Of all the Starship cruises to date, no two acts have been as suited to a radiant day on Sydney Harbour as Ben Watt and Dixon. Both DJs are renowned for a summer-ready take on house and a willingness to drop a shimmering vocal where required: the ideal accompaniment to sunshine and sweeping views.

Thankfully the weather on this chosen Tuesday is as unspoiled as anyone could’ve hoped for. While the Australia Day hordes roam the city in search of a beer bong, 800-odd revellers converge on Cockle Bay for the Starship’s late-afternoon departure. For those unacquainted with the vessel’s charms, Ben Watt gave an apt description on Twitter: “A huge yacht shaped like Darth Vader’s helmet”.

As the floating helmet approaches Millers Point, local man-about-town Vivi lays down a fitting soundtrack for the dancers steadily filling the top deck. Maybe it’s the weather or the perverse thrill of partying on a week-day, but the crowd for this cruise seems the most unified yet. Vivi’s crisp and unhurried disco is pitched perfectly to the occasion, as the teeming harbour begins to open up around us. The cheer that goes up as the Starship passes under the shadow of the Bridge is a good gauge of the party mood.

Before long, Dixon weaves his way through the throng to take his post. Gone is the deep-house-haircut of his 2007 visit, replaced by a look best described as acid-chic. The next three hours weave between warm house cuts, Innversions classics and the occasional curveball, all presented in the man’s signature ‘tracky’ style.

It mightn’t be the kind of set he’s itching to play (his selections at the after-party are deeper and more current), but it’s exactly what’s called for on a vibrant summer afternoon. Dixon is unafraid of letting a good vocal shine – so early on we’re treated to the likes of Junior Boys and Nouvelle Vague, before the gradually-building groove of Henrik Schwarz’s Equinox remix kicks things up a notch.

By now, it’s ‘one-in-one-out’ on the top deck, and there’s an ecstatic feeling on the dancefloor. As boats zip past us, quizzically surveying the hands in the air, the set swells with evergreen staples like Âme’s wistful version of Ferrer & Sydenham Inc.’s Timbuktu. A thorough reviewer would duck downstairs to see how Ben Watt is going (very well, apparently), but this one is having too much fun.

Somewhere around Rose Bay, as the sky begins to hint at a spectacular sunset, Dixon digs out Massive Attack’s towering Unfinished Sympathy – surely the ‘moment’ of the cruise. From there, it’s something of a deep house best-of ( DJ Pierre’s What Is House Music, the stirring edit of Ane Brun’s Headphone Silence and Armando’s fiery call-to-arms Don’t Take It all make an appearance), before it’s finally time to sign off.

Down in the depths of the helmet, the dancefloor is absolutely heaving to Ben Watt’s final hour. It’s quite a sight to see the DJ silhouetted against the sheer glass wall, the harbour stretching out on all sides. As we slowly glide back to port, Dixon joins the Buzzin’ Fly boss for some back-to-back (for an unashamed devotee of both, this is something of a momentous occasion). It’s a chance for Dixon to try out some heavier gear like Laurent Garnier’s Back To My Roots, while Watt surprises with an overhaul of Moby’s Go.

However, the man saves the best for last: the heart-wrenching Tracey In My Room, bleeding into Pop A Cap In Your Ass overlaid with the a capella from Missing. Immense cheers turn into boos when security cuts it short, but we’re more than sated. Put simply, this was one of the finest parties to visit Sydney in some time – and certainly the best Tuesday you could hope for.