Oyster Expansion

Oyster beef up superyacht sales with Dahm International deal

As part of a strategy to expand its sales and marketing of its new 30.5m (100ft) and 38.1m (125ft) sailing yacht designs Oyster Marine has signed an exclusive deal with Dahm International covering central Europe.

"The deal came about following a meeting at Monaco last year between David Tydeman, Oyster's Chief Executive and Herbert Dahm," Liz Whitman, marketing director for Oyster told SB.

"No other companies were considered," she adds, "There was a mutual meeting of minds and the deal has gone ahead just in time for the yachts to be on Dahm's stand at Düsseldorf." The area assigned to Dahm will range from Germany in the north, through countries such as Switzerland and Austria down to Italy, Greece and Turkey. It may also include Russia. Whitman suggested that Dahm would market the yachts from their existing offices in Zurich and Monaco.

Currently the first 30.5m (100ft) is in build at the RMK yard in Turkey and completion is hoped for "in time for her to be at Monaco this year," Whitman says. The first 38.1m (125ft) design is being moulded and is due to be delivered next year. Whitman explained to SB that "The current sale position is that one of each size is the sold. The 125ft yacht is the flybridge design. We have a deposit for a second 100ft and currently three prospective buyers are visiting Turkey to see the yachts in build." All these confirmed or potential buyers are from the UK.

As to whether larger designs will be developed Whitman told SB: "That is a question we are often asked and inevitably we will be led by customer demand but it is not on the radar for the next year or 24 months. We will not look at that until we have a yacht on the water." Whitman explains that the sales and market activity was being expanded across Europe, such as through the Dahm deal, but also in Hong Kong and potentially in Brazil.


Superyacht Business / David Robinson, 20 January 2010