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Oyster 825 Polina Star sank due to “unsound” lamination

Oyster yachts has confirmed that lamination errors led to the sinking of oyster 825 polina star off spain last year..

Although recovery of the wreck made technical investigation difficult, Oyster believes that the cause is likely to be poor secondary lamination of the grid ‘matrix’ in the bilge. This structure was moulded outside the hull and laminated into place afterwards, in a technique that is widely used in the boatbuilding industry.

The weakness was also identified in hulls number 1 and 3 of the Oyster 825, although they had sailed more than 20,000 miles between them without problem. Oyster told Sailing Today: “Our investigations … found small cracks at the outer ends of the horizontal joint between the matrix and the webs [marked “A” on the drawing below].

“This suggested that the secondary over-lamination of these joints was unsound and we investigated invasively by cutting samples of the critical areas. We found extensive areas of poor laminating in the secondary structure supporting these T-joints.”

The boats had the suspect matrix and web structure ripped out in Palma, and replaced in situ with a carbon and epoxy alternative. Oyster says it will not use the technique of moulding the matrix separately to the hull in the future. “For all subsequent Oyster 825s the inner structure of the matrix and webs is constructed as a homogeneous part of moulding the hull itself.”

Fortunately, no lives were lost when Polina Star sank in July 2015, but the Russian owner is still trying to resolve insurance liabilities. Oyster Yachts said it was in the process of addressing the issue.

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What Happened to the Polina Star III? New Oyster 90 Sinks off Spain

Surprisingly, the only reporting that we have seen of the sinking is in the Oyster statement posted on their website  on July 24th. The statement goes on to say:

Oyster used industry standard Classification Society rules for the design of the vessel and the calculations have been analysed by an independent expert in composite construction. He has verified that the design, which incorporates an internal structure not used in any other Oyster yachts, has appropriate safety factors. Another expert in composites has been engaged to provide a finite element analysis, which is being supported by ultrasonic tests and inspections of mouldings of the other Oyster 825s. Oyster is also in discussion with another Classification Society for an overall review of the design and the processes being used now to establish cause and a senior composite surveyor, recently retired from Lloyds Register, will assist in the verification process.

Oyster has no reason to believe that any other yachts in the range are in any way at risk. The structures and mouldings of the other Oyster 825s (two currently on the water and three in build) are being investigated to ensure that these yachts are safe, seaworthy and built to the exacting design standards that Oyster adopts.

Thanks to Smackdaddy on the SailNet.com forum for passing along the news.

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Oyster Yacht sank and five crew rescued after ‘incident that compromised hull integrity’

Oyster Marine issues an official statement on the loss of a 90ft Oyster which sank with five crew on board off the Spanish coast in July. As published by Yachting World.

Published 9 years ago, updated 5 years ago

Read the full story at http://www.yachtingworld.com/

An Oyster yacht that sank off the coast of Spain in July may have foundered following a hull failure. Polina Star III was a 90ft extended version of the Oyster 825. She sank on 4 July and her five crew, two Italians and three Russians, were rescued by the Spanish coastguard.

It is not yet clear if the yacht hit something in the water before sinking, but the loss is described as the result of ‘an incident that compromised the integrity of the moulded hull on 3 July’ before the yacht sank the following day. According to David Tydeman, CEO of Oyster Marine “the possibilities of contact have not been ruled out.”

Sources report that the crew were picked up from a liferaft and taken aboard a Spanish fishing vessel, Isabel y Andrés. The crew were safely taken to the port of San Pedro del Pinatar, in Murcia.

Unconfirmed reports on social media suggest that the yacht may have capsized before sinking.

Oyster Marine has issued a statement on the loss, saying that it is ‘the first of its kind in the company’s 42-year history.’ A statement by David Tydeman says the company is treating the sinking with ‘the utmost seriousness and [has] commenced an investigation to establish the cause.

‘Diving inspections of the hull on the seabed have been undertaken and through this, the possibility of impact with an underwater object propagating structural failure has not been ruled out. Recovery of the vessel will facilitate the further detailed investigation.’

Tydeman adds: ‘Oyster used industry standard Classification Society rules for the design of the vessel and the calculations have been analysed by an independent expert in composite construction. He has verified that the design, which incorporates an internal structure not used in any other Oyster yachts, has appropriate safety factors.

‘Another expert in composites has been engaged to provide a finite element analysis, which is being supported by ultrasonic tests and inspections of mouldings of the other Oyster 825s. Oyster is also in discussion with another Classification Society for an overall review of the design and the processes being used now to establish cause and a senior composite surveyor, recently retired from Lloyds Register, will assist in the verification process.

‘Oyster has no reason to believe that any other yachts in the range are in any way at risk. The structures and mouldings of the other Oyster 825s (two currently on the water and three in build) are being investigated to ensure that these yachts are safe, seaworthy and built to the exacting design standards that Oyster adopts.’

Spanish authorities have asked for the wreck to be removed and the insurers are said to be planning to refloat and salvage the yacht.

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Professional BoatBuilder Magazine

Oyster marine is bought and sold.

By Dan Spurr , Sep 27, 2018

With the 2015 sinking of an Oyster 825, U.K. boatbuilder Oyster Marine sank as well, into administration, and then was salvaged this year by Richard Hadida.

Last March, British entrepreneur Richard Hadida, 52, bought beleaguered Oyster Marine , which had been in administration only since February, a result of the Oyster 825 Polina Star III sinking off the coast of Spain in July 2015. It’s an interesting story, described in varying specificity online.

According to Captain Alessio Cannoni’s Wavetrain account , he and one crew were sailing the yacht off the coast of Spain on a sunny day in 18 knots of wind with 1.3m (4.3′) waves when suddenly there was a “strong noise with vibration from the hull” resulting in “big flooding in the engine room” and “water over the service batteries; all systems KO.” The yacht bore away, emergency bilge pumps activated, life rafts and ditch bags readied, and Mayday calls issued. Just six minutes passed before the keel “disconnected completely and the boat capsized.” Captain and crew were rescued a few hours later by a fishing boat.

Compromised laminate

The yacht and its keel were salvaged in October. Photographs accompanying Cannoni’s account show the entire outer skin of the hull ripped off in way of the keel area. The interior fiberglass grid is exposed. The keelbolts are intact and the entire keel still attached to the keel stub, which tore away from the hull. One photo caption reads: “A sample of the damaged laminate suggests it is very dry and was not thoroughly wetted out during construction.”

The 83′ (25m) yacht capsized and sank after losing its keel while sailing off the coast of Spain. This photo shows how the entire hull laminate in way of the keel was torn away.

In February 2018, the Russian owner of Polina Star III went public, creating a website to tell his side of the story, which makes serious accusations against Oyster Marine. Former Oyster CEO David Tydeman later stated that he attempted to make a deal with the yacht owner to build him a new yacht, but that effort was unsuccessful. The owner’s insurance company covered costs of the yacht but not associated costs of outfitting, crew, and distress.

26 more boats to build

Despite an £80-million order book, the company  filed for liquidation , stating only that it had been unable to secure the necessary financial support to continue, and also announcing the termination of 400 employees. With Hadida’s purchase of the firm that does business as Oyster Yachts, positions are being filled to complete the 26 hulls in varying stages of build. Kim Stubbs, credited with helping another British yachtbuilder, Sunseeker , regain profitability, was brought on board, and the services of designer Rob Humphreys were retained.

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Common Issues With Oyster Yachts

Last Updated by

Jacob Collier

August 30, 2022

Oyster Yachts is one of the biggest manufacturers of boats globally. But is it smooth sailing with them? What are some common issues with Oyster Yachts?

Oyster Yachts is a famous producer of sailing yachts. The company was founded in 1973 by Richard Matthews. Between 1974 and 2004, most of their products were designed by Holman and Pye, while most of the later designs were created by Rob Humphreys. A couple of years back, the company was sold after its reputation hit, and stopped making reliable yachts.

Over the years, the company has endured issues like narrow profit margins, lack of investment, and underperformance. However, on March 20 th , the company was taken over by the gaming software entrepreneur Richard Hadida. Only ten employees managed to survive the collapse into insolvency.

In February 2018, HIP investment announced that it would no longer fund Oyster Yachts. This came as a shock to all the people employed at the 45-year-old sailing giant. Soon after, the company faced a loss of 380 employees across Norfolk, Southampton, and Wroxham.

As devout sailing enthusiasts, we are compelled to share the story of Oyster Yachts and the issues it faced before getting back on its feet again.

Table of contents

‍ The Road to Bankruptcy

In July 2015, the Oyster 825 Polina Star III sank into the Mediterranean Sea after losing its keel somewhere near Spain. The 80-foot machine was launched only a year prior. A total of five crew members were on board when it sank. Having started in the Caribbean areas of Barbuda and Antigua, they had already covered a considerable portion of the ocean.

Things were looking just fine for the yacht. The day was sunny; the tides were close to 5 feet, while the wind was 18 knots. The Polina Star III crew members put in a jib while riffling the mainsail. Around two in the afternoon, the Hull started producing a loud noise, followed by a powerful vibration. The crew went into the engine room only to discover that it had been flooded.

They turned on the emergency pump immediately and then sent a distress call. Within five minutes, the hull detached from the sailboat, leading to the vessel turning over. Luckily, none of the crew members were injured in the accident, as they all managed to escape the wreck in their lifeboats. However, they did manage to videotape their sailboat drifting away. Later on, it was calculated that the torn trim area was almost 65 feet long.

It continued to drift well into the next day. From the site where the crash occurred, the vessel drifted for 15 miles. One of the steering wheels was broken, while the other was missing. It sank 4 miles away from the coast, where the depth was 130 feet.

When asked to explain what happened, the captain of the vessel said that there were issues with the keel even before the wreck took place. He also disclosed the things discovered during the warranty after the vessel was inducted into the shipyard. During the checkup, it was found that the keel’s ballast part didn’t fit well with the plastic fin on the hull due to loose and weak hull bolts.

The problem came back again in Antigua in 2014. However, the problem was swept under the carpet by the management since they didn’t want to endure the hassle of moving the vessel back to Europe for further inspections.

After the wrecked boat and its parts were collected from the water, there were no signs of collision that could have taken place after the boat drifted. The hull and the keel had no signs of collision, which is a sign that these parts didn’t come into contact with an underwater object, even after the boat drifted away.

Right after the events of July 2015, an investigation took place to discover the issues that led to the sinking of the ship. It was found that it was the issues in the vessel’s lamination that contributed to the sad demise of the Polina III Star.

Despite the isolated nature of the incident, it heavily blemished the reputation of the company. As a result, in the winter of 2018, it was announced by the company that it had gone bankrupt. The sinking of Polani III was a major hit to Oyster Yachts. It contributed to the financial demise of the company before it was taken over by Richard Hadida.

Toward the end of 2017, the company had an order book in excess of $80,000,000. Moreover, the company had also showcased its Oyster 745 model in early 2018, which was seen as a major breakthrough.

Richard Hadida Takes Over

Six weeks after the company went into administration, it was announced that it had been taken over by the famous gaming software entrepreneur Richard Hadida. After the company went into bankruptcy, it was looked after by KPMG as its administrator. KPMG was looking for someone that could take over as the owner of the sailboat manufacturer and look after its affairs.

The sum at which the deal was concluded was kept a secret. However, the deal included Oyster Marine Holdings, as well as Oyster Marine Limited. It means that everything from drawings, hull moldings, designs, and subsidiary shares had all been purchased.

Upon acquisition, the new boss, Richard Hadida, told the press that it had been a privilege and a pleasure for him to sail with Oyster Yachts for some years. He also said that he had fallen in love with the brand, the events it threw, as well as the Oyster family. He further said that his passion for the brand is what led him to purchase the company. He went on to praise the company and the people that established it and said that Oyster had been a strong household name within the global yachting fraternity.

Hadida also said that it was a moral obligation upon him as well as other yachting enthusiasts to save and preserve the prestigious yachting company. Right after taking over the firm, he said that it was about time some drastic decisions were taken to restore the firm to its former glory.

Soon after joining as the owner and the CEO of Oyster Yachts, Hadida's first priority was the 26 orders that were booked before the company went bankrupt. He also wanted to work on rehiring employees that had left the company after it faced a difficult time.

Four Years Down the Line

May 2022 has come, and it's been more than four years since Richard Hadida pulled Oyster Yachts out of the abyss. During the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2020-2021, the company moved into a very profitable position.

While speaking to the IBI, Oyster Yacht's deputy CEO Rebecca Bridgen said that despite the pandemic, the company continued to move forward. In addition to growth, she also said that the company has once again embarked on the journey toward profitability.

As far as the turnaround plan is concerned, it was set for 2019. According to Oyster Yacht Holdings Ltd, the core objective of this plan was to successfully reestablish its operations, which included the following.

• Sales and support

Here are a couple of things the new plan includes.

• New investment for facilities and equipment.
• Complete redesigning for the oyster yacht range.
• Upgrading of the design and product development process.
• Initiatives to build a skilled and sustainable workforce that underpins the future growth of the brand.

During the fiscal year 2020, the production turnover for the company was close to $19.8 million. However, while speaking to the IBI, Bridgen was hopeful that by 2022, the company would touch $50 million, which is more than double what they were making two years ago. Under Hadida’s visionary leadership, the founder, Richard Matthews, felt confident enough to rejoin the company.

People inside and outside the company are hopeful that the Hadida-Matthews duo would help the company embark on a profitable journey. Hadida’s entrepreneurship skills and Richard Matthews’s spirit will combine to become a double-edged sword, thus putting Oyster Yachts back on the map.

Hadida says that the new models have spiked the demand for their products. He has also revealed that the orders for 2022 have 90% coverage, while orders for some series are stretching up to 2023. He has further explained that the order book is strong across various series and also across various regions.

A great example of their success is the Oyster 565, which was released in 2019. So far, 16 pieces have been sold. Another popular model is the Oyster 495, which is also high in demand, and a considerable number have been sold so far. The company is working on yet another model, which will be available this year.

While things seem promising for the boat manufacturer, they cannot factor out the likelihood of failure. While Matthews and Hadida are working day and night to restore the firm to its former glory, the margin of failure is narrow.

The company was maligned considerably when its boat sank in 2018. They cannot afford such a massacre again, considering the hard work they have put in to bring the company back to its feet. It will take some time before we can deduce whether or not the company will thrive the way it should.

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Born into a family of sailing enthusiasts, words like “ballast” and “jibing” were often a part of dinner conversations. These days Jacob sails a Hallberg-Rassy 44, having covered almost 6000 NM. While he’s made several voyages, his favorite one is the trip from California to Hawaii as it was his first fully independent voyage.

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Oyster 565 yacht test: This bluewater cruiser marks the rebirth of a legend

• Toby Hodges
• January 9, 2020

Is this Oyster 565 the boat that secures the British yard’s future? Toby Hodges takes an exclusive test sail

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

For the sake of this iconic British brand, the new Oyster 565 can’t just be good, it has to be exceptional. Nothing less will do. When the Oyster 825 Polina Star III lost her keel and sank off the coast of Spain in July 2015, the fortune it subsequently cost Oyster directly contributed to the company going into receivership.

Its backers, Dutch firm HTP Investments, ceased to provide financial support in February 2018 and the company went into administration. When gaming software entrepreneur Richard Hadida bought Oyster six weeks later , many wondered how he could rebuild the credibility of the brand and turn the business around.

So all eyes were on the Oyster 565 when it launched at the Southampton Boat Show in September. This is the first completely new design under Hadida’s watch and it sits at the core of the British firm’s market. This is the yard’s most popular size, replacing the 56 (75 sold) and 575 (45 sold).

There is the option of an extended transom design with tender garage, but all owners so far have favoured this standard shape with davits for carrying a dinghy. This yacht has a substantial bathing platform, alongside which you can tie up the dinghy. Photo: Brian Carlin

Hadida has introduced some key developments to help it succeed. Oyster now moulds its hulls in-house rather than subcontracting this work, and he wanted third party oversight, so a Lloyd’s Register surveyor inspects all yachts in build once a week to approve the design, materials and build quality of the hulls and decks. This brings a level of assurance to new owners and should restore faith in the build quality.

The new owner introduced a diverse group of board members, including designer Rob Humphreys and sailor and former Formula 1 team boss Eddie Jordan as well as other business authorities. He also put the Oyster Rendezvous regattas and successful Oyster World Rally back on track. However, this groundwork counts for nothing if the Oyster 565 flops.

I travelled to Barcelona to spend two days testing Panthalassa , the first 565 to launch. Knowing there is a huge amount riding on this model, I wondered whether it would deliver. The answer is a resounding yes. The Oyster 565 is one of the finest production yachts I have ever sailed.

The design is contemporary and sympathetic to Oyster’s existing line-up, but with more volume, comfort, simplicity, speed and stowage space than its predecessors. The deck and interior layout is right up to date, the engineering behind the scenes is of high quality, and the finish is a step beyond what almost any other production yard can offer.

Article continues below…

British tech entrepreneur buys Oyster Yachts, boat building to resume

Oyster Yachts has been bought from administrators by British gaming software entrepreneur Richard Hadida. Hadida won the bid from a…

Rustler 57 review: This traditional British cruiser was built to rule the waves

Rustler’s stunning new flagship, the Rustler 57 may cause you to re-evaluate what comfort is all about when cruising

Times have changed

I found the Oyster 565 berthed alongside an Oyster 56 in Port Ginesta, which conveniently illustrated how hull shapes and deck layouts have changed in 20 years. The Oyster 565 has around 30cm more freeboard, the beam is carried much further aft, and it has a broader transom. The cockpit in particular is much larger, easier and safer to get into, and there are no sheets for guests to trip over.

The design strikes a balance between respecting the legacy of the 56 and the ten-year-old Oyster 575 , and introducing modern features such as a flush foredeck, clean lines and a greater hull volume. Some traditional cruisers may mourn the loss of a skeg-hung rudder and cutter-rigged headsails, but the ease with which you can handle this Oyster 565 in most conditions should convince the majority that modern design wins here.

A robust bowsprit extends the yacht’s length to 59ft. Although the hull length of the new Oyster 565 is shorter than the 575 it replaces, its waterline length is longer and it boasts 10% more volume. Its full bow sections also create space for a sail locker, a crucial asset for stowing the offwind sail needed to supplement the blade jib.

The Oyster 565 is clearly the product of a yard used to building high-end large yachts, as opposed to one pushing up in size into a level of engineering and quality with which it is less familiar. This is perhaps why Oyster describes it as a ‘pocket superyacht ’.

In this respect, the appointment of Paul Adamson as Oyster’s chief commercial officer was shrewd. Adamson is a seasoned Oyster skipper who took Eddie Jordan’s Oyster 885 Lush around the world (the yacht now belongs to Richard Hadida). He brings practical, hands-on expertise and big-boat knowledge to the yard.

The Oyster 565’s £1.5m price tag is steep, but it is comparable to similar-sized yachts from competitor brands and, unusually, comes with a very high standard spec. This includes hydraulic thrusters, furlers, and windlass, tri-radial sails, powered winches, a generator and a full electronic navigation package. You’ll even find 100m of 12mm chain in the anchor locker.

Secure side decks and great views in and out. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

The Oyster 565 comes ready to go, with all the equipment the company knows will make for comfortable ocean cruising , gleaned from decades of experience and owner feedback.

It is immediately obvious as soon as you go on board that every detail has been thought through. The high guardrails have boarding gates built in. If berthed stern-to, a cassette-style passerelle (an extra option) extends at the push of a button, and its handrail rises automatically. Moving forward between the twin wheels, you enter a generous-sized, deep centre cockpit.

A bluewater yacht needs to have a kindly motion at sea, be easy it is to sail and remain comfortable when heeled. During our trials, the Oyster 565 was to prove genteel, safe and enjoyable to sail.

Powering to weather under blade jib. There is a large sail locker forward, removable dorades and a huge ‘skylight’ hatch above the forward cabin. Photo: Brian Carlin

The 565 is simplicity itself to get on and off a berth. It comes with retractable bow and stern thrusters as standard, which allow you to spin the boat around its keel. The hydraulic thrusters are powerful enough to park sideways against a crosswind and easily correct any misalignment when approaching the dock.

Easier sailhandling

The hydraulic furling makes it equally simple to deploy sails even in a strong breeze or awkward seaway. I am not usually a fan of in-mast furling mainsails, but here the ability for one person to set and furl away the main without leaving the helm outweighs any negatives.

Oyster has also ensured that you can manually furl sails should the power or hydraulics fail. Both the mainsail and jib furlers have sockets that allow you to winch the sail by hand or, easier still, operate them with a cordless drill (a fully charged 18V drill will reportedly manage 15 mainsail furls).

The Oyster 565 is the first all-new model to be launched since the yard’s 2018 buyout. Photo: Brian Carlin

The blade jib enables the Oyster 565 to point higher and tack or gybe faster and more easily than previous Oysters with cutter rigs, and without the risk of yankee or genoa sheets whipping around the cockpit. It also proved the ideal sail for our long beats upwind in 12-20 knot winds. The Oyster 565 is a powerful design with a medium displacement, able to maintain consistent speed with a soft motion through the waves that makes for a quiet and comfortable ship.

The twin rudders provide the helmsman with total control and forgiving handling. When the apparent breeze reached the high 20s and the leeward gunwale was immersed, we were on the verge of needing a reef, yet the helm remained light, with only a slight increase in weather helm. This means light work for an autopilot. You can really load the boat, so would need to keep an eye on true wind speeds and when to reduce sail.

The test yacht’s bright red asymmetric spinnaker helped us get the most from the Oyster 565 offwind. Again it was the consistent speeds that stood out: 9-9.5 knots in flat water with winds in the low teens, rising to double figures when going with the swell. Once the breeze was up to a Force 5 on our second day we were sailing consistently at 10 knots. I was hooked: this is an indulgent way to tick off mile after mile.

The cockpit is split into helming and guest areas. The latter has deep benches, a large, fixed table with insulated cool box, a good sprayhood with large, clear panels and an optional bimini or full cockpit enclosure. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Most sail controls and sheets are within reach of the twin pedestals yet clear of the guest cockpit. When standing at the helm it is possible to straddle the coaming to release a sheet or reach the powered winch buttons during a tack.

Short-handed control

For owners who want to sail short-handed, however, it might be more practical to have the primaries closer to the helms, allowing them to hand steer the boat through a tack rather than relying on an autopilot. Leading the jib sheet to the aft (spinnaker) winch might make more sense, as it is closer to the helm and easier to reach without leaving the cockpit.

The mainsheet winch is directly abaft and in reach of the helmsman. It feels awkward turning round to trim the main, but I guess it is something you would get used to, or would settle for engaging the autopilot before trimming the main. There is currently no option for a traveller. Adamson believes that, for most owners, clear access to the cockpit is paramount, and a powerful vang was chosen to control the main instead.

Safe and secure on deck

The distance between the two wheels is perfect. Footwells help ensure that you feel in, rather than on top of, the boat while helming – that was not always the case on previous models. And wraparound backrests at the seats and handrails on the pedestals both create a feeling of security around the helm areas.

Moving forward along the wide side decks also feels safe thanks to high guardrails and handrails along the coachroof. Outboard shrouds and inboard jib tracks leave a comparatively clear side deck. The shrouds disappear neatly into composite chainplates below the toerail.

Going below feels less secure when the Oyster 565 is heeled, however. The flat companionway steps are steep, and curved sides would be more practical. The interior has plenty of handholds and solid fiddles, but there is so much headroom in the saloon I could only just reach the overhead handrail on the centreline.

When sailing, you have this hypnotic view from the saloon of the sea foaming past the leeward hull windows. Photo: Toby Hodges

It is easier to move forward along the starboard side of the saloon, though, and elsewhere the layout suits life at an angle. It is remarkably quiet below decks, a hush belied by the mesmerising sight of the sea foaming past the big leeward hull windows.

Behind the scenes

The British yard has stuck to a tried and tested interior layout for the Oyster 565 and has furnished and finished it impeccably. The standard of joiner work is as good as any you’ll find at production yacht level. The galley and aft cabin would be hard to better, and the utility cabin amidships, a workroom-cum-laundry with an optional pilot berth and access to the walk-in engine room, further compliments the proven layout.

Unusually at this size, Oyster offers the option of a master cabin forward with two double cabins aft. But unless you plan to spend long periods berthed stern-to, the standard owner suite aft with the magnificent views it provides will surely win every time.

The ensuite owner’s aft cabin has an abundance of light and views, good headroom and stowage – it’s difficult to believe you’re actually aboard a yacht of less than 60ft. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Every part of the accommodation is used to its full potential, and stowage is maximised without any part feeling cramped. Practical touches include the cedar-lined, lit and ventilated wardrobes, clever use of indirect lighting, and deeply fiddled work surfaces that are shaped, moulded and laminated in-house.

However, it’s what lies behind the scenes that impressed me most. All services are easy to access for maintenance. The headlining is mounted on Velcro, while floorboards use the Fastmount panel system – although Oyster really needs to find a way to stop these sole panels creaking as it spoils an otherwise quiet interior.

Look below the saloon sole and you’ll find a proper, deep bilge sump in the keel stub. Bilges throughout the boat drain here through limber holes, which ensures any water stays in the lowest part and doesn’t slosh around. This is the most logical place for bilge pumps and by mounting them on removable plates Oyster has ensured they can easily be lifted to clean the strainers.

Sole boards lift to allow access to underfloor systems and the deep bilge. Photo: Toby Hodges

Installed beneath the companionway are two large bronze seawater inlets, one for the domestic side, such as fridge and air con, the other for the engine and generator. These systems are linked so that if one becomes blocked you can shut it down and use the other. It is also comforting to see the surrounding pipes all clearly labelled ‘Lloyds approved’.

The companionway steps lift for stowage and access to the top of the 11kW generator. Here you notice the thickness of the sound insulation. Adamson says Oyster has learned a lot about this through building its larger models. The engine room, for example, is surrounded by plywood with a high-density core and insulated with a composite of foam and sound-absorbing materials. When the engine is on tickover, it is almost impossible to hear it in the cockpit.

See more pictures and videos of the Oyster 565 on the official Oyster Yachts website.

Besides walk-in access to starboard, panels below the galley sink can be removed for access to the port side of the engine room. The engine block sits on flexible mountings, below which is a sump that prevents any oil from running into the main bilge area. There is an electronic pump-out for an oil change, a powered fuel polisher and a water-in-fuel alarm – systems normally only found on larger yachts.

The longer you look, the more you appreciate the careful planning and the intricate detail that has gone into this yacht.

The Oyster 565 is a seriously impressive yacht. It’s a modern design, through and through: good-looking and spacious. It’s certainly expensive, but for good reason, as it includes an extremely high standard spec. And the engineering quality and level of finish really raises the bar. No yacht is perfect, but in terms of design and execution the Oyster 565 is as close as you’ll find on a series-built cruising yacht. This new model issues a very clear statement: Oyster is back.

Soviet Band of ‘Vigilantes’ Is a Youth Gang Known for Beating Nonconformists

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A gang of thugs was suddenly thrust into the spotlight this week when Soviet officials said gang members, who they called “vigilantes,” broke up demonstrations by dissidents.

The gang, named “Lyubers” after the Moscow suburb Lyubertsy where most of them live, roams the streets of the capital at night, beating punk rockers and other nonconformist teen-agers and robbing black marketeers.

According to press accounts, Lyubers mix Russian nationalism with right-wing philosophy, body-building and martial arts. The gang “uniform” consists of voluminous checked pants, tight white shirts and narrow black ties.

‘Vigilantes’ Blamed

On Thursday, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Gennady I. Gerasimov, said “home-grown vigilantes,” apparently from the Lyubers gang, not plainclothes security agents, were responsible for roughing up demonstrators seeking emigration rights and the release of a Jewish activist from prison.

It was clear at the scene that the burly men who beat the demonstrators and some Western reporters were not teen-age thugs, but agents backed by police and the KGB secret police.

However, it was very unusual for a Soviet official to acknowledge the existence of such a gang, especially in a news briefing for Western reporters. Teen-age gangs are nothing new to Moscow, but they have rarely been given any attention in the official press.

Opposed to Hippies

The magazine Ogonyok said in a recent article that Lyubers are opposed to nonconformist youths, including hippies, punk rockers, heavy metal fans known as metallists and break dancers.

“Hippies, punks and metallists shame the Soviet way of life,” gang member Boris Taranov, 17, told Ogonyok. “We want to clean them out of the capital.”

The magazine said police know about the activities of the Lyubers but have not been able to take action “for the simple reason that hippies, punks and metallists who have suffered from the Lyubers don’t go to the police.”

The magazine said many Lyubers seem to believe in this “philosophy” but others simply use it as an excuse to beat and rob fellow Muscovites, especially black marketeers who usually carry large sums of money.

No Estimates of Size

There are no estimates on the size of the gang. A gang leader, asked by an Ogonyok reporter how many people he could assemble in a few hours, said a conservative estimate was 200.

The gang members practice boxing, wrestling, judo, karate and weightlifting in basement gymnasiums built from the proceeds of selling stolen goods, Ogonyok said.

“Lyubers practically don’t drink, they don’t smoke and as far as we know, they don’t take drugs,” reporter Vladimir Yakovlev wrote in an article for the magazine.

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 MiG 3 main list    +

 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 3 172IAP For the Party of Bolsheviks with Nikolai Sheyenko May 1942 01

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3

National origin:- Soviet Union Role:- Fighter Interceptor Manufacturer:- Mikoyan-Gurevich Designer:- First flight:- 29th October 1940 Introduction:- 1941 Status:- Retired 1945 Produced:- 1940-1941 Number built:- 3,422 Primary users:- Soviet Air Forces (VVS); Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO); Soviet Naval Aviation Developed from:- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 Variants:- Mikoyan-Gurevich I-211 Operational history MiG-3s were delivered to frontline fighter regiments beginning in the spring of 1941 and were a handful for pilots accustomed to the lower-performance and docile Polikarpov I-152 and I-153 biplanes and the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane. It remained tricky and demanding to fly even after the extensive improvements made over the MiG-1. Many fighter regiments had not kept pace in training pilots to handle the MiG and the rapid pace of deliveries resulted in many units having more MiGs than trained pilots during the German invasion. By 1 June 1941, 1,029 MIG-3s were on strength, but there were only 494 trained pilots. In contrast to the untrained pilots of the 31st Fighter Regiment, those of the 4th Fighter Regiment were able to claim three German high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft shot down before war broke out in June 1941. However high-altitude combat of this sort was to prove to be uncommon on the Eastern Front where most air-to-air engagements were at altitudes well below 5,000 metres (16,000 ft). At these altitudes the MiG-3 was outclassed by the Bf 109 in all respects, and even by other new Soviet fighters such as the Yakovlev Yak-1. Furthermore, the shortage of ground-attack aircraft in 1941 forced it into that role as well, for which it was totally unsuited. Pilot Alexander E. Shvarev recalled: "The Mig was perfect at altitudes of 4,000 m and above. But at lower altitudes it was, as they say, 'a cow'. That was the first weakness. The second was its armament: weapons failure dogged this aircraft. The third weakness was its gunsights, which were inaccurate: that's why we closed in as much as we could and fired point blank." On 22 June 1941, most MiG-3s and MiG-1s were in the border military districts of the Soviet Union. The Leningrad Military District had 164, 135 were in the Baltic Military District, 233 in the Western Special Military District, 190 in the Kiev Military District and 195 in the Odessa Military District for a total of 917 on hand, of which only 81 were non-operational. An additional 64 MiGs were assigned to Naval Aviation, 38 in the Air Force of the Baltic Fleet and 26 in the Air Force of the Black Sea Fleet. The 4th and 55th Fighter Regiments had most of the MiG-3s assigned to the Odessa Military District and their experiences on the first day of the war may be taken as typical. The 4th, an experienced unit, shot down a Romanian Bristol Blenheim reconnaissance bomber, confirmed by postwar research, and lost one aircraft which crashed into an obstacle on takeoff. The 55th was much less experienced with the MiG-3 and claimed three aircraft shot down, although recent research confirms only one German Henschel Hs 126 was 40% damaged, and suffered three pilots killed and nine aircraft lost. The most unusual case was the pair of MiG-3s dispatched from the 55th on a reconnaissance mission to PloieÅŸti that failed to properly calculate their fuel consumption and both were forced to land when they ran out of fuel. Most of the MiG-3s assigned to the interior military districts were transferred to the PVO where their lack of performance at low altitudes was not so important. On 10 July 299 were assigned to the PVO, the bulk of them belonging to the 6th PVO Corps at Moscow, while only 293 remained with the VVS, and 60 with the Naval Air Forces, a total of only 652 despite deliveries of several hundred aircraft. By 1 October, on the eve of the German offensive towards Moscow codenamed Operation Typhoon, only 257 were assigned to VVS units, 209 to the PVO, and 46 to the Navy, a total of only 512, a decrease of 140 fighters since 10 July, despite deliveries of over a thousand aircraft in the intervening period. By 5 December, the start of the Soviet counter-offensive that drove the Germans back from the gates of Moscow, the Navy had 33 MiGs on hand, the VVS 210, and the PVO 309. This was a total of 552, an increase of only 40 aircraft from 1 October. Over the winter of 1941-42 the Soviets transferred all of the remaining MiG-3s to the Navy and PVO so that on 1 May 1942 none were left on strength with the VVS. By 1 May 1942, Naval Aviation had 37 MiGs on strength, while the PVO had 323 on hand on 10 May. By 1 June 1944, the Navy had transferred all its aircraft to the PVO, which reported only 17 on its own strength, and all of those were gone by 1 January 1945. Undoubtedly more remained in training units and the like, but none were assigned to combat units by then.

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Moscow missile plant ablaze in apparent drone attack

Tomilinsky Electronic Plant research and production enterprise in Lyubertsy, Moscow Oblast, is reportedly ablaze after a drone attack on Sep. 1, according to our sister publication, Ukrainska Pravda .

The Tomilinsky plant is under sanctions by the Ukrainian government as it manufactures electronics for Russian missile systems.

The plant was attacked in an operation directed by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), who believe they have achieved their aim, a well-informed source told Ukrainska Pravda.

The HUR has thus far refused to publicly confirm or deny its involvement. The agency’s spokesman, Andriy Yusov, commented that Russian state media had issued "a mountain" of lies about the attack and said that "cotton has really blossomed" at the plant in Lyubertsy on Friday.

Explosions in Russia or Russian-held territory far behind the frontlines are popularly referred to in Ukraine as “bavovna”, or “cotton” in English.

Drones tried to attack the Russian capital on Sept. 1 , said Moscow mayor Serhiy Sobyanin, adding that one drone was allegedly shot down near Lyubertsy.

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron !

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

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