When stockbroker and yachtsman Edward F Hutton married heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post in the 1920s, he introduced her to yachting aboard his three-masted schooner Hussar. Post and Hutton later built an even larger yacht, Hussar II, which was designed by Cox & Stevens and built by Friedrich Krupp in Kiel, Germany. Launched in 1931, it had panelled saloons and seven lavish cabins.

When the couple divorced Marjorie kept the yacht and renamed her Sea Cloud. She served as a patrol vessel for the US Coast Guard during World War II and in 1955 was sold to the Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo, who renamed her Angelita. After his overthrow, she was acquired by Clifford Barbour, who renamed her Antarna. New German owners rescued her from neglect in 1978, returned her name to Sea Cloud, and rebuilt her in Bremerhaven.

The yacht now charters in the West Indies during winter and in the Mediterranean in summer, operating with 60 crew and offering 34 cabins. She is featured in volume 3 of The Superyachts book.

• Builder: Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft
• Naval architecture: Cox & Stevens
• Former names: Angelita, Antarna, Hussar II, Patria

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

Few details are known about this schooner, which was built in Germany under conditions of great secrecy for her American owner, the television pioneer, film maker and Internet mogul Barry Diller. Her length is often quoted as being longer than the 82.6m figure used in this list but, in accordance with general practice, we do not believe that her bowsprit should be included in her overall length.

• Builder: Lürssen
• Naval architecture: Langan Design
• Interior design: Francois Catroux

In recent years 1930s retro designs have staged a comeback, and one of the most distinctive new builds in the style of the Golden Age is clearly Athena, built by the Royal Huisman Shipyard in Holland. This fore-and-aft rigged yacht, owned by US software developer Jim Clark, has a traditional clipper bow and counter stern and three closed decks.

Her traditionally panelled interior, designed by Beeldsnijder and Bradley, matches her classic exterior lines and locates the owner’s suite aft on the lower deck, next to the four guest cabins. The saloon and dining room are on the main deck and a sky lounge is located on the upper deck.

Despite such traditionalism, the 1,080-tonne displacement yacht has state-of-the-art sailing and internal systems. She has attained 19 knots under sail. Athena, which often acts as a tender to Clark’s J-Class racing boat Hanuman, is featured in Volume 19 of The Superyachts.

• Builder: Royal Huisman
• Naval architecture: Gerard Dijkstra / Pieter Beeldsnijder
• Exterior styling: Gerard Dijkstra
• Interior design: Pieter Beeldsnijder / Rebecca Bradley

Built by VT (formerly Vosper Thorneycroft) in Southampton, England, and displacing some 780 tonnes (165 tonnes of which is the keel) M5 (ex-Mirabella V) is the world’s largest sloop and one of the most advanced sailing superyachts afloat. Designed by Ron Holland for Joe Vittoria, an American yachtsman well known for his smaller Mirabella and Mirabella III sloops which were built in a yard he established in Thailand, she primarily served as a charter vessel, accommodating 14 guests.

Apart from the luxurious full-beam master suite, there are six double cabins, a saloon, dining room, gymnasium and sauna. Her carbon-fibre mast is the world’s tallest, towering 88.3m and carrying approximately 3,717 square metres of sail. M5 is featured in The Superyachts, Volume 18.

Renamed M5 following a recent sale, the yacht is currently under refit at Pendennis Plus where she will have a new interior designed by Redman Whiteley Dixon, and a stern extension of 3 metres.

• Builder: VT Shipbuilding
• Naval architecture / exterior styling: Ron Holland
• Interior design: Luciana Vittoria / Redman Whiteley Dixon (refit)

Amazingly, the 75.12m four-masted schooner Phocea was originally built in 1976 as a single-handed racing yacht, Club Mediterranée, with an eye on beating the single-handed transatlantic record. It was converted into a cruising yacht in 1986 for Bernard Tapie, a colourful French entrepreneur and one-time president of Olympique de Marseilles football team.

In 1999, she was sold to Mouna Ayoub (whose ex-husband owns Lady Moura). She changed the yacht’s name to Phocea and extensively rebuilt her at Lürssen Werft in Germany, with interior design by Jörg Beiderbeck and exterior styling by Tim Heywood. The yacht has achieved speeds of up to 20 knots under sail and can accommodate 12 guests. She was purchased by a group of private investors in May 2010 and remains available for charter. Phocea is featured in The Superyachts, Volume 14.

• Builder: DCAN (1976) / Lürssen (1999)
• Naval architecture: Michel Bigion / Pierrejean
• Exterior styling: Tim Heywood (rebuild)
• Interior design: Jörg Beiderbeck (rebuild)
• Former names: Club Mediterranée

This 67m sailing yacht was commissioned by a first-time owner looking for extended cruising capability. The yard's, the designer’s, and New Zealand’s largest yacht to date, Vertigo features an ‘urban at sea’ theme with walls devoid of art. Black and white leather and tan linen furniture reinforce the design theme.

Vertigo also houses a state-of-the-art classroom and an office and well as midships hull openings for watersports and toys. The crew quarters meet the anticipated ILO/MLC, 2006 requirements. She is featured in The Superyachts, volume 25.

• Builder: Alloy Yachts
• Naval architecture: Philippe Briand
• Interior design: Christian Liaigre Interior Design

Few details were known about this project during build as Vitters kept information secret. With a length of 66m, the Aglaia is the largest yacht ever built by the Dutch yard. She has a very modern design from Dubois Naval Architects, while the interior is by Redman Whiteley Dixon.

* Builder: Vitters
* Naval Architecture / exterior styling: Dubois Naval Architects
* Interior Design: Redman Whiteley Dixon

Pilar Rossi started life as a mid-sized motor yacht, but has since been completely transformed into one of the largest sailing yachts in the world. She was launched by Alukraft in 1989 as a 33.5m monuhull, but was subsequently converted into a 45m trimaran by Inace in 2004. Then in 2007 her owner, the Formula One racing driver Nelson Piquet, decided to convert her into a sailing schooner. Under the guidance of naval architect Mauricio Piquet (Nelson's uncle) she was extended to 64m and fitted with two masts.

* Builder: Alukraft
* Naval Architecture: Vincenzo Ruggiero / Alberto Mercati
* Exterior Styling: Mauricio Piquet
* Interior Design: Vivianne Piquet

Felicita West was designed for an owner who wanted to create the ultimate sailing experience. Built by Perini Navi in collaboration with Ron Holland, her long waterline and 1800 square metres of canvas propel her to speeds in excess of 16 knots. Her ultra-wide beam of 12.7 meters brings large internal volume and side decks where two people can walk side by side, a feat few motor yachts can achieve. She was the first 500 tonne aluminum sailing yacht to be MCA certified.

* Builder: Perini Navi
* Naval Architecture: Perini Navi / Ron Holland
* Exterior Styling: Nuvolari-Lenard
* Interior Design: Perini Navi / Rémi Tessier / Dernier Etage