Oyster 495 aims for 2023 Sydney International Boat Show debut

The sleek, new bluewater cruiser from the British marque was set to have its global debut at January’s 2022 Boot Dusseldorf, Germany’s premier boating showcase, but a sharp jump in the number of coronavirus cases affecting production has meant the Oyster 495 did not attend.

The new 16-metre cruiser is a huge leap forward for the brand and will embark on a world tour kicking off in London in April this year.

However, the Oyster 495’s schedule shows it will take more than a year to reach Australian shores, booking in a tentative berth in Australia in July next year – just in time for the Sydney showcase.

Oyster Yachts Australian representative Michael Bell told boatsales.com.au that hull #001 of the Oyster 495 was currently in build after missing its deadline to attend the Dusseldorf show.

Despite the missed date, he said Oyster had already sold the first 11 builds of the luxury cruiser, with the next build slot available for hull #012 pushing out to June 2023.

Bell said the yacht was priced from £1,195,000 ($A2.15 million) ex vat and options and came standard with electric winches, electric in-mast furling, hydraulic swim platform, and more.

“The 495 is set to be an incredible sailing yacht with a superb interior giving the usual Oyster luxury and comfort,” he said.

Build #001 is set to have its debut in late April.

The boat also features a twin rudder hull form that Oyster says “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 liveaboard, go-anywhere bluewater yacht, designed to be sailed shorthanded.”

The design incorporates clean hull lines with a beam that carries well aft to create a large hull volume.

Its short-handed ability is enhanced using B&G electric sail handling controls that run back to the helm, helping to make the Oyster 495 “responsive and fast-moving, with an ability to offer consistently high speeds for excellent passage-making”.

The Oyster 495 features a large aft owner’s cabin with the signature Oyster three-window hull, a generous cockpit space that doubles as an entertaining and dining hub while laid up, and a huge downstairs shared space including galley.

The transom includes a retracting swim platform accessed via steps integrated into the transom.

Keel options include a reinforced lead keel with a 2.28m draft as standard, with an optional 1.83m draft shoal keel also available.