Cruising World magazine in the US has announced the Oyster 655 is the winner of the 2010 Boat of The Year Award for the Best Premium Cruiser over 50ft.
Bill Springer of Cruising World commented: “It wasn't easy picking a winner from a category filled with superlative designs, but when the test-sail dust settled and the merits of each had been thoroughly deliberated, the Oyster 655 edged out the other contenders to be named the Best Premium Cruiser".
The positive comments began as soon as the judges stepped on deck. Alvah Simon wasn't only impressed with how well thought out he found the deck space; he also liked the long list of safety features he encountered: twin life rafts mounted on deck; heavy pad-eyes for jacklines, both on deck running fore and aft and in the cockpit; a dedicated flare locker for all the necessary emergency equipment; easy access to manual bilge pumps; and super-sturdy, 30-inch lifeline stanchions.
Other topside shout-outs for the judges were the twin helms (more like control centers, really), which permit the raising, lowering, and trimming of all sails via the push of a button; wide side decks, which make moving forward easy; and the large, comfortable cockpit.
Granted, having 67 feet of LOA to work with makes it easy to provide lots of on-deck space, but the 655's designer and builder used that space to create a very seaworthy and usable environment that's well suited to both dockside living and offshore conditions.
Judges found a similarly long list of exemplary design details down below. Roger Hellyar-Brook succinctly summed up the complicated systems with just a single word: "Bombproof."
Stacey Collins loved the spacious saloon, the large master suite (more than just a cabin) aft, and the well-designed galley. Tim Murphy was impressed with the boat's high-quality joinery and by the fact that the boat is equipped with everything (down to the lee cloths) that you'll need to sail around the world.
And everyone took note of the way this big boat performed in 10 knots of breeze and flat water: Boat speed ranged from 5 to 8 knots.
Oyster CEO, David Tydeman said: “We are delighted to win this award. The Oyster 655 has been a very popular model since it was first launched three years ago. With nearly 20 Oyster 655’s sold, we’re looking forward to seeing our first SuperShoal, twin rudder Oyster 655 on the water in summer 2010, which is in build now for an American owner.”