November 24th, 2020
Andrew Fairbrass runs Berthon Spain. In addition to the Brokerage arm of the business, at its core is a large refit and service business. Andrew is very involved in Berthon Spain, having come ashore from skippering large sailing yachts to start Sentinel Yachting which became Berthon Spain 18 months ago.
One of the services that Berthon Spain offers is guardiennage and RIVENDELL is looked after by us. Andrew is her biggest fan – this is what he says:-
‘I know the Oyster 82’s well and have done since their inception back in 2004 when BARE NECESSITIES came out of the sheds in all her pearlescent glory! At Berthon Spain (formerly Sentinel Yachting) we have worked on a lot of them and I am lucky enough to have sailed a few of them too. Amongst us captains, the Oyster 82’ is regarded as something special and I wanted to write this blog to tell you why…..
When you walk around a boat show or even go on a test sail, it is difficult to judge the build quality of a yacht and not to get distracted by the visuals. For me the 82’ does not disappoint, as whilst she has the WOW factor on the surface, this is backed up with very solid foundations. The thick laminated hull just shouts at you, “I can go anywhere!”, and the solid decks underfoot are infinitely reassuring.
RIVENDELL, like other 82’s, benefits from an enormous amount of system redundancy, which is just what you want when crossing oceans or sailing to the far reaches of the planet. She has 2 large generators, both of which can be connected to every circuit, 2 enormous capacity water pumps so if one goes down the other kicks straight in automatically, a plethora of fridges & freezers, a winch for every conceivable sail plan, 3 large battery chargers, 2 alternators…the list goes on and on!
These yachts are also extremely popular on the charter circuit as they offer every mod con and comfort going. They also benefit from being under 24m load line length which means that they do not have to comply with the Large Yacht Code. This makes operating the 82’ commercially when you wish much less complex than with slightly larger yachts. She also has two saloon areas, high & low, which allow for plenty of relaxation room in the main saloon, whilst the well equipment and ergonomically designed galley is the perfect place for the cook to prepare delicious fare.
The large cockpit allows plenty of room for outside entertaining. Whilst underway, guests can dip in and out of the business area of deck as they choose. The large lazarette and forward sail locker accommodates plenty of toys to entertain when at anchor, whether that be stand up paddle boarding or water-skiing behind the large powerful tender.
As a former captain/engineer, I am a particular fan of the engine room on the Oyster 82 as it has been impeccably well designed with space to move around all the systems, and service everything without the need to have a chiropractor on standby! All equipment is well labelled, you have a decent workbench complete with vice, and access is easy when guests are on board through a subtle, well insulated door in the aft corridor.
RIVENDELL is an excellent example; every system on there has been serviced, cleaned, painted, and polished. The owner has zero tolerance for poor maintenance and it really shows! I also like the large powerful hydraulic bow thruster that operates off the port generator as this really gives you a solid nudge to the bow when needed.
With all of the extra systems, safety and solid build construction you would be forgiven for thinking that RIVENDELL might be slightly pedestrian when sailing. I can assure you that this is not the case. With her powerful carbon fibre rig and fully battened mainsail she would be extremely competitive on the Oyster regatta circuit. The lack of heavy furling gear in the mast means that the weight on RIVENDELL is exactly where you want it, underneath! The mainsail is easily handled by two crew as she has a large park avenue boom and a split track, meaning flaking the sail is almost automatic.
If you are further interested in RIVENDELL, please call Simon Turner who is handling her sale. If you would like to discuss the technical aspects of the yacht including sailing performance, I am always available and keen to impart my passion and knowledge of this fantastic example of the Oyster 82.‘
You can watch her video here:-
Contacts:
Managing Director – andrew.fairbrass@berthonspain.com
Tel: +34 971 415 441
https://www.berthonspain.com/
Managing Broker – simon.turner@berthoninternational.com
Tel: +34 871 044 659
Mobile: +34 639 701 234
