Boat launches tend to come with a great deal of noise. Flashy claims, dramatic lighting, and people telling you, with straight faces, that this is the future. The Pearl 73 did not do that. It simply appeared at boot Düsseldorf 2026, sat there calmly, and waited for everyone else to catch up.
This is generally a good sign.
Pearl Yachts has been building boats for people who actually intend to go in the open waters, rather than merely point at them from a dock while holding a glass of something expensive. The Pearl 73 continues that tradition. It doesn’t try to shock you. It doesn’t demand applause. It just feels sorted, which is a word I find myself using more and more as I get older.
If you’ve seen the Pearl 72 live, much of this will feel familiar. That’s because Pearl has sensibly decided not to fix what wasn’t broken. Instead, they’ve tightened things up. The exterior, drawn once again by Bill Dixon, looks cleaner and more confident, like a design that’s had a good night’s sleep and a proper breakfast.
The profile is sleeker now, with more glass and stronger lines, but nothing theatrical. I like that. Boats, much like people, rarely benefit from shouting.
At the back — which is where one tends to end up spending most of one’s time — the Pearl 73 does something genuinely clever. Fold-down balconies turn the aft cockpit into a proper terrace, right at the water. Not a platform for showing off, but a place where you’d actually sit, possibly for far longer than intended.
You can imagine lunch happening there. Then another drink. Then the realisation that nobody is going anywhere, and that this is, in fact, the entire point.
Above, the flybridge is large without being ridiculous. There’s a proper hardtop, a sensible sunroof, and enough flexibility to make it work whether you’re feeding a crowd or avoiding one. I’ve always thought shade is the true mark of luxury, and Pearl seems to agree.
Up front, there’s a bow seating area that seems completely disconnected from the rest of the boat. This is where you go with a coffee in the morning, or a book you won’t finish, and quietly congratulate yourself on having made at least one good decision in life – especially buying this yacht!
Inside, the layout immediately makes sense. The galley is aft, which means whoever is cooking hasn’t been exiled to a cave. Instead, they remain part of whatever is going on, which is how it should be. Boats are social things, and this one understands that.
The saloon is bright, calm, and refreshingly free of nonsense. Lots of glass, clean lines, and nothing that tries too hard. Forward, the helm sits under Pearl’s familiar double windscreen, with a dinette nearby and a side door that will make docking considerably less dramatic. I approve of anything that reduces drama.
Below deck, things get interesting. There are two master cabins. Two. One forward, one amidships, both properly comfortable. This raises philosophical questions about hierarchy and fairness, but it does mean nobody has to draw the short straw.
Two further guest cabins, all en-suite, make this a boat where people can stay for a while without falling out. Crew accommodation is discreet and sensible, and the garage is large enough for a proper tender and a jet ski, should you feel the need to move faster for no particular reason.
The interior design comes from Kelly Hoppen, and the new Monochrome scheme is exactly what it sounds like — calm, restrained, and quietly confident. Soft greys, darker accents, textures that feel good to touch.
As for performance, the Pearl 73 is powered by MAN V12 engines, with options up to 1,550 horsepower. It’ll do around 32 knots if you insist, but it’s happiest at a comfortable cruise. Which is also where I’d be happiest. Speed is exciting in short bursts, but comfort is what we wall want, right?
There’s a five-year warranty, too, which suggests Pearl expects these boats to be used, not just admired. Again, a reassuring attitude.
The Pearl 73 doesn’t try to redefine anything. It simply refines what already worked and removes the bits that didn’t need to be there in the first place. And that, to my mind, is the essence of good design.
