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); and ensuring you have the correct charts and pilot books for the Rally route.
