Now in their 20th year, the final decision was made by twelve jury members from across Europe, renowned for their extensive knowledge and respected as leading voices in the industry.   The jury members spend several days at sea in the autumn of 2022, gathering data on the boat’s performance, design, sail plans and manufacturing quality.  The results are assessed, and the final winners were announced at a sparkling gala event at boot Düsseldorf on Saturday evening.

Rewriting the rulebook of what is expected from a yacht of her size, the Oyster 495’s range of features are distilled from the luxury Bluewater builder’s larger yachts. The iconic Oyster styling is obvious; she is effortless to sail; delivers consistently fast passage speeds; and features contemporary new generation luxury interiors.

The judges were full of praise for the ‘pocket rocket’ luxury blue water cruiser with Jochen Rieker, Chair of the Judges and Editor of Yacht, commenting: “[The Oyster 495 is] So reassuringly strong, so surprisingly quick in straight line speed, so great to helm, so easy to handle and so, so comfortable if you want to retreat to her living quarters!”.

Toby Hodges, UK judge and Yachting World journalist said, “At its heart is a wonderfully (Humphreys) designed and engineered luxury Bluewater cruiser conceived from the ground up, built in a new dedicated facility to a repeatable quality very few yards are capable of.”

While fellow Jury member Loic Madeleine, of Voiles et Voiliers commented “A true blue water cruiser that makes no compromise in terms of comfort, safety or sailing abilities.” and Alberto Mariotti of Vela e Motors added: “The entry level of the Oyster range brings with it the build quality and customisation typical of the yard’s largest models… perfect for a couple’s globetrotting dreams.”