Boating New Zealand — December 2017

150 Boating New Zealand

Owners from a fleet of 28 Oyster cruising yachts gathered at Auckland’s RNZYS in October

to celebrate the successful completion of the first leg of their joint-circumnavigation.

The fleet was the largest gathering of Oyster yachts ever seen in New Zealand.

Oysters meet in Auckland

T

he yachts are participating in the 2017-19 edition

of the Oyster World Rally – a circumnavigation

exclusively organised for Oyster owners. It was first

held in 2013-14.

Starting in Antigua in January, this fully-

supported, 27,000-mile circumnavigation comprises four stages.

New Zealand is the stop-over at the end of the Pacific Leg. 

The rally concept started in 2010 as an idea to celebrate

40 years of Oyster Yachts, and has now become part of the

company’s DNA. It says the circumnavigation is a unique way

for owners to satisfy the desire to take on a big adventure, safely

and with total freedom.

When the 2017-19 edition finishes, Oysters will have

completed 100 circumnavigations. That is one in five of all the

ocean-going Oysters ever built.

Most of the participating yachts are 65-feet or less

LOA. They’re sailed by family and friends with one or two

paid hands. The older generation tend to navigate or take

the helm, and the younger generation tend to operate the

foredeck and control lines. BNZ

BOATBRIEF

BOATINGNZ.CO.NZ

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE RALLY http://www.oysterworldrally.com

WORDS BY LAWRENCE SCHÄFFLER

The rally concept

started in 2010

as an idea to

celebrate 40 years

of Oyster yachts