Published on: 24 January 2023
Oyster Yachts is delighted to confirm that its newest, and smallest, addition to the fleet, the Oyster 495, has won the European Yacht of the Year in the Luxury Cruiser category.
“We’re delighted to be the winner of the European Yacht of the Year (EYOTY) award for the Luxury Cruiser category.Designing, building, and delivering the Oyster 495 marks a major milestone for Oyster coming into our 50th year,”comments Richard Hadida.
“As the ‘baby’ of our fleet, she embodies the best aspects of our much-loved larger superyachts, all within a compact 50-foot yacht, which feels much larger and more luxurious than other yachts of this size.The fact that she has met the demanding criteria of the EYOTY judges for the world’s best luxury cruiser,is the highest praise for this new 50-foot bluewater benchmark. The 495 is the first all new Oyster under my leadership. It’s a proud moment for the Oyster team and me personally. We set a clear ambition and delivered upon it seamlessly. I’m excited about the future and the quality of yacht we can produce,” he concludes.
Rewriting the rulebook of what is expected from a yacht of her size, the Oyster 495’s range of features are distilled from the luxury bluewater builder’s larger yachts. The iconic Oyster styling is obvious; she is effortless to sail; delivers consistently fast passage speeds; and features contemporary new generation luxury interiors.
The judges were full of praise for the ‘pocket rocket’ luxury blue water cruiser with Jochen Rieker, chair of the judges and editor of the magazine Yacht, commenting: “[The Oyster 495 is] So reassuringly strong, so surprisingly quick in straight line speed, so great to helm, so easy to handle and so, so comfortable if you want to retreat to her living quarters!”
Toby Hodges, UK judge and Yachting World journalist said: “At its heart is a wonderfully (Humphreys) designed and engineered luxury bluewater cruiser conceived from the ground up, built in a new dedicated facility to a repeatable quality very few yards are capable of.”
While fellow jury member Loic Madeleine, of Voiles et Voiliers magazine, commented: “A true blue water cruiser that makes no compromise in terms of comfort, safety or sailing abilities.” Alberto Mariotti of Vela e Motors added: “The entry level of the Oyster range brings with it the build quality and customisation typical of the yard’s largest models… perfect for a couple’s globetrotting dreams.”
For more information on the Oyster 495, see their website here.
