The shipyard was founded in 1973 by Richard Matthews with the launch of his first cruiser-race, the UFO 34, designed by  Don Pye of Holman & Pye. Following its victory in the Royal Yacht Squadron’s de Maas Cup in 1974, the shipyard grew, launching the first Oyster-branded yacht, the Oyster 35, a 14-metre ketch in 1978. Over the years, the size of its fleet expanded through a long-running design partnership with Rob Humphreys to include larger models between 17 and 38 metres. Ownership passed to private equity in 2000, and after a brief setback in 2018, British tech entrepreneur Richard Hadida acquired the company that same year, restoring stability and recommitting the shipyard to its founding principles. Today, Oyster Yachts’ current range includes seven distinct models, with notable deliveries including the 22.7-metre 745CB Endurance and the 27m Lush, a 125 flybridge from owner and chairman Hadida. The shipyard is also known for the Oyster World Rally, a 27,000-nautical-mile supported circumnavigation held over 16 months.