BoatsOyster 68

Oyster 68

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1990

A Holman & Pye designed cutter built for serious blue-water passage making with a stable, skeg-mounted rudder

Designed by Holman & Pye.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Oyster 68, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from City Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 52 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 52
CoastalBluewater

At 1.57 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.57
LightHeavy

249 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 249
EasygoingPowered-up

16.1 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.1
TenderStiff

29% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 29%

A capable offshore cruiser with an easy motion when the sea gets up.

  • Heavier than ~94% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 347 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Oyster 68, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Oyster 68 is a 20.6-meter cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Holman, Pye and built by Oyster Marine Ltd. and Landamores Yacht Builders since 1990. It features a fin keel with a rudder on skeg, a 5.3-meter beam, a 2.7-meter draft, and displaces 38,782 kg.0:45 Aboard *Lord Rank*, an Oyster 68 operated by the Ocean Youth Club, the boat accommodates up to 18 young people for voyages, with participants handling cooking, cleaning, watch standing, and sail work under qualified leaders.1:07 Aboard *Lord Rank*, team cohesion forms quickly due to the physical demands of working the boat, and sailing together has been observed to break down sectarian barriers among participants in Northern Ireland.3:01

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Oyster 68 on video

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
28.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
249.3
Comfort ratio
51.6
Capsize screening
1.57
Hull speed
9.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
3298
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1990
Designer
Holman, Pye
Builder
Oyster Marine Ltd, Landamores Yacht Builders

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Oyster 5617.47 mSame hull family3.1 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed bluewater cutter built for comfort and stability on long-distance passages
Oyster 56' Yacht Tour - Britican is For Salefrom SailingBritican
Swan 57 RS17.49 mSame hull family3.1 m shorterA German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for long-range cruising with a high comfort ratio and stable hull form
On The Wind #410 - Mark Sinclair // Retro Racing around the World9:29from 59° North Sailing
Hallberg-Rassy 6922.22 mSame hull family1.7 m longerA German Frers-designed flagship featuring a fractional rig and dual rudders, built for high-comfort blue water cruising
Hallberg-Rassy 69 - An awesome sail from Ellos to Lelystad. Yacht Delivery to HISWA-te-Water 20250:35from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Taswell 5617.02 mSame hull family3.6 m shorterA Bill Dixon-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder and high comfort ratio, built for stable, long-range passage making
Taswell: The Secret Bluewater Yacht Built Like an Oyster0:52from Lady K Sailing
Hallberg-Rassy 5718.44 mSame hull family2.1 m shorterA 18.44-metre flagship featuring a bulb keel and dual rudders for high-speed, stable long-distance cruising
Halberg-Rassy 57 - An epic yacht delivery through the Norwegian Fjords2:27from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Oyster Yachts 56518.09 mSame hull family2.5 m shorterA Humphreys-designed bluewater cruiser featuring a high-performance fractional rig, dual rudders, and a bulb keel
Oyster 565 - A Yacht Delivery from Croatia to UK12:33from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Oyster 56A Rob Humphreys-designed bluewater cutter built for comfort and stability on long-distance passagesOyster Marine 61A Holman and Pye designed cutter built for blue water, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stiff, comfortable motionOyster Marine 70A powerful cutter-rigged cruiser from Holman and Pye, evolved from the Oyster 68 for extended offshore passagesOyster 46A Holman & Pye designed staysail ketch built for offshore stability with a high ballast ratio and skeg-mounted rudderOyster Marine 82A 25-metre cutter featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, engineered for an 11-knot hull speed and high-performance passage making

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