIBs. The first one was the building of a 

custom waterjet driven RIB as a tender for Motor Yacht Caneli. This had 

very tight dimensional constraints as it had to fit in the aft dinghy dock 

of the motor yacht and the team did an excellent job in producing a 

really first class superyacht RIB. The second one was to modify a virtually 

new 12.5 metre RIB which had been built for the Classic sailing yacht, 

Mariquita. This RIB had serious flooding problems immediately after 

handover from the manufacturers and Southampton Yacht Services were 

tasked with the job of re-engineering the vessel to prevent flooding in 

the engine room in the event of swamping. Tests were carried out on the 

proposed alterations and, once approved, has produced a first class, 

large and powerful tender. 

www.southamptonyachtservices.co.uk 



Oyster Aftersales – a lifetime of support worldwide 

In the last issue of Oyster News we featured the Oyster in-house design 

and engineering team and some of the projects they are working on. 

Another essential part of Oyster in which we will always invest is our 

Aftersales Service, which commences long before an owner takes delivery 

of his or her newly commissioned Oyster. We work hard to provide the 

best Aftersales service in our industry and judging by the feedback we 

get from the majority of our owners we are succeeding. 

The Oyster Aftersales team roughly outnumbers our sales staff by 2:1 

and our aim is to provide a one-stop, comprehensive service to every 

Oyster yacht, regardless of its age or location. 

Our Aftersales team has access to a massive archive containing build 

records for every Oyster yacht so, when an owner needs help half way 

across the Pacific, no time is wasted in working out what parts are 

required to fit the boat and solve the problem. We work closely with our 

key suppliers and sub-contractors to provide a professional response to 

every kind of Aftersales call, be it warranty, routine maintenance, damage 

repairs or planning a refit. 

Our Quality team works closely with Aftersales, so we are quickly on the 

trail of any recurring problems working on the basis that prevention is 

OYSTER AFTERSALES TEAM 

Sarah Harmer – Aftersales Manager 

A keen sailor, Sarah has crewed on several Oyster 

yachts and now enjoys weekends dingy racing and 

instructing. With a financial background and experience 

in the Oyster commissioning, customer service and 

warranty departments she now enjoys leading the 

Aftersales team. 

David Abbott – Senior Warranty Manager 

Having been brought up with family sailing since the 

age of five, David has always had a keen interest in 

nautical matters. He has been working in the marine 

industry for over 35 years, and is now very much 

enjoying life in Oyster Aftersales. 

Leanne Lincoln-Smith – Aftersales Assistant 

Leanne’s roll is mainly admin, but you may find you are 

occasionally fortunate enough to have her looking after 

your customer service or warranty requirements. On 

spare weekends, Leanne enjoys spending time on the 

family’s wooden canal boat. 

John Johnson – Customer Service Manager 

John started out dingy sailing on Oulton Broad, then 

explored the coast of Holland, Denmark and Sweden, 

bought an Oyster 34 and did the Atlantic Cruising 

Circuit with his wife. With a background in engineering, 

John enjoys combining the technical challenges that 

occur with his passion for sailing. 

Natasha Rendell – Assistant Customer Service Manager 

Natasha spent her early years in the Caribbean, 

living onboard the family yacht. As one of the longest 

standing members of the Aftersales team, Natasha 

is always happy to help and will go that extra mile 

to ensure all of our Owners are happy and well 

looked after. 

Mary Counsell – Customer Services Assistant 

Mary has recently ‘come indoors’ after being on the 

water for a number of years and is happiest hanging 

off the side of a catamaran at full tilt. She is currently 

rising to the challenge of finding out where every part 

found in an Oyster fits. 

better than cure. Our Customer Care Manager, an experienced yachtsman 

himself with a circumnavigation to his credit, will attend a vessel 

anywhere in the world to provide help or advice. Although our Aftersales 

hub is centered at our Head Office we also provide local service for the 

US market from our Newport, Rhode Island, location. 

For events such as the ARC transatlantic rally where, from its outset, Oyster 

yachts have been some of the most prolific participants, Oyster sends a full 

service team to the Canary Islands to give every one of our yachts a 

complimentary health check before the fleet sets sail for the Caribbean. 

Our ability to respond quickly is enhanced by improved communications 

where yachts are able to email or telephone us from mid-ocean. In turn, 

using express carriers, we are able to send parts, anything from an 

anchor windlass to a replacement halyard, on short notice to even the 

most remote locations. 

Last, but by no means least, because our yachts are so well travelled 

around the world’s cruising grounds, we have built relationships with a 

network of service providers in many locations who are very often able 

to provide a quick local response to Oyster owners under guidance from 

our team here in the UK. 

Alison Ford – Customer Services Assistant 

Alison spent six years working on large sailing yachts 

as a chef and stewardess and understands both the 

crew and owners needs for urgent spares. 

She thrives on getting the right parts sent out to 

far-flung destinations. 

Elly Rule – Customer Services Assistant 

Our most recent addition to the Aftesales team, Elly is a 

sailing enthusiast, having already sailed the Atlantic circuit 

on a number of Oyster Yachts. When at home, she is a 

keen local Smack sailor, and frequently to be seen out on 

local waters. Having previously worked in both our 

Aftersales and Commissioning departments, it is great to 

have Elly back with us. 

Will Taylor-Jones – Technical & Quality Development Manager 

Will is a successful offshore racing sailor with Round 

Britain and Fastnet race victories. With over 20 years 

service, Will trained as a boat builder, working in the yard, 

our commissioning department, Aftersales and Customer 

Care so he really knows what goes into making an Oyster 

yacht. He has a young family and a classic yacht to 

occupy the brief periods spent away from work. 

Eddie Scougall – Customer Care Manager 

Eddie is a life long sailor, with a background in mechanical 

engineering and holds a Yachtmaster Ocean with 

Commercial Endorsement. He has professionally skippered 

numerous yachts including several Oysters, completing one 

circumnavigation plus several Atlantic crossings and he has 

sailed the Chilean coast rounding Cape Horn. Eddie spent 

eight years in service with the RNLI on the Dunbar Lifeboat. 

Will White – Customer Service USA 

Will grew up just down the road from the Herreshoff Yacht 

Yards in Bristol, Rhode Island and from a young age spent 

every free moment out on the water. Later he worked as 

crew on a wide variety of sailing yachts, working his way 

up from deckhand to engineer and finally captain. After 

running an Oyster 56 for Oyster's former chairman, 

Richard Matthews, Will joined our Newport office, where 

he has spent the last 10 years helping our US based 

customers with their aftersales, commissioning, and customer 

service enquiries. 

To contact Oyster Aftersales direct Tel: +44 1473 690198 email: aftersales@oystermarine.com 


High Line Practice AT 78° N 

By Richard Haworth 


“We would like to practice a high line rescue onto your vessel”. The words from the helicopter crew would 

have been quite exciting if we were in the Solent on the way to Cowes. As it was, we were in Isfjord on 

Spitsbergen in the high Arctic, which made the request a little surreal! After giving our consent, we were 

instructed to hold our course and speed and the chopper moved into position off our starboard quarter. 

The exercise went very smoothly; this clearly wasn’t the first time that these guys had surprised a cruising 

yacht with this request. When the winch man was safely on the aft deck, he shook hands all round, said his 

thanks and left us. As the sound of the aircraft had receded, we were once again left in the peaceful fjord, 

surrounded by snow capped peaks and glaciers. > 


Longyearbyen 

Svalbard 

Liefdefjorden 

SPITSBERGEN 

Isfjord 

Sorkapp 

Bjørnøya 

Hindlopen Straight 

Nordaustlandet 

Edgeøya 

Tromsø NORWAY 

Gundamain had been handed over to her owners just three 

months previously and in that time they had already cruised 

the Western Isles of Scotland en-route to Norway. This trip 

started from Tromso, in northern Norway and we had 

broken our crossing to Svalbard with a night at anchor 

on Bear Island, the setting for Alistair MacLean’s novel. 

On approaching the southern point of Spitsbergen, Sorkapp, 

we had encountered fog so dense that we could only just 

see beyond the bow. This stretch of water is notorious for 

the presence of ice brought down from the Arctic pack by 

the East Spitsbergen Current. We therefore gave Sorkapp a 

wide berth, so as to avoid this ice in the limited visibility. 

Aiming to make our first landfall entering Isfjord, we found 

it to be ice-free. Thankfully this meant we could have a 

peaceful nights sleep alongside the town of Longyearbyen.

Here, visiting yachts must clear in with the Governor’s 

office, from whom prior permission for our voyage had 

already been obtained. In Longyearbyen the visiting 

yachtsman can also re-provision, bunker diesel and learn a 

lot about Svalbard’s history, culture and nature. Essentially, 

we had also arranged to hire a rifle, necessary as a weapon 

of defence against the possibility of attack by polar bears 

while ashore. 

From Longyearbyen we headed north, up the spectacular 

west coast of Spitsbergen. Visiting a few well-known haul-out 

points for Walrus and were rewarded when we found around 

20 of these impressive animals in residence at one such 

spot. On the north coast of the island, we made a detour into 

Liefdefjorden, where there is often found a small population 

of Polar bears that have begun adapting to the world’s 

changing climate. These animals do not follow the retreating 

ice fronts northwards, as most bears do; rather they have 

forsaken their diet of seals for that which can be found 

ashore on the tundra. We found three of these magnificent 

creatures foraging for berries and birds’ eggs on the tundra. 

We had expected to see numerous seals, resting on ice 

floes in these waters; however, our search had been in vain 

for most of the trip. Finally, in a wide bay backed by a 

HIGH LINE PRACTICE AT 78° N 

calving glacier, we found a lone Bearded Seal, who seemed 

to be as curious about us as we were about him. He was 

not in the least bit afraid of us in our red dinghy, but was 

very wary of the yacht. 

We had hoped to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, the largest 

of the islands of Svalbard. However, we found the Hindlopen 

Straight to be choked with ice; so much so that to date no 

vessel had made the circumnavigation that season. 

We returned to Longyearbyen, exploring the inlets which 

we had not visited on the outward trip and sadly left the 

boat, leaving the crew, Mike and Adele the task of bringing 

her back to the UK. Surely one of the more adventurous 

maiden voyages of an Oyster? 

The owners of Gundamain were advised during her build 

and supported on this trip by High Latitudes who specialise 

in assisting private yachts visiting the Arctic and Antarctic. 

For more information contact Richard Haworth or 

Luke Milner www.highlatitudes.com. 




Working Lives 

Spanish design guru Jesús Gasca, owner of the Oyster 46 Sine Die 

By Barry Pickthall 


Meet the Terence Conran of Spain. 

Like the Habitat founder, Jesús Gasca 

is revered as one of the world’s most 

innovative designers, having won 

countless awards in America, Europe 

and Scandinavia for his simple 

timeless tables and chairs, including 

recently Spain’s most prestigious 

National Design Award. 

A firm believer in minimalism, Gasca’s 

beautifully engineered furniture has 

been selected to adorn both 

handsome homes, corporate edifices, 

and perhaps the greatest accolade, 

by some of the best known art 

galleries and museums in the World. 

Born in San Sebastián, Spain, the 

70 year-old design guru has always 

had a passion both for technical 

engineering and sailing. “The sea is 

part of my city, San Sebastian itself, 

so it is very much in my blood.” 

Says the Oyster 46 owner. Gasca 

came to designing furniture relatively 

late in life. His ‘big break’ came quite 

literally in 1982 when his electrical 

engineering company became a 

casualty of the last great recession, 

sparked by the oil crisis at the end 

of the ‘70s. 

That knock gave Jesús the opportunity 

to look at his life and start afresh. 

The turning point from mid-life crisis 

to creative genius came with the 

design of Deneb glass topped table 

which took a year to design and put 

into production. It was immediately 

hailed as an icon of modern design 

and to underline its timeless nature, 

remains very much in demand 

26 years later. 

Gasca’s STUA brand was born. Now the 

company has prestigious showrooms in 

San Sebastian and Madrid and the 

STUA’s distinctive furniture is displayed 

in the best design shops across North 

and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa 

and Australasia. You can even find them 

in Conran. 

“I just started slowly, one step at a time, 

product by product to build up the 

STUA collection. A good design requires 

a lot of time and reflection and usually 

takes two years from conception to 

showroom.” Says Jesús who does not 

generally take commissions. “I design 

what I feel like, and usually there are 

enough people in the world that like the 

finished products.” 

Like his Oyster 46 Sine Die 

(meaning timeless) in which Jesús 

had considerable input on the interior, 

each piece within the STUA collection 

is exquisitely executed out of the finest 

materials. “Our mission is to improve 

the habitat in which we live, by refining 

our designs, and using recyclable 

components and environmentally 

friendly manufacturing processes." 

He says. Others have characterized 

Gasca’s design as Scandinavian with 

a Mediterranean touch. To me, they 

are simply practical pieces of art. 

That’s certainly why the Milwaukee 

art Museum and the iconic 7-star 

Burj Dubai Tower Hotel, which will be 

the world’s tallest building, have 

specified STUA tables and chairs. Other 

well known names to import the Gasca 

look are Microsoft, Coca Cola, Nokia 

and the German train operator Deutsche 

Bahn which ordered 4000 classic 

Egoa chairs for their headquarters. >

HAPPILY THERE ARE ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO PRIZE A GASCA ORIGINAL AND ARE 

PLEASED TO PAY FOR IT. THE SAME PEOPLE PERHAPS WHO PRIZE THEIR OYSTER YACHTS. 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 

Malena armchair 

Jesus racing his Oyster 46 during the Oyster Palma Regatta 2009 

The revolutionary Deneb glass top table 

Jesús and his son Jon 

OWNER PROFILE 


THE SEA IS PART OF MY CITY, SAN SEBASTIAN ITSELF, SO IT IS VERY MUCH IN MY BLOOD. 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 

Sine Die during the Oyster Palma Regatta 2009 

Globus chairs 

The innovative ONDA stools 

Nube armchairs 


Working Lives 

The Egoa design was a collaborative 

project between Jesús Gasca and 

Josep Mora and won them the 

Innovate Design Melbourne prize. 

Gasca's recent designs include the 

Globus Chair, Milano Table, Sapporo 

Shelving System, Gas Chair, and the 

Zero table. Each piece is a wonder 

of aesthetic innovation with such 

enduring form that they will still be 

admired many decades from now. 

Take one of Jesús’ latest creations 

– the ONDA stool. Not only is it 

beautifully simple, but innovative too. 

The seat mirrors the curves of the 

human body, moulding itself like a 

glove to the contours of the sitter 

to provide lumbar support by 

hugging the person’s lower back. 

The cleverness of this design is in 

the soft rubber seat 'skin' which is 

slightly smaller than the shell. 

The two are moulded simultaneously 

and incorporate two different 

materials, densities, and colours. 

It looks beautiful from any angle. 

The Sapporo Shelving System, another 

recent addition to the STUA range 

combines the elegant minimalism of 

Japanese design with technically 

refined modernism to produce a 

system of boxed shelves that meet a 

multiplicity of needs in a gracious and 

flexible format. You can start with 

the one high unit, which sits on a 

steel base, then add identical units 

up to 6 high. 

Among Gasca’s other award winning 

designs is the Gas chair, made of 

aluminum, and a transparent plastic 

mesh or upholstery. This has become 

STUA’s most prestigious product, 

feted with the IF Silver design award 

Hanover, the Good Design award, 

Chicago, Red Dot’s Best of the Best 

for the highest design quality at 

Essen, the Bo Bedre timeless chair 

award, Copenhagen and the Selección 

Delta Adi-Fad award, Barcelona. 

STUA’s best selling product is the 

Globus chair who’s gentle curves and 

teardrop shaped frame has become 

Gasca’s trademark. It is also one of 

his most widely copied designs. 

Copy they say is the finest form of 

flattery. To Gasca, it is a sin. 

Counterfeiting is of course widespread 

within the world of design. We have 

all been approached by salesmen in 

dark alleys offering fake Rolex 

watches or Louis Vuitton bags, 

but tables and chairs? 

“Copying is the disease of design,” 

said Gasca with contempt and he has 

devoted several pages on the STUA 

web site to highlight the shoddy 

workmanship of these cut-price 

copies. Happily there are enough 

people in the world who prize a Gasca 

original and are pleased to pay for it. 

The same people perhaps who prize 

their Oyster yachts. 

For more information and examples 

of Jesús Gasca’s work visit 

www.stua.com 

OWNER PROFILE 


38:58.5N 76:29.07W or 

‘The taking of Manhattan’ 


By Steve Powell, Oyster 62, UHURU

OWNER REPORT 



If I do nothing else 

in my life I will always 

remember this day. 

Steve Powell 

““

One of the highlights of our trip to the East Coast of the 

USA has to be sailing up the East River into Manhattan. 

The official pilot book describes it as follows: 

“The East Rivers reputation as a tricky passage is well 

deserved. It’s not and never will be a popular spot for casual 

sailing. In fact the East River is not a river at all. It’s a 

14 mile long tidal gate that’s narrow and twisty with eight 

bridges that cross it and a tide that run at up to 6 knots”. 

The toughest section is dog leg called ‘Hell Gate’ named by 

the first European to the navigate the East River, Dutchman 

Adriaen Block (of Block Island fame). 

“The waters seem to boil at Hell Gate, where the river bends 

and the Harlem River joins from the northwest”. Up until 

1885 the currents used to run at up to 10 knots, which was 

responsible for many a shipwreck. Then engineers blasted a 

large rock out of the middle of the channel in what was the 

largest manmade explosion ever created right up until the 

first Atomic Bomb in 1945. 

So much for the scene setting, our little adventure started 

on a freezing cold and wet morning as we left Stamford, 

Connecticut, at dawn. The winds and the tides were in our 

favour and we set off in high spirits, although a little cold. 

OWNER REPORT 

With the winds right behind us we goose winged down 

Long Island Sound towards the entrance to the East River 

and our first bridge. 

It doesn't matter how much homework you do with bridges 

and you know in your heart that you have plenty of room to 

get under, it’s always a heart stopping moment as you get 

closer and see your 95ft mast getting closer and closer to 

what looks like a very low bridge! 

We hadn’t planned to do the East River under sail, motoring 

is generally the preferred option, but as we progressed with 

the wind behind us and a favourable tide our confidence 

grew and with many quick gibes, and sometimes just under 

main, my ‘amateur’ crew performed like top pros. The early 

section of the river was pretty rough as we passed Rikers 

Island, the state penitentiary and Harlem, but our first true 

view of Manhattan was quite special. 

In the end Hell Gate proved to be a pussycat. We came 

across it very quickly having just gone under two bridges 

very close together. Next thing we were heading directly 

towards Mill Rock (in the middle of Hell Gate) at about 

11 knots. A couple of ‘calm’ instructions to the crew and 

we performed a perfect gibe in the middle of Hell Gate 

and were spat out on the other side in an instant. 

We were then careering down a very narrow section of the 

river at 11-12 knots with rush hour traffic jams on either 

side as we passed the United Nations at speed with a brisk 

tide under us. With just two bridges to go, Manhattan Bridge 

and Brooklyn Bridge we were feeling pretty pleased with 

ourselves, and just carried on sailing. With our Blue Ensign 

and the RTYC burgee flying, UHURU entered the gates of the 

Good Old US of A. 

To actually sail down the East River was never my plan, 

but sometimes the moment is right and it all comes together. 

The trick is to recognise that moment and seize it with both 

hands. We did just that, and thanks to a game and fearless 

crew we had a very special day. If I do nothing else in my 

life I will always remember this day. 

Photos: Mike Powell 


Just Launched ... some of the newest Oysters on the water 

OYSTER 46 SUNSUSEA 

Mariusz and Paulina Kierebinscy fell in love with sailing after 

enjoying a couple of skippered charter holidays in the Seychelles 

and Caribbean. After a quick visit to the Southampton boat show 

they had planned to buy a Southerly 46, until they looked at the 

Oyster 46 on display and were smitten. 

Since signing their contract at the end of September 2008 their 

plans have become increasingly ambitious and they’ve decided 

that, despite both having full time jobs in Poland, they should start 

on their world cruise immediately. They set sail from Fox’s Marina 

in October, clad head to toe in waterproofs and joined by Oyster’s 

Commissioning Assistant, Mick Hart, bound for Guernsey before 

heading straight on to Las Palmas for the beginning of the Atlantic 

Rally for Cruisers. SunsuSea is one of twelve Oysters taking part in 

this year’s event. 

Polish Grammar Lesson #1 

The suffix ‘ski’ is used at the end of a man’s surname, - ‘ska’ for a 

woman, and –‘scy’ for a couple/family. You learn something new 

every day at Oyster! 

OYSTER 54 LIGHT LANA 

After spending the last few years sailing a Mini Transat on a lake 

in Moscow, their new Oyster 54, Light Lana, is a welcome 

change for Igor Lazurenko and his family. Light Lana departed 

Fox’s Marina and sailed directly to Turkey where the boat will be 

kept in Marmaris. Igor is extremely pleased with the outcome of 

his boat, from the quality of build down to the really stunning 

paint finish. 


OYSTER 54 SEA AVENUE 

The new Oyster 54 Sea Avenue is the first Oyster to be handed 

over in fresh water, which took place inside the locks of 

Salmon Bay, Seattle and overseen by Oyster’s team led by 

Will White from the Newport office and Project Manager, 

Stephen Parkinson. 

Owners Don and Deborah Smith were overwhelmed by the 

quality of build and sheer luxury of their new Oyster 54, in their 

own words “A complete new level of sailing” compared to their 

old Hylas 51. 

Sea Avenue will remain on the West coast of the USA for some 

time, while future plans involve taking her to the Caribbean, 

where we hope to see her at a future Oyster regatta. 

OYSTER 56 MAGIC SPIRIT 

Owned by Mr and Mrs Rudolph Kagi, Magic Spirit was handed 

over following a brisk sail on the River Orwell, which ably 

demonstrated the Oyster 56’s sailing prowess. 

After owning a variety of yachts over the last few years, the 

Kagi’s are looking forward to enjoying the luxury and sailing 

performance for which the Oyster 56 is renowned. Magic Spirit 

will be based in Cogolin in the South of France from where her 

owners will enjoy cruising the Mediterranean.

Owners Don and Deborah Smith were 

overwhelmed by the quality of build and sheer 

luxury of their new Oyster 54, in their own words 

“A complete new level of sailing” 

““ 

OYSTER 655 ANABASIS 

The new Oyster 655, Anabasis, was handed over to Dominik 

Schulte on behalf of his father Heinrich, who arrived later in the 

week for a fantastic sail in 15 knots of breeze, which saw them 

disappearing down the Orwell at 10 knots with her cruising 

chute up. Anabasis replaces the family’s Oyster 49 and Heinrich 

was reported to be so pleased with his new Oyster he stayed up 

until 2am playing with all the switches and gadgets on board! 

Anabasis was shown at the Cannes Boat Show to much acclaim 

before making for Palma where she was a stunning sight taking 

part in Oyster’s annual Med Regatta. She will remain in Palma. 

Anabasis is the first Oyster 655 to feature a taller carbon inmast 

furling sloop rig, with swept back spreaders and 110% jib, 

making her a real pleasure to sail. Anabasis certainly has ‘wow’ 

factor, with her retractable hydraulic passerelle, flush Rondal deck 

hatches, forced air ventilation system, underwater lighting and 

cockpit LED lighting that changes colour and ‘dances’ to music. 

All complimented by her cherrywood and slate leather interior. 

OYSTER 72 KATHARISIS II 

Katharisis II has been handed over to her owner Mariusz Koper 

from Poland, who previously owned an Oyster 485. With a 

modern, maple and leather interior, she is a beautiful example of 

this very popular Oyster model. 

After appearing at both the Amsterdam and Southampton boat 

shows, Katharsis II sailed to Gdansk for her official Christening 

party before heading to The Canaries for the start of the Atlantic 

Rally for Cruisers where she will join the Oyster fleet. 

JUST LAUNCHED 

OYSTER 82 RIVENDELL OF WIGHT 

The new Oyster 82, Rivendell of Wight, was recently handed 

over to her new owners Robin and Carla Stoop. 

Robin and Carla already own a 94’ modern classic, but decided 

that the Oyster 82 was a much better boat for their planned 

three-year circumnavigation – and we certainly wouldn’t disagree 

with them! Rivendell will cross the Atlantic along with the rest of 

the Oyster fleet in this year’s ARC and will enjoy a short 

Caribbean season before heading for the Panama Canal and an 

exploration of the Pacific. 

ABOVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: 

Heinrich and Dominik Schulte, 

Oyster 655, Anabasis 

Oyster 54, Light Lana 

Don and Deborah Smith, 

Oyster 54, Sea Avenue 

Cherrywood saloon of 

Oyster 655, Anabasis 

Mariusz Koper, 

Oyster 72, Katharisis II 

Robin and Carla Stoop, 

Oyster 82, 

Rivendell of Wight 

RIGHT: 

Mariusz and Paulina 

Kierebinscy, Oyster 46 

SunsuSea

THE CHOICE OF OYSTER MARINE 

HISTORY 

We have a long and proud 

tradition of making sails 

for Oysters. Many of our 

records date back to the 

very first yachts launched. 

We have a comprehensive 

database of rig plans and 

sail data which allows us 

to make new sails no 

matter where in the world 

the boat is. 

COVERS 

Sprayhoods 

Biminis 

Winter Boat Covers 

Cockpit Enclosures 

Boom/Sail Covers 

Table Covers 

RiB Covers 

NEW 

CREW FLOOR COVERS 

NEW 

WORK SURFACE COVERS 

Launched early in 2010... 

The NEW 575 with D4 

Dyneema membrane sails. 

D4 is the only system to 

have successfully 

laminated Dyneema fibres. 

Perfect for performance 

blue water sailing! 

RESULTS 

Oyster Antigua Regatta 

1st Overall Sotto Vento 

CLASS ONE 

1st Sotto Vento 


CLASS TWO 

1st Cygnus of Anglesey 


Oyster Palma Regatta 

Royal Thames Trophy 

for 1st Overall 

Sotto Vento 

CLASS ONE 

1st Sotto Vento 

2nd Anabasis 

OYSTER 56'S 

1st Rock Oyster 

2nd Ulrika of London 

MCLUBE 

SAILKOTE PLUS 

Sole UK Agent 

• Protect your sails from 

Mildew for up to 5 years 

• Reduced chafe 

• Allows tighter furling 

• Keeps sails cleaner 

and drier 

• Increased longevity 

400 Main Road • Harwich • Essex • CO12 4DN 

Tel: +44 (0)1255 243366 • Fax: +44 (0)1255 240920 


sails@dolphin-sails.com • www.dolphinsails.com 

“Sotto Vento” - 1st Overall Oyster Antigua Regatta 

1st Overall Oyster Palma Regatta 

Oyster 56 with Dolphin Sprayhood 

“Cygnus of Anglesey” - 

1st Class Two Oyster Antigua Regatta

HEADING 


TOTAL SERVICE 

FOR YACHTS 

ONLINE CHANDLERY 

Comprehensive range 

Competitive prices 

Worldwide delivery 

www.foxsonline.com 

BOATYARD SERVICES 

Refits and repairs 

Rigging 

Electronics 

Stainless 

Fox’s Marina & Boatyard Ipswich Suffolk IP2 8SA 

T: +44 (0)1473 689111 E: foxs@foxsmarina.com 

www.foxsmarina.com 

Oyster Marine Ltd 

Tel: +44 (0)1473 688888 

Sales Team: Tel: +44 (0)1473 695005 

Aftersales: Tel: +44 (0)1473 690198 

Email: yachts@oystermarine.com 

www.oystermarine.com 

Oyster Marine USA 

Oyster Brokerage USA 

Tel: +401 846 7400 

Email: info@oystermarine.com 


Oyster Marine Germany 

Tel: +49 40 64400880 

Email: yachten@oystermarine.com 

www.oystermarine.de 

Oyster Representatives 

Oyster Yachts Asia 

Bart Kimman 

Tel: +852 2815 0404 

Email: bart.kimman@oystermarine.hk 

Oysters Yachts Italy 

Tommy Moscatelli 

Tel: +39 0564 830234 

Email: tommy.moscatelli@oystermarine.it 

Oyster Yachts Russia 

Alexander Markarov 

Tel: +7 495 5006789 

Email: alexander.markarov@oystermarine.ru 

Oyster Yacht Charter 

Tel: +44 (0) 1473 688888 

Email: info@oysteryachtcharter.com 

www.oysteryachtcharter.com 

Oyster Brokerage Ltd 

Tel: +44 (0) 1473 695100 

Email: brokerage@oystermarine.com 

www.oysterbrokerage.com 

Southampton Yacht Services Ltd 

Saxon Wharf Lower Street 

Northam Southampton SO14 5QF England 

Tel: +44 (0)23 8033 5266 

Fax: +44 (0)23 8063 4275 

Email: sales@southamptonyachtservices.co.uk 

www.southamptonyachtservices.co.uk

the world’s your oyster 

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