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Yachting Monthly

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Oyster 495: the dream boat that sets the bar

• Sam Fortescue
• January 2, 2023

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

Product Overview

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

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oyster 495: a new icon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Generous accommodation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hunting for wind

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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One step too far

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

We counted 12 steps in total, besides the companionway.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another highlight is the huge chart table.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict on the Oyster 495

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Would the Oyster 495 suit you and your crew?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But a boat of this capability demands to cover miles.

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

Solid, well-built and beautifully finished

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Video: Leading role for Oyster 495 in film series

Monday, February 27th, 2023

Written by: Marine Industry News

The Oyster 495 from Oyster Yachts takes the lead in a six-part film series that follows the build of this 50ft bluewater cruiser.

From the drawing board to the ocean, the series follows the build of the newest addition to Oyster’s fleet. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access, the episodes were filmed at the Oyster Yachts facility in Hythe, Southampton and at sea.

Double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson tells the story of the Oyster 495 through interviews with the people critical to the yacht’s development, including Oyster Yachts’ owner Richard Hadida, project manager Andrew Martin, lead designer Chris Lock, and naval architects Rob and Tom Humphreys.

The series culminates with the Oyster 495’s official launch at London Luxury Afloat and closes with Robertson sailing the Oyster 495 from Genoa to Palma.

Watch the first episode below:

“We were very aware of our unique perspective, being able to document the creation of the yacht from an outsider’s point of view,” comments Robertson. “From the pencil of the naval architect to the skilled chisel of the cabinet makers, we filmed every critical stage of the creation of the 495.

“Seeing first-hand what it meant to the team at Oyster was special; their fastidious attention to detail, the passion for getting it right, and knowing that 50 years of experience was all coming together in a boat that was promising so much, Tim and I could sense early on that this yacht was going to be a showstopper.

“My favourite shoot, of course, was the last one, sailing from Genoa to Palma, living onboard and sailing her on an entire passage, just as she was designed to do.”

The series was produced and directed by Vertigo Films in collaboration with Oyster Yachts. All episodes of “Building the Oyster 495” are available to view on the Oyster Yachts YouTube channel and website .

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Oyster Yachts will be launching its much-anticipated Oyster 495 at a series of events around the world, starting in St Katherine Docks , London in April 2022.

The World Premiere will visit eleven cities around the world, starting in London, 21st to 24th April, at St Katharine Docks. The Oyster 495 has been heralded as setting a new bluewater benchmark and is anticipated as a game changer for luxury, custom built cruising yachts.

From London, the Oyster 495 will set off on her maiden voyage to Oslo, and then on to Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Southampton, Barcelona, Cannes, Palma, Miami and then Sydney. “The Private View concept has been very successful for us, especially over the past couple of years. The World Premiere further develops this concept and, importantly, takes us direct to our clients. Each stopover event will be managed by our Sales Team and guests will be able to explore this ground-breaking boat in safety and in their own time,” comments Stephen Parkinson, Oyster Sales Director, Rest of World.

The 495 is a collaboration between Humphreys Yacht Design and Oyster’s own in-house design studio, overseen by Oyster’s CEO & owner Richard Hadida and Oyster’s founder Richard Matthews. This hugely experienced team have produced their best work to date, creating this remarkable new Oyster. The powerful G6 twin rudder hull form delivers true performance cruising and clean lines. The beam is set well aft, contributing form, stability, and great sailing performance, making the Oyster 495 a true live aboard, go-anywhere bluewater yacht, designed to be sailed shorthanded.

Hand-built with Oyster’s thoroughbred bluewater DNA running through her from bow to stern, the 495 offers many of the exceptional features found on the luxury boat builder’s larger yachts, making her unique amongst her peers. Easily handled by a couple or family, she is equally at home on coastal cruising trips, crossing an ocean or even circumnavigating the globe.

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How the CEO of Oyster Yachts Got the Luxury Boat Builder Floating Again

Richard hadida's plan involves a two-pronged approach: build the boats more efficiently, and eliminate discounts on boat sales..

Danielle Cutler

Danielle Cutler's Most Recent Stories

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Just 18 months after taking the helm of a flailing sailing-yacht company, its new owner has not only met every benchmark toward getting it back in the black; he’s launched the first of a whole new line of boats in the brand’s portfolio. The new 565 range, plus increased annual production and two new classes of yacht, should help to fully right the ship, says rescuer-in-chief Richard Hadida. In the past, Oyster Yachts built a mere 15 boats a year, and Hadida, who made his fortune in casino gaming software, is betting on bringing that number up to about 25. “The business will be very healthy if that happens,” he says.

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Though his three-year turnaround plan is on track, the details got more complicated than anticipated. For example, Oyster used to buy hulls from another company that also went under, so he bought that business as well. Bringing the hull construction in-house required a big investment of capital, but it also means the company will have the capacity to increase production. His plan to steer the company out of the red involves a two-pronged approach: Build the boats more efficiently, and eliminate discounts on boat sales. “We have to protect the margin,” Hadida says. “It’s the most fundamental thing.”

To help with that, he hired Becky Bridgen, a former mergers-and-acquisitions consultant, as Oyster’s chief financial officer—and woman on the ground. “I initially came to give Richard a few hours of advice on how to acquire Oyster from the administrators,” Bridgen says, “and here I am still, one year on.” While Hadida was busy getting his life to a place where he could step over to Oyster and do his thing, Bridgen was the one to open up the shipyard’s gates and get business rolling again.

Oyster 565  Courtesy of Oyster Yachts

First on the list was to make good on the orders that were already contracted or in build. “It is a fantastic brand that built amazing yachts , but we were starting out all over again,” Bridgen says. “We started with no staff but were faced with a number of owners with part-built yachts that we needed to help get completed. Our first yacht handover was four months later.” Just five months after taking over, the company had already signed contracts to build new yachts. Hadida estimates that Oyster finished 12 boats while simultaneously updating the yard with state-of-the-art systems and processes.

Next, he streamlined the number of models Oyster will offer and build. He took it down to six, ranging from 56 feet to 123 feet in size and priced from $1.76 million to $25 million, depending on size, fit and finish. “And out of those six, three of them are absolutely brand-new,” Hadida says. “We’re just producing the first ones. These are the first 565 s coming out. They’re all brand-new-designed boats, first of class.”

“We have clear milestones for delivery of results, both financial and production-wise,” Bridgen says. “We are on track at the end of year one, and the number of new yachts to deliver in the current year is on target, with the 565 being very well received at its recent launch . It’s the first of the new Oysters in the 50-foot range, our new Pocket Superyacht. Sales of this yacht and our larger 675 and 745 will see us return to profit in 2020.” At press time, Oyster was preparing to launch its new flagship, the 123-foot Oyster 1225.

The Oyster 565 launch event at Tower Bridge, London.  Brian Carlin

Owning a shipyard wasn’t Hadida’s long-term goal or even a pipe dream. In 2006 he started Evolution Gaming , a top casino gaming-software business, which employs more than 5,000 worldwide and has a $3.2 billion market cap on the Swedish Stock Exchange. But his love for sailing and the 46-year-old British sailing marque motivated him to embark on the unexpected challenge when, in February 2018, just a few weeks after Oyster Yachts booked its biggest order ever, the yard suddenly shut its doors amid the celebration, shocking not only the sailing community but also its nearly 400 employees. “All I can gauge is that they didn’t sell the boats for the right margin. Simple as that,” says Hadida.

These days, as the sole owner of the yacht company, he has stepped away from his tech business and is fully focused on the yard. “It’s not something you can do part time,” he says. “But I also love it here.” The 54-year-old British businessman fell in love with yachting when he chartered a boat for his sister’s wedding in the Greek islands—he wanted to impress his then girlfriend, now wife, Jenny. They sailed from Athens to the wedding through a storm. When they spotted the island on the horizon after the storm broke, he thought, “‘Oh, my God. We did it.’ It was a very important moment for me,” he says. “That’s when I got into sailing, and I never looked back.” The couple waited to make it a regular part of their lives until both of their sons (now 12 and 15) could swim. Five years ago, when the younger one started swimming, they bought the Oyster 885 sailing yacht Lush .

Oyster 1225  Courtesy of Oyster Yachts

Hadida has turned his passion for sailing into a business venture and acknowledges that some people say that isn’t a good idea. “But I’m doing it, and so far, everything I’ve done has worked. There’s no question that we’re achieving what we want to achieve. And by this time next year, we will be well into the land of profitability.”

The next step in Hadida’s plan of attack is marketing, which he says the company has essentially ignored over the past five years. “Marketing is what gets us the leads, which then convert into sales,” he says. He envisions opening a brick-and-mortar shop and an online configurator clients can use to design their boats. Oyster has resumed flying its banners at the high-profile boat shows as well, displaying a new Oyster 675 at September’s Cannes Yachting Festival and the freshly refit Lush at the Monaco show . Plus, the company will continue to host its biennial World Rally, which circumnavigates the globe over a two-year period, and two annual Oyster Regattas. “When you look at the last half-dozen boats we’ve sold, everyone is from a different country—Japan, Brazil, Germany. So our customers are everywhere in the world. We have to get the name, the brand, out there to every country.”

Oyster Regatta, Antigua  Brian Carlin

The next World Rally is scheduled to set sail from Antigua in January 2022 and head west, ultimately finishing back in Antigua in April 2023. The rally is a non-competitive circumnavigation that takes advantage of the best sailing grounds and is open to Oyster yacht owners, with professional shore support at key stopover points and help getting through the Panama Canal.

Looking ahead, Hadida says that society’s growing concerns about climate change are on Oyster’s side. “The young people of today are so much more educated in all things green and environmentally powerful,” Hadida says. “My firm belief is that it’s going to be less and less acceptable to drive into a beautiful bay in a large, noisy motor yacht. I think we will revert back to the oldest form of transportation—sailing.”

Any regrets about buying the company? “Not for one second,” Hadida says. “I feel proud. I feel excited. It’s a totally different thing [from Evolution Gaming]. It’s a labor of love.”

Danielle Cutler started covering yachts, marinas, and the yachting industry in 2005. Besides writing and editing yacht content for Robb Report, Danielle has worked for Yachts International and the…

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Oyster 495 review: an impressive smaller Oyster

• Toby Hodges
• September 29, 2022

An exclusive three-day test on the new baby of the Oyster range, the Oyster 495, shows that big things can come in (slightly) smaller sizes, says Toby Hodges

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

Good things come to those who wait. After tirelessly chasing the breeze for over 100 miles, we found our just rewards. It was a hazy, moody morning as I rose from the privileged comfort of the aft berth of the new Oyster 495. Twin thrusters were pushing us effortlessly off the dock in Guernsey, our late night stopover, as I took my coffee from the galley espresso machine up on deck, noting how quickly and easily I was beginning to enjoy such creature comforts.

Once out past the harbour arms, white caps indicated a solid breeze. The sails were unfurled at the push of a button and Carpe Diem , Oyster 495 number one, began to heel and power up properly, as if finally set free. This was the moment for me that Oyster’s latest design came alive and transformed into what is arguably the definitive modern day luxury distance cruiser.

It has been a long, highly publicised build up to the launch of Oyster’s first boat fully conceived in the four years under software entrepreneur Richard Hadida’s tenureship. This is a model the CEO has talked about from the start, one to widen the luxury brand’s net and bring more, and younger, people on board. It seems that strategy is already working, as, out of the 15 Oyster 495’s already sold around the world, only two are to existing Oyster owners.

This is also the smallest yacht the Southampton firm has developed from scratch since 2005, and warranted a new yard in Hythe to take production in-house and build up to a schedule of 12 Oyster 495s a year.

Sailing out past The Needles. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

49ft for the 49th year

This is only a 49 in name though, not in the looks, volume or price tag. The Oyster 495 is as much a part of the small superyacht style of Oyster as its last few launches from the Oyster 565 to the Oyster 885, all by Humphreys Yacht Design.

First impressions centre on its size: the deck space and internal volume that all the beam and freeboard height creates. Yet while the duck egg vinyl wrap intentionally sets off a vibrant aesthetic, it’s the rest of the renowned quality and styling on the boat that really hits home.

The integral boarding ladders which fold down from the guardrails are optional but arguably essential, though once aboard you quickly realise how easy it is to move around the deck and through the superb cockpit.

With sprayhood removed and dark, stiff sails trimmed, the 495 in powerful performance mode against the Sark tide. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Below decks you’ll find a clever new layout which, for me, makes the galley a star of the show and helps ensure the aft cabin, with its views and space, is best in class.

Once I discovered the deck stowage, engine room space and mechanical layout, I was convinced this could be a serious world cruiser and was excited about the chance to spend proper time aboard, a long weekend-style mini cruise, to see how it performs and how practical it is.

Oyster reserved our three-day slot aboard the first Oyster 495 during its ‘world tour’, in which it is premiering this new model in the Baltic and Mediterranean.

With a ridge of high pressure settling over the south coast, the obvious option to find wind was to take the north-easterly across the Channel. We met a spell of glorious summer conditions once out of the western Solent, sailing close-hauled over flat water at 7 knots in 10 knots localised seabreeze, before we pointed our bows across the Channel and settled in for many hours of reaching with and without asymmetric spinnaker, or motorsailing when the wind dropped. With double figure apparent wind speeds you can reliably sail at a speed similar to or exceeding that of the engine at cruising revs, meaning you can passage plan at 8 knots.

Although the standard Oyster 495 comes very complete, the test boat was equipped with plenty of optional extras including a carbon mast and in-mast furling carbon spectra sails to help bolster performance. As I was to discover in the Channel Islands , the boat still likes to be powered up before you get much communication on the helm, and in the lighter breezes I had to watch the numbers to avoid wandering off course.

The robust fixed bowsprit neatly integrates anchor roller and keeps the spinnaker tack clear of the headstay. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Initially, the helm felt overly heavy, despite the dual rudders. Our skipper, Oyster’s CCO Paul Adamson, was quick to access the steering gear through the pedestals and after some tweaking the result was slightly lighter. However, long geared linkage of centre cockpit steering to twin rudders will always mean hopes for direct feedback need to be measured accordingly.

Built for breeze and ease

To have extra breeze the following day was transformational. With the true wind in the teens or more The Oyster 495 comes alive. It’s powerful and stable, exactly what you want from a distance cruiser.

It was also a really impressive display of how easy it is for one person to manage. I sailed Carpe Diem right into Sark’s Le Grand Greve cove, using the pedestal push buttons to furl the jib, then the main and finally to command the windlass to lower chain as we glided to a halt with no engine or any other hands required.

The push button ease with which you can manage this boat is a big deal. Three new clients of boats in build have converted from power to give sail a go, says Adamson. That said, they’re expensive options, with retractable bow and stern thrusters alone costing around £40,000.

Clear views for my watch during last light crossing the Channel. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

While a standard Oyster 495 has an aluminium rig with electric in-mast furling, Oyster has been working with Seldén on a new hydraulic in-mast furling system for this optional £140,000 carbon rig. The test boat had a full hydraulics package to serve the outhaul, vang, mainsheet and backstay, the twin compact pumps of which need comparatively little oil and are remarkably quiet (good for not waking the off watch). The push button system is being developed and uses a smart pressure release mechanism to prevent accidental overloading.

That afternoon was full glamour: sunny sailing in a puffy 15-20+ knots, which meant gusts in the mid- to late-20s over the deck. With some heel induced, the Oyster 495 stabilises and powers up. On the times we did really press we only managed to stall on a couple of occasions in the higher gusts and even then the round-up came very gently, politely inviting you to depower the main.

In general, speeds remained in the high 8s when close-hauled, rising into the 9s when we freed up a bit more, while we nudged double figures broad reaching in flat water and in stronger gusts. Around the 9-knot mark is the comfort zone, with comfort the byword – the 495 promotes a lot of confidence to keep sail up, without shipping water or overloading, and has a reassuring, forgiving motion through waves.

Spacious cockpit, table and long benches encourage alfresco dining. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The helm stations are typical for modern Oysters in that they’re relatively high up to give clear sightlines from the wheels and headroom below decks. Add to that the freeboard height and you may wonder if it feels exposed. However the deep footwells with angled sides really suit standing at heel, while most will realistically engage autopilot and seek cockpit protection during lengthy watches anyway.

First class layout

I took to helming seated outboard on the coaming, which feels a more natural position at heel than trying to reach forward from the helm seat. The pedestals are well designed, particularly the grab handles each side, although a smaller or repositioned throttle lever would be prudent to prevent consistent snagging.

U-shaped galley suits working at sea, while a deep, angled footwell proves useful at the helm. Photo: Waterline Media

The positioning of the primary winches has also been very well considered, on a raised step each side outboard of the coamings and perfectly in reach of the helm. It’s also a useful step out from the cockpit to the side deck.

The standard block and winch is installed as well as the hydraulically controlled mainsheet, showing a system which can also easily be adjusted from the helm. I appreciated how a preventer line is rigged on each side of the boom, with clutches on deck allowing this to be set up on one side and the tack line on the other.

The intelligent, practical design elements continue around the clean decks, including genoa sheet leads kept neatly inboard alongside the coachroof. Reverse sheer helps generate headroom below without needing to extend the coachroof forward of the mast, while removable dorades and cages help keep the foredeck flush.

A quick swim at the anchorage and a hot shower on the bathing platform was necessary to prove the benefits of the new cassette platform design. An electric ram pushes it out horizontally aft from the lazarette to extend deck space. The full beam lazarette itself is enormous, and while the sail locker is certainly beneficial it could use a larger hatch as it was a squeeze to try and get the gennaker through.

Plenty of instrument and switchboard space at the navstation. Photo: Waterline Media

The cockpit is perhaps Oyster’s best yet relative to its size. It provides excellent protection, particularly under the sturdy sprayhood with its large clear panels. The huge table makes it clear this is where the majority of meals will be taken, with deep benches easily long enough to seat eight or to lie down on. While much design work has clearly gone into the flowing lines, I found the backrest angle a little severe, so cushions might be a wise extra.

We eventually had to wrench ourselves away from the stunning Sark anchorage to try to catch favourable tides back across the channel. Sailing to the Casquets under sunset we met a dying breeze in the Channel for the long motor and night watches across the shipping lanes.

At cruising revs we clocked 8.5 knots at 2,100rpm burning just 6lt per hour of the tank’s 880lt. Noise levels were very acceptable down below too, thanks in part to some excellent insulation. Adamson puts this know-how down to Oyster’s larger yachts and says a key is that the acoustic sandwich insulation used is all glued with no fastenings that can transmit sound.

The passageway aft helps allow for superb engine access. Photo: Waterline Media

Life at heel

Spending proper time aboard on passage is the ideal way to assess the practicality and comfort of the interior in use and at heel.

In terms of styling and quality of finish, today’s Oyster is top drawer. Rather than the typical passageway galley seen on a centre cockpit model this size, the 495 has the beam for a seaworthy U-shaped galley to port, while the starboard passageway provides stowage space and helps open up access to the engine room. It’s a one-fits-all layout, but a solution the yard is understandably delighted with. Smart features seen on the latest larger models are also included, such as the formidable lighting system throughout and the digital switching touchscreen monitors which clearly show and interrogate all systems.

Sturdy handholds lead you down six deep steps to a saloon bathed in light and natural ventilation, the latter from the large, forward-opening coachroof windows. The table on the test boat could be lowered to extend the starboard sofa into a double or daybed. It also has a handrail which extends out, which is needed at heel as there’s a large open area to navigate across – a longitudinal rail on the deckhead would make sense here.

it’s hard to believe you can get such a stateroom at this length – the sea views it provides are incomparable. Photo: Waterline Media

The adjoining galley is excellent, ideally shaped for working at heel, with abundant natural light. The fact that we as a crew all offered to cook or make drinks so often said plenty. Although modestly sized, with relatively compact outboard lockers and only a half height fridge aft, extra optional fridge/freezer space can be chosen here, in the cockpit and particularly in the passageway. Practical elements include the inboard sink and surround acrylic work surfaces with radiused upstands and an integrated bin. If being picky, a larger porthole to the cockpit to pass drinks through would be handy.

A generous chart table and plentiful space for instruments encourages passage planning and quiet study in the navstation. The coachroof windows extend aft to encourage extra light both here and in the galley, but the navstation is too low to enjoy that benefit. I found it comparatively dark and would prefer to see out more, but the large computer monitor was deemed to be more useful than a hull port here.

Forward cabin is spacious and light with good views too. Photo: Waterline Media

Aft stateroom cabins have long been an Oyster calling card and the Oyster 495 continues that tradition to the extent this is arguably the best you can get in 50ft. A step in the cockpit helps create a wide passage forward of the berth with 6ft 4in/193cm headroom.

It’s taller still in the adjoining heads, a clever design with an area sculpted out from between the engine room and galley to create a proper shower stall.

From the stowage, both in cedar-lined wardrobes, drawers and small lockers around the berth, to the superb lighting, overhead escape hatches, blinds and ventilation, it all smacks of quality. The vertical hull portlights steal the show, inviting prime sea views, especially from the privacy of the sofa to port.

Accommodation forward of the saloon comprises a compact Pullman, ideal for kids or a delivery crew, and a generous guest double. These share a good sized heads and separate shower, although with no wet locker, foul weather gear will likely end up cohabiting the shower too.

Working at the chart table at night. Photo: Waterline Media

Once again it’s the headroom and light that stands out in the forward cabin, the latter thanks to long twin overhead hatches with mushroom vents plus hull ports.

For a yacht which is so nice and light below decks, and which has such fine sea views from the cabins, my main issue is that you can’t actually see the sea properly from the saloon, galley or navstation. The coachroof windows are too high to see out of when standing in the saloon, the hull ports too low when seated.

It can be argued that a prime benefit of Oyster’s long favoured semi-raised saloon is that it’s low enough to adjoin the surrounding areas and high enough to house the large polyethylene fuel and water tanks, together with the battery bank, below the sole. The test boat has standard 800Ah gel batteries, sealed in airtight containers and ventilated overboard by fan, while all systems including the aircon can run off the inverter.

Plenty of deck space to enjoy Sark’s west coast anchorage. Photo: Waterline Media

Further aft, the grey water runs into the deep keel stub, a smart idea to centralise weight in otherwise wasted space. The stub also helps keep the rest of the bilge dry, holding liquid in one place, with strumboxes used for the bilge pumps to help prevent blockage. Some of the infused glassfibre construction and carbon reinforced stringers are visible here – a solid laminate with Vinylester outer skin is used below the waterline.

Where Oyster’s larger models have a workshop cabin leading into the engine room, the Oyster 495 doesn’t have the space for this, yet the layout solution here and access to the engine room are superb. Twin doors open out to reveal the motor mounted in the centre of the boat, at max beam, a saildrive to negate shaft space and allow for an 8kW genset accessed via its own door immediately aft.

Opposite is excellent stowage in the passageway, including freezer and washing machine, with optional 110lt/hour watermaker below the sole.

Modern hull shape buys plenty of volume aft. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Benefits of a prototype

Our voyage was temporarily paused after a leak was traced to a cracked skin fitting in the lazarette, a watertight compartment aft. It was a fitting for the emergency boarding ladder, a practical device which allows the release of a pushpit-mounted soft ladder from the water, but one that was mistakenly installed with an incorrect part. We are told it is not a feature on other models and all subsequent Oyster 495s will be fitted with a bronze or TruDesign skin fitting.

Lazarettes are often decked out with a single level floor, yet here Oyster understandably wanted to make as much of the cavernous stowage space available as possible. It’s stowage world cruisers will love, but fitting storage units to take individual boxes might help prevent loose items sliding around pipework and steering gear. The incident highlighted the prime value of having a model that is thoroughly tested before going into full production.

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Credit to Oyster for doing a full tour with this first boat and for encouraging extensive trials. The longer you spend aboard any yacht, the more likely it may appeal but equally the more chance there is to find fault. Most niggles I picked out seemed to be in hand, although a larger sail locker hatch would be on my wishlist, while bluewater sailors may wish for a wet hanging locker. This might be a small mollusc by Oyster’s modern standards, but it’s one big pearly shellfish for most of us. The yard has managed to include so many of its big boat features into a 16m yacht which can be handled by a couple without crew. It’s a lot of money, but that includes an impressively full spec and the prestige club element of buying into a brand which offers renowned service and a prize draw in its world rally. With a draught under 2.3m (or 1.83m with shoal keel option), the 495 can not only take you across an ocean in supreme comfort but it can then squeeze into shallow harbours. It is slightly heavier with less sail power than some competitors and won’t suit those doing lots of lightwind helming, however, it has a high, powerful and forgiving shape for tradewind sailing. For liveaboard voyaging in a luxury monohull of this size, the 495 sets a new standard.

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Sailboat Review: Oyster 495 Combines Performance and Power In Under 50 Feet

• By Kimball Livingston
• October 27, 2023

Few boats would merit a glance from a savvy, experienced skipper looking to consolidate the best qualities of his performance cruiser and his motoryacht into just one boat.

Someone might even ask: “Are you kidding me? Can you do that?”

Enter the Oyster 495.

As the smallest yacht the company has developed from concept since 2005, the 495 is rigorously detailed. It is true to the heritage of a builder where a 50-footer has become the entry-level model. 

For this latest raised-salon offering, Oyster created a new facility in Hythe, on the Southampton shores of southern England. The aim is to build 12 boats a year, and sales to date suggest that this figure is not overly ambitious. 

I encountered Genevieve , the well-traveled Hull No. 1, in Southern California, where the boat had been delivered to the owner in Santa Barbara after being shown extensively in Europe. She was purchased to replace a performance cruiser and a powerboat. 

First impressions count, and the 495 makes a great one. If you’re switching over from a different brand, forget about bringing along your plates and glassware. All of that is provided, with subtle logos and fitted stowage. Mood lighting is available at the touch of a button. The TV raises and disappears with another button. In the guest stateroom forward, hatches overhead open in opposite directions. The queen berth in the owner’s stateroom could be a boat-show sales tool, but the cabin top is equipped for the lee cloths you will need when the boat is doing what it is meant to do: go places. 

To that end, an aluminum mast with electric furling is standard, but Genevieve is equipped with a Seldén carbon rig with in-mast electric furling and a hydraulics package including a mainsheet, vang, outhaul, backstay, and ­in-boom ram. In operation, it was whisper-quiet. 

The twin wheels offer clear sightlines from secure footing, along with command posts that have buttons to deploy and furl sails, and to adjust everything adjustable without straining a finger or risking a hangnail. Lewmar EVO primaries are handy, just outboard of the helm stations. Optional dual thrusters make everyone a hero going and coming to the dock, and smaller items such as pre-rigged preventers speak to that shadowy concierge who seems to have been everywhere. 

With four of us aboard, the cockpit was more than ­generous. I imagined many sociable scenes to come as the sails came out. The Yanmar saildrive was so quiet, it had to go off for me to even notice it had been on. Put that down to sandwich insulation glued, not screwed. 

The breeze was single digits, not enough to make the boat light up under a 105 percent jib, and we were dragging a wide transom and two rudders. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable sailing. I also appreciated seeing the cabin house square to the seating, to make a comfortable backrest looking aft, stretched out on passage. Rounding the forward backing the way some manufacturers do may work when you’re not going anywhere, but what is a boat for? 

The cockpit is laid out to walk on a single level back to a full-beam lazarette, which has ample stowage and access to the steering, backstay, exhaust and seacocks. Step back farther, and you are stepping down a reverse transom to a shower and an electronically operated swim platform. When the boat is stern-tied, that will be the boarding ladder. 

Belowdecks is bright, with close attention to ­ventilation. The opening coachroof windows in the salon will delight passengers in a tropical anchorage with the breeze wafting through. Batteries and tankage are centered under the salon sole, focusing the weight where it belongs. A U-shaped galley, two steps down to port, places most of the cook’s needs at hand in a space where it will be easy to brace underway, and the cook is not isolated from crew and guests. The twin sinks are on centerline for efficient drainage. 

The saloon table lowers to bed height for those who are overblessed with kids or grandkids, and the step-down nav station is separated but not isolated. A swing-out computer screen is here, along with CZone control and monitoring instead of fuse panels. A freezer is abaft the nav station, where it won’t see a lot of traffic unless it’s stocked with ice cream for those kids. 

Opposite the nav station, twin doors open wide to an engine compartment thoughtfully laid out to be serviced without provoking naughty words. Clear labeling matters, and I liked seeing the Panda generator within a sound-­insulated compartment.  

All the way aft, the owner’s stateroom has 6 feet, 4 inches of headroom, a sofa, cedar-lined lockers, escape hatches, and Oyster’s signature vertical portlights for a special view of the world. Forward of the salon is a cozy over/under double that shares a head and shower with the bright and airy forward stateroom. Nowhere above or belowdecks does the level of fit-and-finish fall short. 

Oyster describes the hull as an “overspecified laminate resin structure with a combination of stringers and frames for extreme strength and durability.” I believe it. Genevieve had the L-shaped standard keel and a draft of 7 feet, 5 inches. A shoal-draft keel is an option. 

Lunch waited ashore, ­creating an opportunity to ­observe how magically the sails disappeared and how comfortably the boat motored at 9-plus knots. It’s replacing a powerboat, remember. There was also a moment to ­demonstrate that, under power, the Oyster 495 will spin in its own length. That gave me a grin too.

Oyster 495 Specifications

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Where to Book Booze Cruises of All Kinds in D.C.

Seasonal offerings on the Potomac include tailgating excursions to Nats Park, sunset Champagne on the dock, and everything in between

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This spring, D.C. docks are home to a surge of drinking vessels designed for every occasion, vibe, and price point. A returning line of retro motor boats are apparently the ticket to getting engaged, with seven proposals out on the water last year. Want to watch dolphins give birth on the Chesapeake this summer? One hotel offers an excursion for that. And a fancy sailboat manned by a fine-dining chef pairs tasting menus with French wines.

Soak up monumental views along the Potomac River, drink in tow, with this running list of bookable boats.

Sea Suite Cruises

Co-founders and Arlington natives Jack Walten and Jack Maher’s first BYOB paddle pub debuted in 2018. Six years later, their supersized fleet is made up of 13 boats bobbing around Mid-Atlantic waterways (in D.C., Baltimore, Annapolis, and Richmond), plus floating tiki bars. And a landlocked bar born in Clarendon is the muse for one of their hottest new bookings this season:

Whitlow’s on Water

Now the largest boat in Sea Suite Cruises’ fleet, the 48-passenger tiki tour is the product of a fun new partnership with Whitlow’s owner Jon Williams. His iconic Clarendon dive moved to Shaw, but its original tiki rooftop on Wilson is reincarnated as a floating bar. “Whitlow’s on Water has taken the [Potomac] by storm,” says Sea Suite’s Jack Walten, noting it’s pretty much sold out almost every Saturday through the summer. Diehard Whitlow’s regulars, which includes the “Jacks,” have a familiar face on board: a former bartender from its Clarendon days handles the liquid lineup. Standard mixed drinks join beers, wines, High Noon seltzers, orange crushes, and rum punches. There’s also a selection of pub grub (sandwiches, wings, etc.) sourced from Whitlow’s.

Two TVs air “whatever people want to watch,” he says, which has included everything from March Madness to the Bachelorette (bachelorette parties are popular bookings, after all). As are corporate teams, birthdays, Whitlow’s fans, and even 50-year wedding anniversaries. Individual tickets are also available, to “mix and mingle like you would in a normal bar,” he says. Sea Suite caters to Washington Nationals fans with a traffic-free cruise from Georgetown to the Yards Marina, docking just in time to walk over for the first pitch. “Tailgating on a tiki boat, it doesn’t get better than that,” he says.

Price: Ticket tiers start at $24 and up for daily options that include individual or group sightseeing tours, tiki taxis, private charters, or “Nats Sailgate” ( book online).

Where: Pick-ups and drop-offs in Georgetown in front of Fiola Mare ( 3100 K Street NW ) and Yards Marina by District Winery (1492 4th Street SE )

Retro Boat Rentals

Vintage runabout boats from Sinatra’s time were retro-fitted with electric motors, so having a romantic or intimate conversation is highly possible. It’s no wonder there were multiple (seven) proposals out on the water last year, reports Sea Suite. Each four-top fiberglass beauty sports a different color and name (Gladys, Bonnie, and Violet).

Price: $175-$225 for 1.5-hour tours; BYO drinks and food

Where: Wharf to the Washington Channel

Potomac Tiki Club

D.C.’s “first tiki cruise” lets patrons buy booze on board, or opt for an $8 corkage fee for wine and Champagne. BYO food or purchase small snacks.

Price: $45-$60 for parties of 8 to 18 out of Georgetown. A smaller thatched-roof sibling out of Navy Yard fits six and runs $350-$425. Both last 1.45 hours.

Paddle Club Cruises

Sea Suite Cruises’ fleet that started it all is a pontoon pedal boat outfitted with 10 cycle stations (or just let the motor power the party). BYOB (just no hard liquor) or purchase on-board beverages like canned Cutwater ($4-$8.50).

Price: $35-$55 for groups of 8 to 16 for 1.45-hour tours

Where: Docks from the Wharf, Navy Yard, and Georgetown

Sea Table DC Aboard Cru Classé

Chef and sommelier Troy Knapp makes Michelin-level menus on his luxury sailboat Cru Classé. Back at the Wharf for its third year , the detail-oriented captain brings fine-dining to the dock with artfully plated courses, decadent floral arrangements, seafaring table settings, and French wines he pours himself. Knapp also mans other Wharf vessels for parties of six or more, partnering with Nautiste to offer dining excursions with his catering company Curated.

Choose from three different experiences this season (book via TOCK ):

• Cruise Experience (April through October): Set sail for up to three hours while enjoying four to six courses comprised of ingredients from local farms and fishermen. Complemented by prestigious wine pairings. Starting at $430 per guest
• Dockside Experience (April, May, September, and October): Savor four to six courses with sommelier-selected wines while docked at the Wharf’s marina for up to two hours. Starting at $180 per guest
• Oyster Sails (June, July, and August): Enjoy local bivalves, freshly shucked by an oyster expert on board, alongside specialty accompaniments. Paired with Champagne or prestige white wine. Starting at $225 per guest

Where: Docks at the Wharf ( 650 Wharf Street SW )

Pendry on the Potomac

The most baller option of the bunch by far, the Wharf’s luxe Pendry hotel offers guests a captain-chartered Aviara cruise that’s available to the public for the first time. Parked in its own slip right out front of the Southwest Waterfront hotel, onboard food and beverage offerings include Champagne and caviar service supplied by Pendry’s culinary team. Bar selections, beer or wine, and appetizers can be customized, depending on the parties’ preference. Excursions near and far include round trips to Nationals home games and an all-day adventure to the Chesapeake Bay to spot marine life. As it turns out, dolphins use the Potomac and Bay as a nursery to birth their calves — a rare event that happens from mid-June to mid-August when the water is warmest. Kicking it up at full speed (35-40 knots), hat-holding patrons will jet downstream through Old Town, Fort Washington, and Mt. Vernon and (hopefully) see the annual occurrence.

Price: $3,600 (3 hours); $4,600 (4 hours); $6,000 (6 hours); $7,800 (7 hours) for up to six; reserve here .

Where: Outside of the Pendry ( 655 Water Street SW ) at the Wharf Marina

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