We had a very busy September. Starting with what is fast becoming our most loved city in the South of France, Cannes (Sorry Nice, you just lost the crown). We were in town for the 2025 Yachting Festival, which was an opportunity to see what’s new in yachting and also explore the town some more.
After wandering around the incredible La Croisette waterfront promenade, we spent some time with blue-water sailing experts Oyster Yachts. They had two sailing yachts on display, the 495 and 565.
If you’re wondering what blue-water sailing is, it’s simply long-distance ocean cruising. It typically lacks support, so a high level of self-sufficiency is necessary. These expeditions usually take months to complete.
Oyster Yachts at the Cannes Yachting Festival - CEO Interview
Following our previous interview with the company's chairman, Richard Hadida, we were glad to continue the conversation with the new CEO, Stefan Zimmermann Zschocke, at the festival.
He had plenty to say about what he has in store to keep customers happy with direct sales efforts and initiatives like the Explorers Club. He appears to have concrete plans to take the company to the next level, with customer satisfaction at the center of the effort.
Beyond what they had on display, Oyster Yachts is introducing the new Oyster 595SII Tender Garage, which easily integrates with the lazarette and offers storage space for tenders up to 3.1 meters in length without interfering with the yacht’s signature silhouette.
With a single electro-hydraulic davit arm featuring push-button launch and recovery, single-person operation is near effortless. Of course, you can simply use it as additional storage for essential items you want to bring along for your voyage.
After the show, Oyster also unveiled the new Oyster Explorer Club Rallies as part of the Explorers’ Club initiative. The program offers fully supported sailing voyages to Oyster owners.
It is an opportunity to explore many of the incredible cruising routes with others in the sailing community.
This program should generate considerable excitement among owners, particularly those new to sailing, who need guidance to fully enjoy their sailing yachts. The curated voyages include scenic anchorages and social events to ensure an exclusive and memorable adventure.
Participants can take advantage of the support the program offers while they soak in the incredible scenery on these routes. The voyages include favorite yachting destinations such as the Arctic Circle, and the incredible islands of the Pacific Ocean.
The rallies facilitate the company's direct contact with customers and give it the unique advantage of understanding its owners’ needs through these interactions. That’s something every owner will appreciate, as it should translate to receiving the very best pre- and post-sale services.
We also took a tour of the Oyster 565, during which we could see the level of customization Oyster offers to its buyers. It showed how much comfort you’ll still enjoy at sea when you opt for a sailing yacht instead of a motor yacht.
In a world where sustainability is critically important, Oyster Yachts is demonstrating that you can enjoy voyages at sea in style and comfort in an earth-friendly manner. We’ll have more details about the rallies in the coming weeks.
