CHAMPAGNE HIPPY

After returning from Adelaide and sailing 75 days solo, half way around the world, Alex was only back in the UK for a week before undertaking his next project – the rebuild of a famous Oyster yacht – Oyster 825-02.

This boat was launched in 2014 under the name Polina Star III. With a new style of construction for Oyster things were not right from the start and one year later the keel failed and the boat sank off the coast of Alicante. The £5m yacht sat on the bottom for 12 weeks before being salvaged.

Now owned by 4 brothers from Essex, Alex is advising on the complete rebuild of the boat from the keel up (there really was nothing left of the interior), specifying the equipment onboard and overseeing the sailing systems. He will then race the boat across the Atlantic in the ARC rally from Las Palmas in the Canaries to St Lucia in the Caribbean, starting on 24th November 2019.

This gives them a very tight schedule between now and then to get the boat completely fitted out, launched, mast and rigging on, sea trials and sailing trials before taking the boat down to the Canaries ready for the start of the race on 24th November.

A mountain of work ahead but a fantastic project to be a part of.