How 30 Oyster Yachts Are Embarking on the Ultimate Luxe Adventure Around the World

An impromptu birthday celebration on a tiny, almost-deserted Fijian island for a stranger is not what you would expect to happen during a round-the-world sailing rally. But it’s one of the most memorable experiences Gakyung Chung has had since she and husband Robert Kirkman set off on the 2024-25 edition of the Oyster World Rally aboard their Oyster 575 named Aurora.

On the island, which has no running water or electricity, the pair met Mua, who moved there to take care of his aging father, a former village chief. After inviting them to dinner, Mua asked if they could pick up his wife with their tender from a neighboring island, where she lives and works at a resort. “Robert baked a cake for her and we had a feast on this incredible beach with people we didn’t know,” Chung says. “Mua’s wife was moved to tears.”

Such are the chance encounters that many Oyster owners have experienced in the group circumnavigations that the British brand has organized almost every two years since 2013.

A flotilla of Oysters set off from Antigua to circumnavigate the globe, stopping at cruising destinations that most sailors only dream of. Oyster Yachts

The only one of its kind, the rally has seen a huge surge in interest from Oyster owners, who could best be described as luxury adventurers. Oysters are generally considered in the global cruising community as thoroughbred bluewater yachts that can go anywhere.

During this round-the-world cruise, which started at the beginning of 2024, 30 yachts will sail a whopping 27,000 nautical miles from Antigua, ending in that same Lesser Antilles nation next June.

Among the 27 ports of call during the 16-month circumnavigation are the Galapagos islands, Tahiti, the Cocos islands, and Reunion—remote, bucket-list destinations most sailors will only dream about. The world tour blends pristine, aquamarine waters, fascinating wildlife and islanders who give the Oyster owners a warm welcome. Some cruising grounds, like the Galapagos and San Blas islands, are off limits to most sailors, accessible only with a special permit.

More than 1,000 Oyster owners applied to do the next rally. Only 30 will be accepted. Oyster Yachts

But this is not to be confused with a race. The rally entails slow and steady sailing, taking advantage of the trade winds to go downwind, generally in warm climates. In other words, every sailor’s dream.

To make life easier, Oyster provides technical team service boats to deal with any problems that arise and a concierge logistics team that assists with customs clearance and organizes experiences ashore, among other things.

The upcoming 2028-29 edition has seen 1,100 owners vie for one of the 30 places, kept to that number in order to accommodate every boat in small harbors. Chung and Kirkman hadn’t even planned to participate, up until the pandemic.

Idyllic scenes like this home on stilts in Tuamotos, French Polynesia, were a common sight. Oyster Yachts

The couple, retired surgeons based in Seattle, previously owned a Dufour 460 Grand Large, which they sailed in the Pacific Northwest. Chung admits she was a champagne sailor. “Bob is the real sailor,” she says. “I didn’t want to have anything to do with hands-on sailing which I found very intimidating.” For his part, Bob didn’t have aspirations for anything more than coastal cruising, so their sailing career seemed set.  

During lockdown, Chung found herself questioning their way of life, following a promotion she received. Instead of enjoying it, she found herself working harder than ever.

One day she spotted “a really pretty boat” for sale online with an in-mast furling mainsail, which Chung felt would be a safer option for her sailor spouse. When she showed him the listing, Kirkman said, “That’s an Oyster. It’s for people who want to do really big adventures. And it’s also very expensive.”

Gunkholing in Antigua. Oyster Yachts

Chung then discovered the rally and told him if they bought an Oyster, they could do the adventure. “We retired and completely changed the direction of our lives,” she says. For two years, the couple prepared for the rally, familiarizing themselves with their boat, which also entailed sailing the Caribbean for a season.

Departing from Antigua in January 2024, with two professional crew, the rally kickoff proved “exciting, nerve-wracking and very emotional,” Chung says, partly because they were now committed to the adventure, but also because she knew it would bring memories of a lifetime.

Gakyung Chung and Robert Kirkland aboard their Aurora, chatting with the owners of Mastegot.

The pair were in Queensland, Australia, for instance, during the annual humpback whale migration. “Whales were there with their babies. It was an unbelievable feeling to hear whale song echo through the hull, even though they’re miles away,” Chung says. “All these experiences come at you magnified and amplified.”

As any veteran cruiser knows, circumnavigations aren’t all palm trees and plain sailing. The boat was challenged during the passage from Vanuatu to Australia by a lightning storm. “We were the only mast out there in 60-knot winds. One of our crew had food poisoning. It was hard,” says Chung.

Text messages from fellow rally participants, following Aurora via AIS tracker, kept their spirits from flagging. “It’s comforting to know you’re not alone. You are part of a tribe,” says Chung.

A traditional dance in Mo’orea, French Polynesia. Oyster Yachts

The experience has also impacted Chung’s mindset. “I learned that I actually have a good capacity to adapt, change and evolve,” she says. “This cruise makes you look at your life and think ‘why did I need all this stuff to be happy’?”

For other round-the-world sailors, the greatest thrill has been the adrenaline-spiking adventure. Pau Serracanta i Marcet and Helena de Felipe Sempere from Barcelona are avid surfers, always searching for the next big break.

At one point, the pair raced ahead of the fleet to reach Indonesia, to search out the best surf spots. “We found some fantastic locations, including the islands of Lombok and Sabu,” says Serracanta i Marcet.

At anchor in Panama’s untouched San Blas islands. Oyster Yachts

Mastegot, an Oyster 595 whose name means “a big slap in your face” in Catalan, is their seventh boat and second Oyster. A surfer of more than 30 years, Serracanta i Marcet says discovering places to surf with one’s own boat is “truly a dream.”

Their Oyster has an entire cabin dedicated to surfing gear. “We found some of the best surfing in Moorea. The waves are very good but the landscape is majestic. You see mountains, a rainbow and water so clear, you feel like flying over the reef,” he says.

Serracanta i Marcet, who dreamt of circling the world by boat as a child, says the rally’s technical support has been an asset, especially on their maiden circumnavigation, so they would feel comfortable continuing on their own. “Our plan is to sail for the next 10 years,” he says.

Owners from all over the world bond on the 16-month rally. Oyster Yachts

Patrick Blaney, an experienced sailor, invested in an Oyster 675 with his brother Hugh specifically to participate in the rally. The brothers named it Rí-Rá after a Gaelic phrase that translates to “fun and some degree of mayhem” in English.

Having previously owned bluewater yachts, Blaney spent years cruising with his family in Sweden, France, Spain, and Iceland; he also crossed the Atlantic several times. He had long wanted to circumnavigate the globe, but work demands had stopped him. Blaney has remained active with his businesses during the rally, communicating via Starlink satellite with suppliers and customers.

The Galapagos, among many other beautiful islands, were one of the stops. Oyster Yachts

What Blaney has enjoyed the most is the quality time spent with family, including nieces and nephews, who have flown out to join them for different legs of the rally. “Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are sacrosanct. Devices are banished and people get to talk,” he says. “When I finish this, I plan to spend more time smelling the roses and less time working.”

In the meantime, Blaney will still have six months to enjoy exploring the rest of the world. “I haven’t worn a pair of shoes on the boat in almost a year,” he says. “It feels like freedom.”

How 30 Oyster Yachts Are Embarking on the Ultimate Luxe Adventure Around the World

How 30 Oyster Yachts Are Embarking on the Ultimate Luxe Adventure Around the World

How 30 Oyster Yachts Are Embarking on the Ultimate Luxe Adventure Around the World

How 30 Oyster Yachts Are Embarking on the Ultimate Luxe Adventure Around the World

How 30 Oyster Yachts Are Embarking on the Ultimate Luxe Adventure Around the World