As a happy aside, the Pearl clocks in at a touch less than many of its competitors.

Though marketed as a British brand – it was founded by Brit Iain Smallridge and the marque works with British designers – the boats are assembled in China. Nearly all components are shipped in from places in the world with stronger nautical heritages, but the price clip on Chinese labour has a pleasing upside, bringing the Pearl 82 in at around AU$13 million.

The yacht’s 6.34-metre beam allows for a roomy garage that houses both a Williams SportJet 395 and a Sea-Doo Spark PWC. Steps lead up to the cockpit where an aft sunpad large enough for at least three people will keep sun-worshippers happy. The sunpad is adjacent to bench seating with twin folding tables that are perfect for cocktails and serviceable for alfresco meals. Twin terraces fold out to increase the Pearl’s beam. They aren’t massive, but they are useful and also reassuringly solid underfoot. A console forward and to port can be specced as a wet bar or as cold storage.

Wide side decks with hip-high bulwarks lead to the bow. These areas will be especially appreciated by the crew members this boat was designed for – as will a docking station in the cockpit that functions as this vessel’s third helm. At the bow, there’s a second alfresco entertainment space with a settee and folding table aft and a set of sunpads forward that provides a private space to get away from crowds both at the dock and on the rest of the boat. A pop-up sunshade protects from UV rays so the area can be used even at the height of the day, while a sunken deck area in the bow down a few steps offers access to the anchors and windlasses.

That deck area also holds a bit of a secret – a sliding door leads directly into the main-deck master stateroom, giving the owner private access to the bow terrace – a luxurious touch I suspect is going to be a major selling point.

The forward terrace is just one of the master’s key features – large windows allow natural light to flood in and give sightlines set on gorgeous vistas. A small sofa to port makes for an excellent nook for private time.

The yacht’s interior comes in three different options. Hoppen offers the Luxury version with dark, high-gloss woods; the Modern version, with light oak accompanied by black inlays and hinges; and then the Indulgence colour scheme, as seen on the test boat, which has rich interplays between multiple tones of grey. It evokes a calm and soothing presence while also likely performing well on the resale market because of its classic nature.

The master is ensuite, with a generous head to port and a shower that is spacious enough for athletic shoulders.

From the master suite, you reach the saloon by moving aft and through a small office-cum-make-up station. This area in the boat will be particularly useful as more and more vessels are equipped with Starlink, allowing owners greater connectivity and therefore the ability to work even when far afield.

The saloon features more greys and dark, rich woods, all exhibiting high levels of joinery and gorgeous grains. A bar at the forward section of the space welcomes those looking to kick off their evening with a cocktail. A dining table just aft handles more formal meals while an adjacent L-shaped, white-leather lounge is the main attraction amidships.

The pilothouse is reached via steps amidships just forward of the saloon.

The 82 is a very sleek boat for a motor yacht of this size and class – Dixon did an admirable job of keeping the lines low-profile and sexy.

It did come at the expense of sightlines in the pilothouse though, which are a bit tight to either side and with minimal lines of sight aft. That being said, the flybridge is where I’d guess most captains will sit – it’s where I chose to pilot the vessel, and it was truly a lovely experience. The flybridge is shaded by a slatted hardtop that can open to let in varying degrees of sunlight – or none at all, as my Irish skin would much prefer.

The hardtop extends aft over a bevy of features that will make this deck perhaps the most popular on board. A wet bar to port handles refreshments, and there are seating areas amidships to port and starboard, with the starboard one having its own table as well. There’s an option for a spa pool to starboard, though my test boat didn’t have it – a wise choice for weight considerations in my opinion. And then aft is, of course, what else but the requisite sunpad.

Underway, I found the Pearl to be pleasingly smooth at the wheel. I slalomed her through S-turns with ease, and the Dixon-designed hull chewed through the light chop without breaking a sweat.

Reported top ends are right around 31 knots, though in a two-way speed test I saw 28 knots with the hammer down.

Cruise is 24.5 knots at 2,000 rpm, where the Pearl burns 537 litres per hour for a range here of 287 nautical miles. The performance numbers are a product of twin 2,000-horsepower Man V12s housed in an engine room with good access to all maintenance points. A pair of Kohler generators are located aft – you need to crawl to reach them, but it won’t be an overly tight squeeze for most.

The Pearl 82 exists right on the cusp of where an experienced owner-operator might be bold enough to run the boat herself, so the spacious and well-laid-out engine room will no doubt be a huge plus as this boat is marketed in Australia.

Regardless of whoever runs the boat, what you’re getting with a Pearl 82 is a yacht that gets nearly everything right – from the big things like layout and performance right down to the tiniest stitch in the interior. And with those bona fides, I’d say this Pearl model has a level of precision and beauty that is worthy of the name.

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