oyster yachts models

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

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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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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WHAT WE SAY

A LUXURY SAILBOAT BUILT TO ROAM THE WORLD’S OCEANS

The Oyster 575 is a popular 17.3m (57.6ft) bluewater cruising yacht from the dynamic design partnership of Oyster Yachts and Humphreys Yacht Design.

Offered as a new-build Oyster between 2011 and 2018, this luxury sailboat underwent an interior redesign with subtle changes to her layout, using the invaluable feedback of our Oyster Owners on their world travels.

The final result was a revised 575, with superyacht qualities inspired by the award-winning  Oyster 625  bluewater cruiser. This included the addition of Oyster’s signature ‘Seascape’ windows for breathtaking views out from her saloon and the raising of her chart area to the same level as the saloon seating, allowing her chart table to flow seamlessly into the surrounding joinery.

A beautifully crafted companionway staircase was also added to lead guests below decks, adding to the feeling of quality and security on this luxury sailboat, and the forward guest cabin was expanded with direct access to the forward head.

Subtle joinery enhancements included the addition of sculpted headliners, upgraded cabin doors and door furniture, custom air-conditioning vents and accent lighting in the saloon, and more contemporary styling in the heads. On the practical side, her standard specification was raised to include Formula spars, a Volvo D3 engine and Raymarine i70 sailing instruments.

Pure hull lines from Humphreys Yacht Design make the Oyster 575 a fast passage-maker and an effortless bluewater cruising yacht. She boasts an exhilarating performance that placed her as the perfect Oyster for the nine owners who chose her as their entries for the 2017-19 Oyster World Rally.

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OYSTER 575 - 2015

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OYSTER 575 - 2018

£ 1,750,000 VAT Paid

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OYSTER 575 - 2010

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

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.

OYSTER COLLECTION A COLLECTION OF THE TOP PRE-OWNED OYSTER SAILING YACHTS FOR SALE.

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