Oyster World Rally

Yes, you must own an Oyster Yacht to enter. If you are not yet an owner, we would be delighted to build you a new boat or help you find a brokerage Oyster.

The Oyster World rally is an event that sails around the world. All entries must sign up for the whole rally.

The rally entry fee is calculated according to the length of your yacht. Details of costs can be found in the Notice of Event.

Yes, due to event logistics and average yacht speed, the minimum yacht length that can enter the Oyster World Rally is 45 feet.

The answer very much depends on if you already own an Oyster yacht, whether you plan to sail her yourself or take professional crew, and your sailing experience. If you are an Oyster owner and plan to sail her yourself and at least one member of crew has their RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualification, we recommend at least two years of preparation and positioning for the Rally. Bear in mind Oyster’s Rally training programme runs for 18 months prior to the start of the event.

If you are considering building a new Oyster yacht for the Rally we recommend a three to four years preparation period. Typically, you should allow two years for the purchase, specification and build process. This period could easily be longer if there are extended waiting times on build slots for certain models. Once she is in the water, we recommend at least 12 months to shake down and familiarise yourself with your Oyster. You then need to factor in time to position her for the Rally start in Antigua, which typically means late September before the start in January, dependant on your home port.

For those considering a Brokerage boat for the Rally, we recommend a two to three years preparation period. This allows for a minimum of 12 months to find and purchase your ideal yacht, but it can take much longer. Then factor in the inevitable refit to meet your requirements. This will be your home for at least 20 months so it’s important she meets your every need. Dependant on waiting times, a typical Rally refit can take three to nine months. Once she is Rally-ready, we recommend a familiarisation period of 12 months to fully understand sailing style and features.

Other considerations worth factoring into your preparation timescales include sail training and qualifications; planning and sourcing your spares (Oyster After Sales can help here); ensuring you have the correct charts and pilot books for the Rally route; and deciding how you want to personalise your adventure on or off the Rally route, which Oyster’s Concierge Team would be delighted to help with.

We do not allow chartered yachts to enter the Rally, you must own your Oyster yacht.

The next Oyster World Rally sets sail on 18 January 2026 from Antigua.

Yes, once your entry has been accepted, there is an extensive pre-rally training programme run by our events team and suppliers, as well as regular interactive meetings and social get-togethers.

The World Rally lasts for 16 months and is designed to make the most of global weather and wind patterns.

Yes, a member of the Technical, Logistics and Concierge team will greet the fleet at all major destinations, offering services and support.

Yes, Oyster’s dedicated support team is included in the entry fee and they will be on hand to help you from the moment you sign up, to the day you become a circumnavigator.

Oyster have run three successful World Rallies in 2013, 2017, 2022. The Oyster World Rally 2024-25 is currently running. There are future rallies scheduled for 2026 and 2028.