She crossed first over the line, clocking an overall elapsed time of 06:57:49, over 10 minutes faster than her closest competitor as well as recording the fastest time in the overall ISCRS category in the last 10 years – an incredible achievement.
Conditions for Saturday’s race were tough with wind speed of Force 7 and gusting Force 9, the sea state choppy for the whole race, yet XoXo remained steady and safe, taking the challenging conditions in her stride. Her performance is testament to the design and uncompromising strength of construction of the Oyster 595. The fact that XoXo was originally built, commissioned and is equipped for cruising the world on the Oyster World Rally 2026-27 — stacked with every kitchen appliance, a watermaker, air conditioning system and all the comforts of home — makes this victory even more impressive.
Richard Hutchings, owner of XoXo, said: "We had a great Round the Island Race, improving on last year's 3rd place. She’s an incredible boat, fast and safe in those harsh conditions with the wind gusting Force 9 and 3 metre waves. We always felt secure and comfortable. Coming first across the line and first overall of the 400 boats in the ISC rating system is a testament to how good this boat is."
Oyster yachts open a world to adventure. Built with over 20 million bluewater miles and more than 100 circumnavigations of experience, they have earned their reputation as the preeminent expert in bluewater cruising and luxury adventure. Oysters are effortless to sail, light and agile on the helm, delivering exhilarating performance and consistently fast, comfortable passage-making speeds. Built to last a lifetime — reassuringly safe, strong and uncompromising in their structure, our yachts feature exquisite time-honoured, hand craftsmanship, robust engineering and flawless quality. They are equipped to take owners anywhere in the world in unparalleled luxury, comfort and reassuring safety.
Ashley Highfield, CEO, said: “To have a third consecutive Oyster on the podium at the world’s largest sailing race is an incredible testament to our yachts. We have now podiumed with the Oyster 495 and 595, which demonstrates the capability of our yachts for speed as well as comfort, not to mention the strength of construction. Oysters are fully equipped to sail around the world, packed with many extras that racing yachts aren’t equipped with, and yet they’re still fast enough to win this world famous event. Our congratulations go to Oyster 595 XoXo and her crew for their second podium in two years, what an achievement.”
Image credit Paul Wyeth.
OYSTER 595
A beautifully proportioned, luxury 60 foot sailboat, with customised build solutions and effortless shorthanded sailing capability
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