Boat Report
Pearl 50
Unsupported carbon-fi bre aft
deck canopy is strong and
boasts two electric sunroofs.
It’s only after a
The more people you pack on board when you go cruising, Pearl claim 30 knots with the standard 500hp Volvo D9,
the more stowage you need. Pearl have not been able to rising to 32 knots with the 575hp D9. With a load comprising
week on board
conjure any more than any other builder, but they have tried 30% fuel, full water tanks, three people but no stores we
hard to make it as easy as possible to use. All the seat bases lift achieved 29.8 knots with the 575hp. This is entirely
an aft-cabin boat
off with little effort to reveal well-fi nished under-seat lockers. reasonable – the likes of Princess and Fairline need around
Powerful gas struts help to raise the front sections of the 675hp to power their 50-footers to around 32 knots, an
that you fully double berths and the heavy sprung mattresses on top, so the equivalent performance adjusting for engine power. Only
big voids underneath are easy to use. And inside all the Sealine’s abnormally effi cient T50 achieves miracles with 33.8
appreciate the
wardrobes, Pearl have fi tted a pair of small but deeply fi ddled knots from its modest 575hp Volvos. However, bearing in
extra privacy
shelves, ideal for odds and ends. Blackout screens in the aft mind how much speed you could lose with a full complement
cabin provide evidence of Pearl’s willingness to accommodate of crew, fuel, plus a dirty bottom, avoid the smaller engines if
their owner’s special wishes. These slick, electrically powered you want to cruise in the high twenties.
screens provided our 50’s restless owner with a total light seal And this is something worth keeping because of the way
over the windows, better than curtains or the usual blinds. the 50 performs. Its fuel consumption fi gures are unusual – its
most effi cient cruising speed in terms of MPG (miles per
Driving the Pearl 50 gallon) is around 26 knots, there is no way to improve the
The handling refl ects the fact that it’s fi rst and foremost a cost-per-mile and range by slowing down below this speed.
voluminous cruising boat. It feels heavier than its aft-cockpit The drop in effi ciency is not huge: from an optimum of
counterparts, and pushed hard it is not as fl uid as boats from 0.68mpg at 26.3 knots to 0.64mpg at 22 knots – it’s just not
the likes of Fairline and Princess. It also has a tendency – like the way round you expect. Consequently, at 22 knots for
the more leisurely aft cabin boats – to roll around a little when instance, the Pearl 50 is consuming only a little less than the
provoked. You’ll notice the effect of passing waves more than larger and heavier D12 775hp-propelled Sunseeker
you do on the beamier Sealine T50. But its deep forward Manhattan 50. Pearl are currently experimenting with new
sections and loaded weight of 21 tonnes means that it keeps propellers, so it may be that our test fi gures will show an
its bow fi rmly planted and provides a smooth upwind ride. improvement.
From January 2007 MBY
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