Oyster launches the new 82
— 08 Dec 2003
Believed to be the largest production sailing yacht from a UK builder the first Oyster 82 was launched at Southampton Yacht Services on Monday 8 December.
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. “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”.