"We are often asked whether sailing around the world is dangerous," says Miguel Garcia, owner of the Oyster 595 "Aliena". "The answer is quite simple: if you choose a safe route and try to minimise the risks, it's not dangerous." For owners dreaming of sailing around the world for the first time, the 70-year-old Spaniard, who has already travelled around the globe three times on his own keel with his wife Carmen, recommends taking part in the Oyster World Rally, "because the shipyard takes care of all the planning and guides novice circumnavigators along the safest routes to the most beautiful sailing paradises imaginable."
What sounds like a dream has just one catch: to take part, you must be the owner of an Oyster yacht that is at least 45 feet long. The year of construction doesn't matter, the boat just has to come from the shipyards in Southampton. "We've already had a number of customers who have bought a yacht from us just to take part in the rally," says shipyard manager Ashley Highfield.
Also interesting:
The first Oyster World Rally (OWR) started in 2013 to mark the 40th anniversary of the shipyard, and the current edition, which will run until summer 2025, is the fourth event. Two more are already being planned for 2026/2027 and 2028/2029, with the next OWR, which starts at the beginning of the year after next, already sold out with 30 yachts starting. The first registrations have also been received for the 2028 edition.
The cost of participating in the OWR varies depending on the size of the boat
A starting place for the currently smallest category (50 to 60 feet, the Oyster 495 still falls into this class) costs around 110,000 euros, for 70 to 80-foot formats it is 147,000 euros, and owners of yachts with lengths of 90 feet or more have to enquire about the starting price individually. In addition, OWR participants have the option of choosing different voyage packages. The "Adventurer" package is standard for all rally sailors and includes all the services that crews need for the trip of a lifetime. The costs for this are included in the participation fee.
The "Explorer" package includes all the services of the "Adventurer" package, but also offers an individually tailored programme of activities at each of the 27 stops. The most exclusive package is called "Voyager" and is specially tailored to the owners. This includes building and equipping the yacht for the OWR, putting together the crew and, of course, a tailor-made supporting programme on land. When the sailing adventure is over, the shipyard's own team of brokers will also take care of the sale of the yacht if required.
"Many owners also work while travelling, which is possible from anywhere in the world these days thanks to Starlink," says Ashley Highfield. Some families with young children, some of whom are of school age, are also taking part in the OWR. They can always fall back on the advice of rally veterans who already have the 27,000 nautical miles in their wake and are happy to share their experiences. Stephen and Sarah Auret took part in the first rally together with their three children - aged seven, nine and twelve at the time - and their Oyster 66 "Valentine" and were delighted. "The Oyster team took care of the routing, helped with personal preparation and with equipping the boat," reports Stephen Auret. "This allowed us to focus intensively on training for the rally and get to know our boat better and better during smaller trips off the southern English coast."
An individual preparation period of around two years is recommended by the shipyard
During the trip, they worked according to a homeschooling plan so that the children were able to get back into the rhythm of school after the trip. It goes without saying that a trip around the world does not happen without preparation. How long the preparation time is depends largely on whether the participants already own a yacht, whether they plan to sail it themselves or whether a professional crew will be used. "We recommend a preparation period of around two years," says Ashley Highfield. Of course, sailing experience also plays a major role. If there is no professional crew on board, at least one
sailors on board must have an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualification. All participants also complete a training programme at the shipyard, which starts 18 months before the start of the rally and runs continuously. The Laufenberg family, who are sailing the Oyster World Rally 2024/2025 on their "Altaia", tell us what else there is to consider before the start of the journey and what the flotilla around the world feels like.
Interview: "We are realising our dream!"
The German owners of the 20.60 metre long "Altaia" are currently sailing the OWR. YACHT reached Carsten and Cedric Laufenberg in Polynesia and wanted to know from them how the round-the-world trip is going.
YACHT: Where are you right now, and who is on board your Oyster 655 "Altaia"?
Cedric Laufenberg: We are currently anchored in Daniel's Bay in the south-west of Nuku Hiva, the largest island in the Marquesas archipelago. There are currently five of us sailing "Altaia". My parents and I also have two crew members on board: Lars, who is an engineer and sailed half of the last Oyster World Rally, and Estrella, who helps out in the galley and on deck. Perhaps a little more about us: My parents Martina and Carsten are both very experienced sailors with many thousands of miles under their keels. I completed my bachelor's degree last summer and decided to take an extended gap year so that I could take part in this adventure.
How long did you sail to Nuku Hiva?
Cedric: We set sail from Palma de Mallorca towards Antigua in mid-November, which was our first 3,500 nautical miles. The Oyster World Rally started there on 14 January. Since we cast off from Palma, we have now travelled 10,195 nautical miles and enjoyed three and a half months of adventures.
The Marquesas are something of a place of longing for many sailors. Have your expectations been fulfilled?
Cedric: The islands exceeded our expectations! As soon as we arrived in Hiva Oa, we were surprised by the dense vegetation and the fertility of the island. After 18 days at sea, the abundance of fruit was particularly welcome. As we experienced on Hiva Oa, Fatu Hiva, Tahuata and then especially on Nuku Hiva, the landscape on the islands is breathtakingly beautiful: steep volcanic mountains sloping down to the sea, lush rainforests, turquoise water and unspoilt beaches. Unfortunately, this wild nature is also associated with many unprotected anchorages. We will probably never forget magical moments such as seeing a manta ray gliding along between the anchored yachts in the evening against the backdrop of the famous Bay of Virgens on Fatu Hiva.
How many stops were there before you got there?
Cedric: Since our start in Antigua, there have been four stops where we have met Oyster employees: in the Shelterbay Marina on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal, in Panama City, on the Galapagos Islands and on Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas. We also called at Lanzarote, Curaçao, the San Blas Islands and Isla Coiba in the north-west of Panama. Although the Oyster World Rally provides an organisational framework for sailing around the world, each crew is free to realise their own individual sailing plan between the official ports of call.
How did you come up with the idea of sailing the OWR?
Carsten Laufenberg: Martina and I have been dreaming of sailing around the world for a long time. On our last boat we had already explored Norway, the east coast of the United States and the Caribbean, from where the temptation was very great to "turn left", cross the Panama Canal and head for the dream destinations that I had read so many books about and that had aroused my curiosity. The relevant cruising guides were already on board, but Cedric was due to start school and homeschooling was not a valid alternative for us at the time. In 2015, we decided to buy the Oyster 655 and have been exploring the Mediterranean with "Altaia" ever since. However, the longing for other sailing areas remained. Taking part in the OWR was then actually a logical consequence.
Cedric: Until last summer, I hadn't given any thought to such an endeavour due to my studies and my subsequent career goals. However, when my parents discussed the OWR, my interest was immediately awakened. When my parents then offered me not only to sail in the rally, but also to gradually take on the role of skipper, the decision was quickly made.
You can only sail the 27,000 nautical miles and 27 stops of the OWR if you own an Oyster yacht. How much had you already sailed with "Altaia" before you set off on the big voyage?
Carsten: We have logged more than 15,000 nautical miles with "Altaia". This has also shown us that we have a boat that can take us safely around the world.
Why did you choose this model?
Carsten: At just over 20 metres in length, the Oyster 655 is a yacht that Martina and I can just about sail together. The technical equipment has been chosen so that short-handed sailing is not a problem. At the same time, "Altaia" has enough space to complete long trips with a larger number of crew members and still offer plenty of privacy. From our point of view, Oyster has perfected the concept of a blue water yacht both technically and functionally. The typical shipyard design of a raised saloon and the build quality of the 655 have convinced us.
How long have you been sailing?
Cedric: I've been sailing since I was a child. When I was ten weeks old, my parents took me on board our previous yacht for the first time, which was in Norway at the time. I also spent my first birthday on board, in the Caribbean. Since then, I have sailed dinghies and spent several summer holidays on "Altaia" with my parents.
Carsten: Martina and I have been sailing together for almost 40 years. We have travelled many thousands of nautical miles on different yachts in the North and Baltic Seas, the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Has sailing around the world been on your bucket list for a long time?
Carsten: Yes and no. Surely this was a secretly cherished dream. As a passionate sailor, you always read reports of round-the-world sailing trips and imagine what it would be like to set off on the big tour yourself. However, for a long time I didn't have the necessary time budget. As an entrepreneur, you can't spontaneously drop everything to go sailing around the world. It was only after the entrepreneurial activities had passed into other hands that we were able to take a closer look at this topic. Ultimately, the opportunity to embark on this adventure together as a family was the deciding factor.
How did you hear about the OWR and what prompted you to take part?
Carsten: We had been interested in the Oyster yacht models for a long time, and we were regular visitors to the Oyster stand at boot Düsseldorf. That's how we found out about the Oyster World Rally. We quickly recognised the advantages for us of the shipyard's organisation. The proximity to like-minded people, the easier procurement of spare parts and the briefings on the various stages of the journey, including the often bureaucratic entry formalities, were important to us.
How can we imagine the interaction with the participants from the other 21 yachts? Is it a close community, or do you have less to do with each other?
Cedric: There is a close-knit community and as soon as a boat has a problem, someone is quick to offer help. This applies to missing spare parts as well as personal labour. Furthermore, the social component should not be neglected. In addition to the events organised by Oyster, as soon as several boats are anchored together in a bay, there are always some joint activities such as sundowners, dinners, beach parties or hikes. For all crews, the aspect of knowing that familiar boats are in their vicinity is an essential safety factor, especially on longer sea routes. The regular SSB Safety Net and Whatsapp chat groups contribute to this. At least twice a day, information on the weather or navigational issues in the vicinity of the participating yachts is exchanged. And last but not least, it is always a change when the sails of one of our Oyster friends unexpectedly appear on the horizon.
How much does it cost to take part in the OWR, and what do I need to bear in mind when registering?
Carsten: Oyster currently charges around 123,000 euros for a yacht of our size to take part in the OWR. When we booked, it was even cheaper. There are also fees of 1,800 euros per person on board. It is important to know that these costs only cover the organisational framework and some seminars in the run-up to the rally. These costs are almost negligible in relation to the effort involved in equipping and maintaining the yacht.
Do you need special sailing licences, certificates or special equipment to take part?
Cedric: Yes, Oyster requires at least one crew member who has the Yachtmaster Ocean and one person who can provide proof of a radio licence. In addition, all participants must have completed a first aid and sea survival course. In terms of equipment, Oyster previously insisted on an SSB radio to ensure communication between the participating yachts on the longer crossings and to be able to fall back on a GMDSS-capable communication system on the high seas in an emergency.
During the 16 months of the joint circumnavigation under sail, the shipyard takes care of the organisation of the trip and the programme. Oyster offers three OWR packages: "Adventure", "Explorer" and "Voyager". Which one did you choose and why?
Carsten: There will be no such differentiation during the Oyster World Rally 2024/2025. The package that all yachts on the current rally take advantage of includes roughly the same as the new "Adventure" package plus the fees for the Panama Canal. All costs for parties and events are also included. Oyster does not offer explicit concierge services on this rally. However, the event staff will help where they can with contacts. A round-the-world cruise can by no means be an all-round carefree package. Even if Oyster provides a certain organisational framework and, with the World Rally Guide, provides a comprehensive manual with detailed information on preparing the yacht and crew as well as the destinations to be visited, the organisational effort to be made by the participants should not be underestimated. You should be aware of this.
Have you had to use the shipyard's technician service since the OWR was launched?
Carsten: There are always minor repairs and service work to deal with, but we have not yet had any major damage that we could not repair ourselves. However, the shipyard's aftersales service has supported us in procuring spare parts. Unfortunately, Murphy's Law also applies on a round-the-world cruise - the parts that break are those for which there are no replacements on board despite extensive stocks.
What was your highlight of the trip, excluding the Marquesas?
Cedric: It's difficult to give an answer to this question as we have already had so many special experiences. However, if I have to limit myself to a single highlight, the Galapagos Islands with their unique wildlife come first for me. We took a guide on board for five days, with whom we were able to explore the remote islands. Diving with sharks and sea lions, seeing blue-footed boobies and frigate birds up close ... I could go on and on with this list, it was something very special.
How many more stops will there be before we reach our destination in Antigua, and what else are you looking forward to?
Cedric: Next up for us is a trip to the Tuamotus, Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. All names that give us that South Seas feeling. In July and August, we will be travelling to Vanuatu and the west coast of Australia. With Darwin as our port of departure, Indonesia, the Cocos Keelings, Réunion and Mauritius are then on the programme. From Cape Town, we are almost on our way home. St Helena, Brazil and some of the Caribbean islands will hopefully sweeten our journey before we head back across the Atlantic to Spain.
Cedric, you took time out to go sailing. Do you think it will be hard to get back into everyday life?
Cedric: I completed my Bachelor's degree in Business Studies last summer and plan to work in a management consultancy in the future. It will certainly be a change, but I'm positive that it will work out well, as this trip has taught me a lot for everyday life, especially by gradually taking on the role of skipper and the associated responsibility for the boat and crew. Everyday life on board also teaches me many things, including stress resistance and problem solving, as a lot of unforeseen things happen, be it in terms of materials, weather or organisation.
Do you have any other exciting sailing plans after the OWR is over?
Cedric: Unfortunately, the sailing adventure is over for me after the OWR and I'm going back home. However, my parents are looking into this question. In addition to the return route via the Azores to Spain, one option is to sail the northern route via the American east coast, Greenland and Iceland to Norway and from there back to Spain. For now, however, we are focussing on our current sailing adventure and enjoying every single day.
Do you also sail in the Baltic and North Sea, or are you more of a Mediterranean fan?
Cedric: We love the Mediterranean. "Altaia" is moored in Palma de Mallorca, from where we regularly go on trips to France, Italy, Croatia and Greece.
Carsten: Our sailing home for almost 25 years was in Hindeloopen on the Dutch IJsselmeer. This was our starting point for many summer trips to the North Sea and Baltic Sea as well as the English Channel and the Channel Islands. These waters have not lost their appeal for us to this day. Our last yacht, which had its home port in the south of France, sailed from Antibes to Tromsø in its second season. During this time, we got to know the Norwegian west coast between Bergen and Tromsø and the Lofoten Islands as one of the most beautiful and impressive sailing areas we know. An absolute place of longing for us!
