At the start of September, Oyster Yachts hosted their annual Oyster Yachts Palma Regatta in Port Adriano. Our MD Adam Hunkin was fortunate to be invited out by a repeat client to race as jib/ kite trim onboard their newly delivered award winning Oyster 495.
With a crew of 5 plus the owner, all of whom had extensive racing experience onboard superyachts, Ker 39's and Cape 31s, along with a solid sail wardrobe consisting of an in-mast furling mainsail, jib, code zero and asymmetric spinnaker, SY Suzanna was well equipped for the week long regatta. Each day consisted of one or two races within the spectacular bay of Palma and the surrounding bays, with one day set aside for the pursuit race. SY Suzanna was one of three Oyster 495's on the water but the only yacht with a shoal draft keel. The other two 495's were SY Mayfly and SY Tuga both of which had the standard deep fin keel. The differences between the standard and shoal draft keels on the race circuit were noticeable with varying upwind pointing angles and an overall slower speed.
After each days racing, the sponsors of the day hosted post-race drinks on the dock for owners and their crew, followed by either cocktails and canapes, live music or various owners dinners. Adam and some of the crew were lucky enough to be invited by the owner of SY Suzanna to the Oyster Yachts 50th Anniversary Owners Dinner. The dinner was hosted by a nearby rooftop restaurant with eye catching views over Port Adriano. Having started his yachting career at Oyster Yachts in their commissioning department, it was great for him to see the company from a clients' perspective. The evening was spectacular with fabulous food, inspiring speeches from Richard Hadida (the chairman of Oyster Yachts), Richard Matthews (the founder of Oyster Yachts) and an owner of a new Oyster 885.
On the final day, with the sun setting over Port Adriano after a fabulous week racing, Oyster Yachts hosted the final prize giving for the whole regatta, followed by a wonderful gala dinner in a nearby sushi restaurant. The setting was eclectic, with a buzzing atmosphere and sublime food. Once the tables had been cleared, the live DJ started pumping the tunes and with drinks aplenty, we partied on into the night, celebrating what was a fabulous week of racing and a week that won't be forgotten.
Thank you to the owner of SY Suzanna for the invitation, Ultimate Yacht Management for managing the race crew, provisions and the logistics and finally to Oyster Yachts for hosting what was a fantastic week of racing and phenomenal hospitality!