Oyster 82: Cygnus Launched

Believed to be the largest production sailing yacht from a UK builder the first Oyster 82 was launched at Southampton Yacht Services on Monday December 8.

All 120 staff of the Oyster owned SYS yard turned out to watch the first of this new class of Deck Saloon Oyster take to the water under the watchful eye of Oysters Chairman and Founder Richard Matthews and the yachts British owner. Happily "Cygnus" floated exactly as expected and at a lunch following the launch the owner praised the quality of the workmanship of this, his third Oyster.

"Cygnus" which is too large to have her mast stepped at the SYS yard, will be motored across the North Sea and up the Rhine for showing at the Dusseldorf Boat Show (17-25 Jan 04) where she will be the largest yacht. After the show "Cygnus" will motor to Oysters HQ at Fox's Marina, Ipswich where she will be rigged and commissioned ready for sea trials late February/Early March.

The Oyster 82 is already a big success since 5 yachts were under contract by the time the first was launched. Richard Matthews said "we are delighted that no less than four of these yachts have been ordered by existing Oyster Owners, consistent with our experience in recent years that around half all our new builds are for repeat customers".

Originally planned in concept at 77', the all new Oyster 82 is the results of an ongoing design process, interfaced with the requirements of Oyster's early customers for this size of yacht.

When matching the qualities of the 77 with customer requirements, the package of big boat features that Oyster sought to achieve in the standard offering, it became clear that a slightly larger hullform would be beneficial.

Oyster Marine Ltd.
Fox's Marina
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP2 8SA
UK

Tel: +44(0)1473 688888
Fax: +44(0)1473 686861
Email: [email protected]

Oyster Marine USA
5 Marine Plaza
Goat Island
Newport
RI 02840
USA

Tel: (001) 401 846 7400
Fax: (001) 401 846 7483
Email: [email protected]

www.oystermarine.com