Oyster Yachts has written a letter to the editor of Yacht Russia magazine, which investigated the loss of the second hull of Oyster 825. In the letter, the shipyard admitted mistakes made during construction of the boat.
Oyster Yachts has apologized to the boat's Russian owner and is considering a refund.
Yacht Russia published the results of their own investigation into the loss of Oyster 825 last November. The nearly new Oyster lost its ballast keel, along with its fin and a part of its hull shell, without any external influence, according to Oyster Chief Editor Arthur Grokhovsky, who had an opportunity to inspect the boat. The ballast keel was not bolted to the hull planking, but to the shell and inner bulkheads. This method of attachment is used on many yachts, but requires a good quality laminate.
YahaPolina Star III was launched in May 2014. It is a 27-metre version of the Oyster 825 series. In early July last year, the sailboat sank off the coast of Spain.
The yacht was owned by a Russian, one of the most famous figures in the field of Russian sailing, a member of the yacht club «Pirogovo» and the VFS Board of Trustees.
The full text of the Yacht Russia investigation can be read at this link.
