Oyster Yachts has opened a new chapter in its 50-year bluewater history with the C60, the British builder’s first sailing catamaran. Unveiled at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival, the 60-foot project has been developed with Berret-Racoupeau after years of research into changing owner demand and the growing appeal of multihull space and stability.
Oyster is clear that monohull sailing yachts remain the core of its business. The C60 is instead intended to give existing and prospective owners another route into the Oyster ownership ecosystem when their cruising plans favour the volume, separation and platform characteristics of a catamaran.
Berret-Racoupeau brings multihull expertise
Oyster has partnered with Berret-Racoupeau for naval architecture and design, drawing on the French studio’s long experience with cruising multihulls. The brief was to use the advantages of two hulls without discarding the practical requirements that Oyster owners associate with long-distance passagemaking.
That means sail handling, visibility, maintenance access, storage and tender operation have been considered alongside interior volume. A bluewater catamaran has to work at sea for weeks at a time, so attractive harbour spaces are only one part of the design problem.
110 square metres of connected living space
Oyster says the C60 provides around 110 square metres of connected interior and exterior space. The broad platform creates large social areas while still allowing the owner and guests to separate into more private zones during longer periods aboard.
The owner’s suite is divided from guest and crew accommodation and incorporates Oyster’s triple Seascape windows for natural light and sea views. Three additional en-suite guest cabins provide family and visitor accommodation, with dedicated crew space supporting more formal or long-range operation.
Bluewater clearance remains central
The builder quotes up to one metre of bridgedeck clearance, a critical figure for a cruising catamaran because clearance influences slamming as waves pass beneath the central structure. Oyster is emphasising offshore capability rather than presenting the C60 only as a spacious coastal platform.
Substantial tankage and onboard capacity are also part of the long-range brief. The yacht is intended to move between extended ocean passages and relaxed coastal cruising without forcing the owner into two different types of boat for those programmes.
Owner research drove the move into catamarans
Oyster says the decision followed discussions with current owners, previous owners who had moved to different yacht types and prospective clients who liked the brand but preferred a multihull. The C60 is therefore a response to observed customer migration rather than a sudden attempt to follow a fashion.
That distinction matters for brand credibility. Oyster has built its reputation around monohull sailing, so entering catamarans risks confusing long-term customers unless the new model can demonstrate that familiar support, build quality and ocean capability survive the change in hull form.
The ownership network comes with the yacht
C60 owners will have access to Oyster’s global service network, after-sales team, Bluewater Academy and owner programmes including the Oyster World Rally and Explorers Club. The builder is treating those services as part of the product rather than leaving catamaran customers outside its established community.
The Cannes launch will test whether that ecosystem is strong enough to attract sailors who previously would not have considered an Oyster. At 60 feet, the C60 stays well below 24 metres while giving the company a platform with substantially more beam and living area than a monohull of similar length.
Oyster is testing whether brand loyalty crosses hull forms
The C60 may prove especially important among existing Oyster owners who admire the company's service network and bluewater culture but now want the space and stability of a catamaran. Those customers already understand the value of the World Rally, training and after-sales support, so the question is whether the multihull can deliver those familiar ownership benefits without feeling like a departure from what made the brand distinctive.
For new customers, the calculation runs in the opposite direction. Experienced catamaran buyers can compare the C60 with established multihull specialists and decide whether Oyster's monohull heritage adds meaningful build discipline, ocean experience and owner support. Cannes is therefore not just a model launch; it is a test of whether a strong brand identity can stretch successfully into a fundamentally different hull form. Owner feedback after the first long passages will be especially important.
