Alex Smith gets the exclusive UK test on the prototype Piranha 3.8 Pearl.

The new Piranha 3.8 Pearl immediately suggests that the relationship between company MD, Nick Edgington, and the Chinese factory where the boats are built, is a very good one. For a start, the boat exhibits a very respectable quality of build, with a heavyweight layup, a smooth finish and a notable absence of rattles when you knock it about. And then you notice how the general shape of things here is powerfully reminiscent of a small jet RIB. The two-man aft bench doubles as the skipper’s driving station, with a helm console to starboard, while a single seat to port of that and a further one-man seat in the V of the bow provides decent accommodation for four people. And yet, despite the quality layup and the complicated mouldings, you still get it all for an accessible price. Here, for the boat only, (including VAT at 20 per cent) you will pay just £7,995.

The finer details
The standard equipment on here might surprise you. You get a dash-top compass and a very attractive three-spoked metal steering wheel. You get lots of Flexiteek decking and you...

For the full test, pick up the May issue of Sports Boat and RIB magazine.