Built for the American venture capitalist Tom Perkins, and now owned by Elena Ambrosiadou, the three-masted schooner Maltese Falcon is the second largest sailing yacht after Sea Cloud. Her pioneering Falcon Rig comprises three unstayed carbon-fibre masts whose carbon-fibre yards are fixed to the rotating masts. The 2,396 square metre sails are stored within the mast and set by extending outwards along the yards using automated controls.
The steel hull was originally built by Perini Navi in Tuzla, Turkey, but the project was cancelled. Following its purchase by Perkins, the underwater lines and appendages were modified by Gerard Dijkstra to maximise sailing performance. The yacht has topped 24 knots under sail. The interior by Ken Freivokh is as remarkable as her exterior (which he also drew) – a stunning marriage of industrial chic and hi-tech in which long sight lines and extreme comfort are aligned with a sense of open space. This astounding vessel is featured in The Superyachts, Volume 20.
- Builder: Perini Navi
- Naval architecture / exterior styling: Perini Navi / Gerard Dijkstra
- Interior design: Ken Freivokh
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